In an emotional appeal, Savannah Guthrie, co-host of the “Today” show, alongside her siblings, urged for the safe return of their mother, Nancy Guthrie, who is suspected to have been abducted from her home in Arizona over the weekend.
The 54-year-old television personality confirmed that ransom notes have been sent to at least two media organizations concerning her 84-year-old mother.
In a heartfelt Instagram video, Guthrie, accompanied by her sister Annie and brother Camron, expressed their willingness to negotiate. “We are ready to communicate,” she stated, emphasizing the need for proof of life due to the ease with which digital content can be altered. “We need undeniable evidence that she is alive and with you.”
She implored, “Please reach out to us. We are open to dialogue.”
As of Thursday morning, there has been no official response to the family’s video plea.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos shared on Wednesday that he remains hopeful Nancy Guthrie is alive, despite the lack of concrete evidence, saying, “Our belief is that she is still with us,” according to a report from CrimeOnline.
Nancy Guthrie was last seen at her home in the Catalina Foothills area outside Tucson shortly before 10 p.m. on Saturday and was reported missing by family around noon on Sunday.
Nanos said investigators found “some things at the home that were concerning to us,” leading them to believe Guthrie had been kidnapped. And then, two media outlets — Tucson television station KOLD and tabloid entertainment outlet TMZ — reportedly received a “ransom letter” demanding millions of dollars in Bitcoin for Guthrie’s return, CrimeOnline reported.
Nanos acknowledged the existence of the letter and said investigators were working to determine its authenticity.
In the Instagram video Savannah and Annie Guthrie read from statements describing their mother.
“Our mom is a kind, faithful, loyal, fiercly loving woman of goodness and light,” Savannah Guthrie said, while her older sister said that “The light is missing from our lives.”
“We are just normal human people who need our mom,” Annie Guthrie, who also lives in Arizona with her husband Tommaso Cioni.
Camron Guthrie, a former fighter pilot, lives in Vermont and has joined his siblings in Arizona while investigators search for Nancy Guthrie.
