Savannah Guthrie Begs for Help Six Months After Mother’s Disappearance/ TezzBuzz/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ “Today” host Savannah Guthrie issued an emotional appeal for information six months after her 84-year-old mother, Nancy Guthrie, disappeared near Tucson. Authorities released two ransom notes, including one claiming Nancy Guthrie had died, hoping someone would recognize the writer’s language and style. No suspects have been arrested, and authorities have not publicly confirmed whether both notes are authentic or whether Nancy Guthrie is dead.
Quick Look
- Nancy Guthrie disappeared from her home outside Tucson on Feb. 1.
- Saturday marked six months since she went missing.
- Savannah Guthrie said her family was “desperate” and “begging for help.”
- Authorities released two notes originally sent to a Tucson television station.
- The first demanded $4 million in cryptocurrency.
- The second claimed Guthrie had died and was buried in nature.
- Authorities have not publicly confirmed the second note’s claim.
- No suspects have been arrested.
- The FBI has not said whether both notes are considered authentic.
- Investigators believe the writer’s language may be recognizable.
- Doorbell-camera footage may show preparations on two separate days.
- A masked person appeared to interfere with a porch camera.
- Authorities described the person as a man approximately 5 feet, 9 inches tall.
- Investigators are seeking information about unusual behavioral or physical changes.
Deep Look
Savannah Guthrie issues desperate appeal
“Today” show host Savannah Guthrie is asking the public for help finding answers about her mother’s disappearance six months after the 84-year-old vanished from her Arizona home.
Guthrie posted an emotional message Saturday saying her family remained desperate for information about Nancy Guthrie.
The appeal came one day after authorities released two ransom notes sent during the opening days of the investigation. One note demanded money in exchange for Guthrie’s release, while the other claimed she had died shortly after being abducted.
Authorities have not publicly confirmed that she is dead.
Family asks anyone with suspicions to speak
Savannah Guthrie urged anyone who recognizes the ransom notes’ language or has noticed unusual behavior from someone they know to contact investigators.
“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,” Guthrie wrote on her Instagram account, alongside a photograph of her mother.
She suggested that someone close to the writer could have noticed changes but may feel afraid or conflicted about reporting them.
“Someone has noticed something different, strange, troubling or just unusual – perhaps with someone they deeply love,” she wrote. “Perhaps they are afraid to come forward. Perhaps they are conflicted. Perhaps they are angry or upset for being in this situation. There is a way out – to tell what you know.”
The family is seeking answers that would allow it either to find Nancy Guthrie or determine what happened after she disappeared.
Guthrie family wants a proper goodbye
Savannah Guthrie said her family needs to learn the truth so it can honor her mother appropriately if she is no longer alive.
She said they “wanted 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.”
The statement reflected the uncertainty surrounding the case. Although one ransom note claimed Guthrie had died, authorities have not announced finding her body or evidence publicly establishing her death.
Nancy Guthrie disappeared Feb. 1
Nancy Guthrie vanished from her home outside Tucson on Feb. 1.
Saturday marked exactly six months since her disappearance, and investigators have not announced any arrests.
Major questions remain unresolved, including how many people may have participated in the suspected abduction and whether the person responsible knew Guthrie.
Authorities also have not disclosed whether they believe she was specifically targeted or chosen for another reason.
FBI has not confirmed notes’ authenticity
Both ransom notes initially were sent to a Tucson television station within days of Guthrie’s disappearance.
The FBI in Washington did not respond to questions about the messages, including whether investigators had authenticated both of them.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department released the notes publicly in hopes that someone familiar with the writer would recognize their wording, sentence structure or other linguistic habits.
The department said “we believe these distinctive linguistic characteristics may be recognizable to someone who knows or has interacted with the notes’ writer.”
Investigators believe the messages offer clues about the writer’s mindset and communication patterns.
First note demanded $4 million in cryptocurrency
The first note was sent Feb. 2, one day after Guthrie disappeared.
It claimed she was safe but frightened and would be released unharmed if her captors received $4 million in cryptocurrency.
The note warned that the requested amount would increase if the initial demand was not satisfied. It also claimed Guthrie would be freed within 12 hours of the payment and threatened to kill her if the money was not delivered.
“Your mother is aware of this and her life is in your hands,” the first note read. “It is in the best interest of everyone to have this completed as soon as possible.”
Authorities have not disclosed whether any payment was attempted or whether investigators communicated with the purported kidnappers.
Second note claimed Guthrie had died
A second note was sent to the television station on Feb. 6.
It claimed Guthrie died shortly after she was taken.
“She is buried in nature now,” it said. “Nothing you could have done could have changed the outcome.”
The message concluded with an apology: “We are truly sorry.”
The claims in the note remain allegations by its unidentified writer. Investigators have not announced evidence confirming Guthrie’s death or burial location.
Investigators focus on language patterns
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department said the notes contain distinctive choices of words and phrases.
Investigators hope that a relative, friend, colleague or acquaintance of the writer may recognize those patterns.
Law enforcement agencies have previously used linguistic analysis to help identify suspects.
Authorities employed a similar strategy during the search for Theodore “Ted” Kaczynski, whom the FBI called the “Unabomber.”
Kaczynski killed three people and injured 23 others through mail bombings over 17 years. He pressured The Washington Post, working with The New York Times, to publish his 35,000-word manifesto in 1995.
His brother recognized ideas and language in the document and contacted authorities, helping investigators identify Kaczynski.
Videos may show advance preparation
The sheriff’s department also disclosed that two videos recovered from Nancy Guthrie’s doorbell camera may have been recorded on different days.
Investigators believe the footage could indicate that an unidentified man prepared for the suspected abduction before she disappeared.
Authorities are seeking information about anyone who:
- Behaved differently around the time of the disappearance
- Changed their physical appearance
- Suddenly left the Tucson area
- Displayed an unusual interest in the case
- Showed a conspicuous lack of interest in the investigation
Those behaviors alone do not establish involvement, but investigators hope the public can help identify leads worth examining.
Masked person appeared to tamper with camera
The FBI previously released surveillance footage showing a masked person near Nancy Guthrie’s front porch.
Authorities said the person appeared to tamper with a security camera and obstruct its view with a plant.
Investigators described the individual as a man approximately 5 feet, 9 inches tall.
The sheriff’s department has not publicly identified him or said whether authorities believe the same person appears in both doorbell-camera videos.
Authorities continue pursuing leads
The sheriff’s office said detectives are continuing to use technological evidence and traditional investigative methods.
“Investigators continue to pursue every available technological and investigative lead,” the sheriff’s office said. “However, community members remain a vital resource as we seek to provide answers for Nancy’s family.”
Savannah Guthrie’s latest appeal focuses on that possibility: that someone who recognizes the writing or has noticed unexplained behavior possesses information that could resolve the case.
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