TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Investigators have no proof that the missing mother of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie is still alive but are holding out hope she is “still out there,” a sheriff in Arizona said Thursday.
Five days into the desperate search for 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, authorities have not identified any suspects or persons of interest, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said.
DNA tests showed blood found on Nancy Guthrie’s porch came back a match to her. Authorities think she was taken from her home in Tucson against her will over the weekend.
“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. The sheriff, however, acknowledged that authorities have no proof she's OK.
Investigators released a more detailed timeline from the hours after she was last seen Saturday night, and said they are taking seriously a ransom note sent to a handful of media outlets.
The note included a demand for money with a deadline set for Thursday evening and a second one for Monday if the first deadline wasn't met, said Heith Janke, the FBI chief in Phoenix. The note also had details about a floodlight at Guthrie's home and an Apple watch.
“To anyone who may be involved, do the right thing. This is an 84-year-old grandma,” Janke said.
Authorities say that any decision on ransom demands ultimately is up to the family.
A day earlier, Savannah Guthrie and her siblings released a message to her mother’s kidnapper, saying they are ready to talk but want proof their mom is still alive. However, there's been no public sign of a response.
New timeline of Nancy Guthrie's disappearance
Nancy Guthrie spent Saturday night eating dinner and playing games with family members before one of them dropped her off at her home in a well-to-do Tucson neighborhood, the sheriff said.
About four hours later, just before 2 a.m. Sunday, the home’s doorbell camera was disconnected, Nanos said. But Guthrie did not have an active subscription so the company was unable to recover any video footage.
Software data recorded movement at the home minutes later, the sheriff said, acknowledging that the motion could have come from an animal.
Then at 2:28 a.m. the app on Guthrie’s pacemaker was disconnected from her phone.
Search for Nancy Guthrie enters fifth day
Guthrie was was reported missing shortly before noon Sunday after she didn’t show up at a church.
While she is able to drive, regularly attended church and is sharp in her mind, she does have difficulty walking even short distances, the sheriff said. She also requires daily medicine that's vital to her health, he has said.
A sheriff’s dispatcher said during the search Sunday that Guthrie has high blood pressure and heart issues, according to audio from broadcastify.com.
Investigators searched in and around Nancy Guthrie’s home again for several hours Wednesday.
Chilling ransom notes
At least three media organizations have reported receiving purported ransom notes, which they handed over to investigators. Authorities made an arrest after a ransom note turned out to be fake, the sheriff said.
One note emailed Monday to the KOLD-TV newsroom in Tucson included information that only the abductor would know, anchor Mary Coleman told CNN.
“When we saw some of those details, it was clear after a couple of sentences that this might not be a hoax,” she said in an interview aired Wednesday.
Guthrie's three children say they're “ready to talk” to whoever sent the notes.
“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 reach out to us,” Savannah Guthrie said while fighting off tears.
With her voice cracking, she addressed her mother directly, saying the family was praying for her and that people were looking for her.
Guthrie was flanked by her sister Annie and her brother Camron.
“Mamma, If you’re listening, we need you to come home. We miss you,” Annie Guthrie said.
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Billeaud reported from Phoenix and Seewer from Toledo, Ohio. Associated Press writers Audrey McAvoy in Honolulu; Hallie Golden in Seattle; Darlene Superville in Washington; and Julie Walker in New York contributed.
