The FBI intensified its search efforts on Wednesday by arriving at the Tucson residence of Nancy Guthrie, the mother of television host Savannah Guthrie, amid the investigation surrounding her disappearance.
Nancy, who is 84 years old, was last seen Saturday evening after her Italian son-in-law, Tommaso Cioni, dropped her off at her expansive Arizona home. He is reportedly the last person to have seen her.
Earlier in the week, authorities had returned the $1 million adobe-style property to the Guthrie family. However, the situation took a dramatic turn when law enforcement re-entered the home on Wednesday night.
That evening, a pickup truck from the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, accompanied by two carloads of FBI agents, arrived at Nancy’s house. The property has since been secured with police tape, and as of 5:30 p.m. local time, agents remained inside conducting their investigation.
Fox News reports that K-9 units were also seen scouring the interior of the home, adding a new layer of urgency to the search.
Simultaneously, another team of investigators visited the home of Savannah Guthrie’s sister, Annie. Witnesses observed detectives removing equipment resembling a tripod and lights from their vehicle before entering the house.
Officers were previously spotted at the house, where the Today Show anchor is believed to be holed up, on Tuesday.
Wednesday’s visit came shortly after a detective from an online pedophile unit showed up to talk to the Guthrie family.
Nancy Guthrie, 84, was last seen Saturday night after enjoying a dinner with her daughter, Annie (right). They are pictured here with Nancy’s other daughter, Today Show host Savannah Guthrie
Crime scene tape was put back up at Nancy’s $1 million Tucson home on Wednesday
Federal agents were seen carrying boxes outside of the home
Seen outside the house in Daily Mail photos, the man was wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force badge.
The FBI affiliate specializes in combating online grooming and technology enabled child abuse.
The uptick in activity comes shortly after a source told a local ABC News affiliate that the FBI is rushing in outside experts – including hostage negotiation specialists.
Until Tuesday, the case had been handled entirely by the Pima County Sheriff’s Department who called in extra help after realizing the devout grandmother had been abducted.
Signs of a struggle can still be seen at her home, with her Ring doorbell removed and a splatter of blood by the entrance door.
The 84-year-old mother-of-three lives alone at the house in the affluent Catalina Foothills neighborhood, where authorities found her phone, wallet and car following her mysterious disappearance on January 31.
An Apple Watch was also found inside the property, which investigators say stopped syncing with her pacemaker at around 2am – suggesting she was taken from her home at around that time.
Officers are now looking into Savannah’s superfans who have piled her with gifts and mail before her mother was abducted, the Daily Mail revealed earlier on Wednesday.
Investigators specifically asked NBC whether there were any troubling fan interactions that could be relevant to the case, a senior source claimed.
No suspect has been identified and police insist there is no danger to the wider public. However, investigators have not ruled out that Nancy may have been targeted because she is the mother of the famous Today show host.
Authorities are looking into Savannah’s superfans who have piled her with gifts and mail before her mother was abducted
Eerie photos from Nancy Guthrie’s Tucson, Arizona home show blood splattered on the walkway and her Ring doorbell camera missing
At the same time, though, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department is looking into the possibility that Nancy’s kidnapping may be linked to a trespassing case in January, TMZ reports.
In that case, one of her neighbors told authorities he noticed a suspicious person outside of his own home.
But when the unidentified lurker triggered a motion sensor, causing floodlights to switch on, he fled the scene and witnesses were unable to provide a description of the suspect.
Police are now going door-to-door collecting security camera footage from neighbors as they attempt to identify a suspect and are searching for a vehicle of interest, a law enforcement source said.
They are also investigating the possibility that a ransom demand has been made.
Authorities said Wednesday they have faith that the mother-of-three is still alive
Despite the lack of answers, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has faith that Nancy is still alive.
‘We have nothing else to go on but the belief that she is here,’ he said in an interview with NBC’s Liz Kreutz. ‘She’s present. She’s alive, and we want to save her.’
He noted that his department is taking all tips and leads very seriously.
‘The leads we’ve got coming in are critical to us. They’re valuable, and we’re sharing those with the FBI and others,’ Nanos said.
To aid in the investigation, President Donald Trump announced he was allocating additional federal support for the search.
He said on Tuesday he planned to call Savannah, noting that his thoughts were with the news anchor amid the ‘terrible’ situation.
‘I’m going to call her later on, I think it’s a terrible thing,’ Trump said. ‘Very unusual situation, but we’re going to find out.’
Then, on Wednesday, the president made good on his promise, NBC News anchor Tom Llamas reported on air.
He said that Trump took the moment to ‘offer words of support for her and her family as they search for her mother.’
Authorities are expected to provide another update into the investigation on Thursday.
