Six months after her 84-year-old mother vanished from her Arizona home in what authorities believe was a kidnapping, NBC “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie made an emotional plea Saturday for someone to come forward with information.
Posting on Instagram early Saturday morning, Guthrie described her family as living “every moment, every breath, and every heartbeat in agony and despair” since Nancy Guthrie disappeared on February 1 from her home in the Catalina Foothills near Tucson. “Six months ago, someone took her out of her bed in the dead of night,” Savannah wrote, describing how the family has tried to remain strong as their mother taught them to do. “But make no mistake — our hearts are in ruins.”
In her message, Savannah appealed directly to anyone who might have information, saying the family needs someone to break their silence. “We are begging for help. We are desperate. We need someone to come forward. Someone knows something. Someone suspects something. Someone recognizes the writing in the ransom demand notes,” she wrote. She acknowledged that potential witnesses might fear coming forward or feel conflicted about what they know, but urged them that there was “a way out — to tell what you know. You can do so anonymously.”
The plea came one day after the Pima County Sheriff’s Department released the full contents of two ransom notes sent to a local Tucson television station. The first note arrived on February 2, claiming Nancy was “safe but scared” and demanding $4 million in Bitcoin for her release. The second note, sent on February 6, delivered a devastating message to the family: it claimed Nancy had died shortly after being taken, saying “She perished shortly after she was taken” and that her death was heart-related, that “nothing you could have done could have changed the outcome.”
Authorities released the notes publicly in hopes that someone might recognize the distinctive writing patterns and linguistic style of whoever wrote them. Law enforcement believes someone close to the writer — a friend, family member, coworker, classmate or acquaintance — may hold the key to identifying the person responsible.
The investigation has been marked by false leads and dead ends. In early February, security camera footage from Nancy’s doorbell camera captured images of a masked person outside her home. That footage became crucial evidence, as it was the only visual confirmation of a suspect. However, forensic work has yielded limited results. Hair evidence found inside Nancy’s home was tested extensively but did not point investigators toward any suspect. A man was arrested for sending a fake ransom note, but he was not connected to the actual abduction.
Despite six months of investigation involving the FBI and local authorities, law enforcement has no identified suspects. Hundreds of investigators have pursued thousands of leads, reviewed tens of thousands of hours of surveillance footage, and followed up on more than 50,000 tips. The case continues to be treated as an active kidnapping investigation, though the sheriff’s department acknowledged in recent months that the resources devoted to the case were shifting as it entered a new phase.
Savannah has remained away from her broadcasting duties since her mother’s disappearance, though she has made multiple emotional public pleas through Instagram videos and messages. In one recent video, she appealed directly to whoever may have taken her mother, saying “It’s never too late to do the right thing” and asking them to help the family find her. Her siblings, brother Camron and sister Annie, have also released video pleas, asking the kidnapper to make contact and provide proof of life.
The family is offering a reward of $1.2 million for information leading to Nancy’s recovery. Authorities have urged anyone with information to contact the Pima County Sheriff’s Department at 520-351-4900, call 88-CRIME, or reach out to the FBI through tips.fbi.gov or 1-800-CALL-FBI.
Nancy Guthrie, described by family members as mentally sharp and independent despite health challenges, required daily medication and had limited mobility. Her disappearance has left the Tucson community and the nation watching and waiting for any break in the case. Savannah’s Saturday message made clear that her family, though exhausted by six months of uncertainty, remains determined. “There is a determination in us that cannot be quenched — to find out what happened to her, so that we can give her the dignity of a proper goodbye — a celebration of her remarkable life that she so deserves,” Savannah wrote.