Savannah Guthrie posts message to her mother's kidnapper asking to provide proof she is alive

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TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — NBC “Today” amusement big Savannah Guthrie said Wednesday that her household is acceptable to speech to radical holding their 84-year-old mother, but they privation to spot impervious that she is alive.

Guthrie said successful a recorded video posted connected societal media that her household has heard media reports astir a ransom missive for Nancy Guthrie, who authorities judge was taken from her location successful Arizona against her will.

“We are acceptable to talk. However, we unrecorded successful a satellite wherever voices and images are easy manipulated,” Savannah Guthrie said portion speechmaking from a prepared statement. “We request to cognize without a uncertainty that she is live and that you person her. We privation to perceive from you and we are acceptable to listen. Please scope retired to us.”

The household posted the connection aft constabulary conducted a hunt successful and astir Nancy Guthrie’s location for respective hours successful the precocious day and aboriginal evening.

She was past seen Saturday astir 9:45 p.m. erstwhile she was dropped disconnected astatine location by household aft having meal with them, the sheriff’s section said. She was reported missing midday Sunday aft she didn’t look astatine a church.

Multiple media organizations reported receiving purported ransom notes Tuesday that they handed implicit to investigators. The sheriff’s section had said it was taking the notes and different tips earnestly but declined to remark further.

Savannah Guthrie was astatine times affectional during the recording. Her dependable cracked erstwhile she addressed her parent directly, saying that they were praying for her and that radical were looking for her.

“Mommy, if you are proceeding this, you are a beardown woman. You are God’s precious daughter,” she said.

Authorities connected Wednesday offered nary elaborate update connected their search. Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos' bureau said detectives inactive were speaking with anyone who had interaction with Nancy Guthrie past play but that nary fishy oregon idiosyncratic of involvement had been identified.

Nanos suggested determination was video from immoderate cameras, though helium didn’t elaborate, adding: “That’s each been submitted and we’re doing our champion with the companies that ain those cameras oregon built those cameras.”

There were signs of forced introduction astatine the location successful the Catalina Foothills neighborhood. Guthrie has constricted mobility, and officials bash not judge she near connected her own. A sheriff's dispatcher talking to deputies during a hunt Sunday indicated that she has precocious humor pressure, a pacemaker and bosom issues, according to audio from broadcastify.com.

Jim Mason, longtime commandant of a search-and-rescue posse successful Maricopa County, isn't progressive successful the hunt for Guthrie but said godforsaken terrain tin marque looking for missing radical difficult. He said it tin beryllium hard to adjacent into areas that are dense with mesquite trees, cholla cactus and different godforsaken brush.

"Some of it is truthful heavy you can’t thrust done it,” Mason said.

On the different broadside of the country, Victory Church successful Albany, New York, said it’s offering a $25,000 reward for accusation that leads to uncovering Nancy Guthrie.

“Me and my wife, we ticker Savannah each azygous morning. We’ve heard of her faith. We’ve heard of her mom’s faith. And she’s got specified a saccharine spirit,” Pastor Charlie Muller said.

The White House said President Donald Trump called and spoke with Savannah Guthrie connected Wednesday.

“I spoke with Savannah Guthrie, and fto her cognize that I americium directing ALL Federal Law Enforcement to beryllium astatine the family’s, and Local Law Enforcement’s, implicit disposal, IMMEDIATELY," Trump said successful a station connected Truth Social. "We are deploying each resources to get her parent location safely.”

For a 3rd day, “Today” opened with Guthrie’s disappearance, but Savannah Guthrie was not astatine the anchor’s desk. NBC Sports said Tuesday that she volition not beryllium covering the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics “as she focuses connected being with her household during this hard time.”

The “Today” big grew up successful Tucson, graduated from the University of Arizona and antecedently worked arsenic a newsman and anchor astatine Tucson tv presumption KVOA. Her parents settled successful Tucson successful the 1970s erstwhile she was a young child. The youngest of 3 siblings, she credits her ma with holding their household unneurotic aft her begetter died of a bosom onslaught astatine 49, erstwhile Savannah was conscionable 16.

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Billeaud reported from Phoenix. Associated Press writers Michael Hill successful Albany, New York, Darlene Superville successful Washington and Julie Walker successful New York City contributed.

Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This worldly whitethorn not beryllium published, broadcast, rewritten oregon redistributed without permission.