The timeline of Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance
Investigators have laid out the timeline of how Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance unfolded.
A week after Nancy Guthrie was last seen, authorities are still searching for the 84-year-old mother of “Today” anchor Savannah Guthrie and are investigating the authenticity of a new note.
Authorities believe Nancy Guthrie was taken from her home near Tucson, Arizona, and is in poor health without vital medication. She was last seen the night of Jan. 31, and her family discovered she was gone when she didn’t show up for church the next day.
“We believe Nancy is still out there,” Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said on Feb. 5.
Investigators are searching the area around her home as the timeline of her disappearance grows more concerning. Without daily medication, Nany Guthrie is at risk due to her health issues, and the first deadline associated with a ransom note has passed.
An SUV was towed off her property Friday evening, Feb. 6, at 8 p.m. local time after deputies blocked off a larger footprint around the home and placed evidence markers around.
The FBI is offering a reward up to $50,000 for information leading to Nancy Guthrie’s recovery or the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in her disappearance.
Here’s what we know about the case:
Guthrie family shares new video
Savannah Guthrie and her siblings are sending a new message to their mother’s kidnapper in a third video released Saturday.
“We received your message and we understand,” Savannah Guthrie said in the Feb. 7 video posted on Instagram. “We beg you now to return our mother to us so that we can celebrate with her. This is the only way we will have peace. This is very valuable to us, and we will pay.”
When did Nancy Guthrie go missing? Timeline of disappearance
Nancy Guthrie was last seen when she was dropped off at her home by family members the night of Jan. 31. She was reported missing around noon on Feb. 1 after her family went to check on her and found her gone from the home.
Investigators have said that Nancy Guthrie’s video doorbell and pacemaker app were both disconnected overnight. The doorbell detected movement shortly before 2 a.m. on Feb. 1, but authorities have said any footage recorded was not saved.
Blood found on the home’s front steps was confirmed to be Nancy Guthrie’s, Nanos said.
A ransom note shared with some media outlets gave deadlines on Feb. 5 and Feb. 9, according to FBI special agent Heith Janke.
Do police know a motive in Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance?
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said his team could not determine whether Guthrie was targeted in a crime or what the motive would be in taking her against her will.
“We’ll know more as we go on what that motive is, but right now, my guesswork is as good as yours,” Nanos told reporters Feb. 5.
What was in the ransom note? Who received it?
Media outlets, including Arizona-based news station KOLD and TMZ, received a ransom note that allegedly mentioned a deadline, dollar amount and specific details that only Guthrie’s abductor might know, KOLD reporter Mary Coleman told CNN on Feb. 3. Both outlets reported that the letter included a demand for millions in Bitcoin cryptocurrency.
The note shared with media outlets set a 5 p.m. payment deadline on Feb. 5, Janke said, and a second deadline mentioned in the note is on Monday, Feb. 9.
The note included details about Nancy Guthrie’s Apple Watch, Janke said. According to CBS News, the note also contained details about the clothing she was wearing the night of her disappearance.
In a Friday X post, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department said it is investigating a new note it received in connection with the case. “Investigators are actively inspecting the information provided in the message for its authenticity,” the department wrote.
Have any arrests been made?
Authorities have not confirmed any arrests of suspects in Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance.
After police debunked an “imposter” ransom demand, a Southern California man was arrested on Feb. 5 in Hawthorne, California, located south of Los Angeles International Airport, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona announced.
According to the criminal complaint, Derrick Callella faces two federal charges: allegedly transmitting communication containing a demand or request for a ransom for the release of any kidnapped person and also making a phone call, without disclosing his identity, with the intent to abuse, threaten or harass a person.
Are there negotiations connected to ransom demands?
Police have not confirmed any contact with a kidnapper in the Guthrie case or confirmed the authenticity of any ransom notes.
Nancy’s son, Camron Guthrie, said the family has not heard from her possible kidnapper in an Instagram video posted Thursday, saying, “Whoever is out there holding our mother, we want to hear from you.”
“We haven’t heard anything directly. We need you to reach out, and we need a way to communicate with you so we can move forward. But first we have to know that you have our mom. We want to talk to you and we are waiting for contact,” Camron added.
What have Savannah Guthrie, Nancy’s other children, said?
Savannah, Camron, and sister Annie Guthrie posted an emotional four-minute video on Wednesday, Feb. 4, pleading for her return in response to reports of a ransom letter.
“As a family, we are doing everything that we can. We are ready to talk. However, we live in a world where voices and images are easily manipulated. We need to know without a doubt that she’s alive and that you have her. We want to hear from you and we are ready to listen. Please reach out to us,” Savannah Guthrie said.
The TV journalist emphasized that Nancy Guthrie‘s health is fragile and “she lives in constant pain. She is without any medicine. She needs it to survive. She needs it not to suffer.”
“Mama, if you’re listening, we need you to come home. We miss you,” Annie Guthrie said.
Contributing: Anna Kaufman, Brendan Morrow, Taijuan Moorman, KiMi Robinson, Anika Reed, USA TODAY; Sarah Lapidus, Stephanie Innes, Perry Vandell, Helen Rummel, the Arizona Republic