TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Investigators believe the missing mother of “Today” anchor Savannah Guthrie is “still out there” but have not identified any suspects, the sheriff said Thursday.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said DNA tests showed the blood found on Nancy Guthrie’s porch came back to her.
“Right now we believe Nancy is still out there. We want her home,” Nanos said at a news conference five days after she was reported missing.
THIS IS A NEWS UPDATE. An earlier AP story follows below.
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — There was no public sign of reaction to Savannah Guthrie’s NBC “Today” appearance early Thursday morning. a note from her 84-year-old mother’s captor.
Guthrie said her family is ready to talk, but they want proof Nancy Guthriewhich the authorities believing he was taken from her home in Arizona against her will, she is still alive. In a heartbreaking video posted on social media Wednesday, Guthrie said her family had heard media reports about the ransom note.
“We are ready to speak. But we live in a world where voices and images can be easily manipulated,” Savannah Guthrie he said while reading from a prepared statement. “We need to know without a doubt that she is alive and that you have her. We want to hear from you and we are ready to listen. Please contact us.”
Nancy Guthrie was last seen Saturday night when her family dropped her off at her Tucson home after dinner, the sheriff’s department said. She was reported missing about 2 hours later on Sunday after she failed to show up at church.
At least three media organizations said they had received the alleged ransom, which they handed over to investigators. The sheriff’s department said it was taking the notes and other tips seriously, but declined to comment further.
The message, emailed Monday to the newsroom of KOLD-TV in Tucson, contained information that only the kidnapper would know, CNN anchor Mary Coleman said. It also included a dollar amount and a deadline, she said.
“When we saw some of these details, it became clear after a few sentences that it might not be a hoax,” she said in an interview that aired Wednesday.
The family released their plea after police searched Nancy Guthrie’s home and surrounding area for several hours Wednesday.
Investigators returned to the follow-up investigation after being at the home for several days earlier in the week, said Kevin Adger, a spokesman for the Pima County Sheriff’s Department. He said the sheriff’s department had no comment on the family’s video message.
Savannah Guthrie was emotional and her voice was shaking during the recording. She addressed her mother directly, saying that her family was praying for her and that people were looking for her.
“Mom, if you can hear this, you are a strong woman. You are God’s precious daughter,” she said.
Savannah Guthrie described her mother as a “kind, faithful, loyal, fiercely loving woman of goodness and light” and said she was funny, brave and smart.
“Talk to her and see,” she said.
Guthrie was flanked by her sister Annie and her brother Camron.
“Mom, if you’re listening, we need you to come home. We miss you,” Annie Guthrie said.
Authorities are expected to provide an update on the investigation at a news conference Thursday. The Pima County Sheriff’s Office said no suspect or person of interest has been identified.
A home in the Catalina Foothills neighborhood showed signs of forced entry. Guthrie has limited mobility and officials do not believe she left on her own. A sheriff’s dispatcher said during Sunday’s search that Guthrie had high blood pressure, a pacemaker and heart problems, according to audio from broadcastify.com.
The neighborhood’s desert terrain can make it difficult to find people, said Jim Mason, longtime commander of the Maricopa County Search and Rescue Team, who is not involved in the search. He said it can be difficult to see into areas densely overgrown with mesquite, cholla cacti and desert scrub.
“Some are so thick you can’t drive through it,” Mason said.
President Donald Trump posted on social media that he is ordering federal authorities to help where they can after the White House said Wednesday that he had spoken with Savannah Guthrie.
Several hundred people prayed during it and placed lighted candles on the altar vigil at a Tucson church.
Jeremy Thacker had tears in his eyes as he described the heartbreak and helplessness. He worked with Savannah Guthrie at an Arizona news station. They shared the loss of their fathers at a young age and his own sister was kidnapped when he was young.
Thacker said he knew Nancy Guthrie to be sharp, grounded and serious.
“We’re all holding our breath,” Thacker said.
Billeaud reported from Phoenix. Associated Press writers Audrey McAvoy in Honolulu, Hallie Golden in Seattle, Michael Hill in Albany, New York, Darlene Superville in Washington and Julie Walker in New York contributed.
