Live updates: Investigators believe Nancy Guthrie is 'out there' and remain committed to bringing her home safely
This version of Live Updates Savannah Guthrie Nancy Missing Rcna257694 - Breaking News | NBC News Clone was adapted by NBC News Clone to help readers digest key facts more efficiently.
No suspect has been identified during the investigation into Guthrie's disappearance.
What we know
- Six days into the search for the mother of "TODAY" co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, no suspects or persons of interest have been identified, authorities said.
- Officials yesterday offered a timeline of the hours after Nancy Guthrie, 84, was dropped off by family at her home outside Tucson, Arizona, on Saturday night and when she was reported missing about noon Sunday.
- Reports indicate that ransom notes referencing Guthrie have been sent to at least three news outlets. NBC News has not seen copies of the notes, and no law enforcement agency has substantiated news reports about them.
- One of the reported ransom notes had a deadline of 5 p.m. yesterday. In a video statement posted near the deadline, Camron Guthrie asked to speak to “whoever is out there holding our mother,” saying the family wants to talk and is “waiting for contact.”
Former co-host Hoda Kotb joins ‘TODAY’: 'This whole thing is breaking my heart'
Former co-host Hoda Kotb joined ‘TODAY’ on Friday, detailing the outpour of support the Guthrie family has received amid the ongoing search for their mother and describing her personal heartbreak for her friend.
“This whole thing is breaking my heart, and I’m happy to be sitting here with you,” Kotb told her fellow former colleagues. “Everybody’s hoping and praying for Nancy’s safe return. There’s been a massive show of support, from vigils to people offering positive thoughts online and just a lot of hope.”
The ongoing search for Nancy Guthrie has spurred support from across the country, Hollywood, and the NBC family, Kotb said. She added that Savannah Guthrie was always the first to help another colleague in need, and there is a “helpless feeling” of being unable to help.
“We’ll be patient and put prayers up, and that’s all we can do,” Kotb added.
Investigation to find Guthrie may take time
Law enforcement has indicated it is taking all pieces of evidence in this investigation seriously, including potentially legitimate ransom notes that include details about Guthrie's life.
The timeline is a critical piece to the investigation that officials revealed to the public yesterday. Indicating when her doorbell camera was removed from the door is crucial to figuring this out, but there are still questions.
At this point, there are clues, but not many details.
Another clue for investigators could be the potential abductor's license plate. Not many cars are on the road at 2:30 a.m., when Guthrie appeared to be taken from her home, so investigators can start to search for hints.
But that kind of work takes a long time and is challenging.
Members of the press work yesterday outside the home of Nancy Guthrie in Tucson, Ariz. Caitlin O'Hara / AP
Sheriff Nanos on ongoing investigation: 'You have to have hope. We're gonna find her.'
A day after authorities released a timeline leading up to Nancy Guthrie's disappearance, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos told NBC News that "we're gonna find her."
"You have to have hope," Nanos said.
Officials are investigating the legitimacy of a number of ransom notes sent to news outlets, with crisis negotiators on the ground ready to assist the family in the case that one is real.
The FBI is also now offering a $50,000 reward for any information that leads to Guthrie.
Authorities provide a timeline of the night Nancy Guthrie disappeared
Man accused of sending fake ransom note to appear in Los Angeles federal court
The man accused of sending a fake ransom note to Nancy Guthrie’s family is expected to make an initial appearance today in federal court in Los Angeles.
Derrick Callella was charged with one count of intent to transmit a demand for ransom and one count of using a telecommunications device to anonymously abuse, threaten or harass a person.
The complaint alleges Callella admitted having sent the messages “to see if the family would respond.”
On Wednesday, Callella allegedly used a voice-over-Internet-Protocol phone number to text the Guthries, asking whether they had gathered the bitcoin “[we are] waiting for on our end for the transaction,” according to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Arizona.
The messages linked to Callella have not been connected to a ransom demand reported to an Arizona news station days earlier, the complaint says.
It was not immediately clear whether Callella, who was arrested yesterday in Los Angeles, has a lawyer to speak on his behalf.
Camron Guthrie pleads with possible kidnapper to communicate with the family directly
Camron Guthrie yesterday released a message in which the family asked whoever may be holding their 84-year-old mother to provide a way the family can communicate directly with them.
“Whoever is out there holding our mother, we want to hear from you. We haven’t heard anything directly,” Camron Guthrie said in a video on Instagram.
“We need you to reach out, and we need a way to communicate with you so we move forward,” he said.
“But first, we have to know that you have our mom,” he said. “We want to talk to you, and we are waiting for contact.”
$50,000 reward for information leading to recovery of Guthrie
The FBI has joined the investigation into Guthrie's disappearnce and is now working the case jointly with the Pima County Sheriff’s Department. Previously, the sheriff's department had been the lead investigative agency.
The FBI is now fully engaged and has brought in additional human and technical resources from around the country and is mounting a publicity campaign to generate tips.
FBI Phoenix SAC Heith Janke announced a $50,000 reward for information leading to the recovery of Nancy Guthrie.
No suspect or person of interest identified yet
Reports indicate that ransom notes referencing Guthrie have been sent to at least three news outlets. NBC News has not seen copies of the notes, and no law enforcement agency has substantiated news reports about them.
Heith Janke, FBI Phoenix’s special agent in charge, told reporters that one of the reported ransom notes had a deadline of 5 p.m. yesterday. He said there was a second deadline on Monday.
Nanos reiterated that authorities have not identified a suspect or a person of interest in the case, which has drawn national attention. “We’re not there yet,” the sheriff told reporters. He also confirmed that blood found on the porch outside Guthrie’s house tested positive for her DNA.
