LOS ANGELES, United States: The family of the kidnapped mother of a top US TV news anchor made a new plea for information from her captors on Thursday, after investigators said they believed the 84-year-old was still alive.
Nancy Guthrie, mother of NBC News “Today” co-host Savannah Guthrie, is believed to have been kidnapped from her home in Tucson, Arizona, some time on Saturday night or Sunday morning, sparking a massive hunt in a case that has gripped America.
“Whoever is out there holding our mother, we want to hear from you,” the missing woman’s son, Camron Guthrie, said in a video posted on Instagram.
“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.”
Savannah Guthrie had tearfully pleaded with kidnappers to share proof of life earlier this week.
The family’s renewed call came after the FBI disclosed that a first deadline of 5 p.m. on Thursday was made in a ransom letter, without providing a time zone.
FBI Special Agent in Charge Heith Janke told a press conference that a second demand of a payment by Monday was given in the letter.
“If a transfer wasn’t made, I think a second demand was for next Monday,” he said, declining to provide any information about what was threatened if the deadline was not met.
“The ransom note that was sent out there... every lead in this case we are taking extremely serious,” Janke added, saying the letter called for an undisclosed amount of money.
Authorities have made one arrest over a fake ransom demand, Janke said.
Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance has garnered wall-to-wall coverage in US media, with dozens of reporters and camera crews descending on the quiet Arizona suburb where she lives.
Authorities said they believed the missing woman was still alive, and said blood discovered on her doorstep belonged to her.
“Right now, we believe Nancy is still out there. We want her home,” Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos told reporters on Thursday.
But law enforcement was no closer to finding out who was responsible for the woman’s abduction.
“Everybody’s still a suspect in our eyes,” Nanos said.
The FBI’s Janke called on whoever was responsible to hand themselves in or establish communication with the family.
“In a normal case there would be contact by now,” he said.
Action taken on any proposed ransom would be “taken by the family” only, he added.
First timeline
President Donald Trump said Wednesday he had ordered “ALL Federal Law Enforcement to be at the family’s, and Local Law Enforcement’s, complete disposal, IMMEDIATELY.”
On Thursday, his press spokeswoman said Trump spoke to Savannah Guthrie and told her “the federal government is here to help.”
Nanos — who earlier this week said he was not used to the kind of national scrutiny that comes with a case like this — gave the first detailed timeline of events after Guthrie was dropped off at her home at 9:48 p.m. Saturday.
At “that time we assume that Nancy’s home and going to bed,” he said.
“At 1:47 am the doorbell camera disconnects.
“2:12 am, software detects a person on a camera, but there’s no video available.
“2:28 am, Nancy’s pacemaker app shows that it was a disconnect from the phone.”
At that point, the trail went cold, Nanos said.
Janke announced a $50,000 reward for information leading to Guthrie’s rescue or the arrest of those responsible for her disappearance. He said FBI Director Kash Patel was receiving updates on the case.
Nanos said time was of the essence.
“She is in need of daily medication,” he said.
“It’s day four or five, and we don’t know that she’s getting her medication.
“That could, in itself, prove fatal.”