Savannah Guthrie's mother, Nancy Guthrie, 84, has been missing for four days now, and fresh details from the case were announced in the latest press conference with the Pima County Sheriff Department and the FBI.
Speaking to the media on February 5, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos and the FBI revealed that there is now a significant financial reward in finding Nancy - a sum of $50,000.
The FBI also revealed that an arrest had taken place in connection with a fake ransom note. Currently, there hasn't been any identified suspect or person of interest in the case, and all leads are still being looked into.
© Getty ImagesSavannah's brother shares plea
Savannah's brother Cameron took to social media to share a desperate plea: "Whoever is out there holding our mother - we want to hear from you...We haven't heard anything directly," he said. "We need you to reach out and we need a way to communicate with you so we can move forward," he continued.
"But first, we have to know that you have our mom," he added. "We want to talk to you and we are waiting for contact."
Arrest made for 'imposter ransom demand'
FBI agent Heith Janke shared that an arrest had been made in relation to the 'imposter ransom demand'
“We have made one arrest related to an imposter ransom demand, and a complaint will be presented to a magistrate judge later today,” he said.
“My next message is to those imposters who are trying to take advantage and profit from this situation,” he continued. “We will investigate and ensure you are held accountable for your actions.”
Police share a timeline of disappearance
The Pima County Sheriff's Department has shared a timeline of Nancy Guthrie's disappearance. During the press conference held on February 5, the department shared a visual representation. Titled: Nancy Guthrie Approx. Timeline, the visual confirmed that Nancy travelled to a family home at 5.32pm on January 31.
"Nancy travels to her local family's home for dinner and playing games with the family, just visiting," Sheriff Chris Nanos explained. "At 9:48 p.m., which is very consistent to what we were told by the family that Nancy was dropped off at home, and we know that because we have a garage door open at approximately, I can't stress that enough, at approximately 9:48 p.m.," he said. "At 9:50 p.m. that garage door closes, because [at] that time we assume that Nancy's home and probably going to bed."
On February 1, she is reported missing by a family member who checked on her. "At 12:03 p.m., 9-1-1 is called in to the Pima County Sheriff's Department. I believe it's about approximately 10 minutes later, 12 minutes later, our patrol teams arrive, they see the scene, and we start our response with our search and rescue teams and our detectives from Homicide and various units."
Sheriff asked for proof if Nancy Guthrie is still alive
"We are still looking for Nancy Guthrie," the Sheriff replied, when asked about whether or not there was any proof she was still alive. "We operate from a position of, until we know, she’s alive," he added.
Ransom deadline
The FBI also explained that the first deadline provided on the ransom note sent to the media was for 5 PM today, February 5 (it wasn't clarified what timezone that referred to), with a second deadline being on Monday, February 9. There has been no communication from the alleged kidnappers since the first ransom notes were sent out.
Nancy was last seen near her home in Tucson, Arizona on Saturday, January 31. It is believed that the 84-year-old was taken from her home "against her will."
Her mobile phone and medication - which she needs to survive – were both at her house, suggesting she didn't go voluntarily. She also has limited mobility. The sheriff also added that the lack of medication "could itself prove fatal."
Authorities also discovered blood at her residence (confirmed at this press conference to belong to Nancy herself) – which is now being treated as a crime scene.
Savannah Guthrie and siblings' emotional video message
On Wednesday, Savannah and her siblings, Annie and Camron, took part in an emotional video, where they addressed both any possible kidnapper, as well as pleading with the public to help bring their mother home.
"On behalf of our family, we want to thank all of you for the prayers, for our beloved mom Nancy," Savannah began. "We feel them and we continue to believe that she feels them too."
Addressing growing reports circulating in the media, including speculation about a ransom letter, she said: "Our mom is our heart and our home, she is 84 years old, her health, her heart is fragile. She lives in constant pain, she is without any medicine, she needs it to survive. She needs it not to suffer.
© Getty Images"We too have heard the reports about a ransom letter in the media. As a family we are doing everything that we can, we are ready to talk," she continued. "We want to hear from you and we are ready to listen. Please reach out to us."
The last person to see Nancy at her home
When asked for clarity on who last saw Nancy to her home (conflicting reports say it was either her sister or brother-in-law), the sheriff simply stated it was "a family member," and the FBI did also confirm that they were on-hand to provide "advice, consultation, expertise" on the video the siblings put out, although the message was ultimately their own.
© Instagram"We will not rest, your children will not rest until we are together again," Savannah concluded through tears. "We speak to you every moment and we pray without ceasing and we rejoice in advance for the day that we hold you in our arms again. We love you, Mom."
The sheriff ended the conference by stating no further press briefings will be held until they have more concrete evidence to showcase.
