The search remains ongoing for Savannah Guthrie's mom Nancy Guthrie, who has been missing since Sunday, February 1, with the case now entering its third week of investigation.
The 84-year-old was last seen near her home in Tucson, Arizona on Saturday, January 31. The Pima County Sheriff Department suspects foul play, and revealed that she was likely taken from her home "against her will."
Authorities discovered blood and signs of forced entry at her residence, which is now being treated as a crime scene, and the FBI and Border Patrol subsequently joined the search, deploying technology teams for cellular analysis and tracking dogs to locate her.
© WireImageNancy has limited mobility and requires daily medication; missing her doses for more than 24 hours could be fatal. If you have any information on the case, contact the Pima County Sheriff's Department at 520-351-4900. Or 88Crime Anonymous Reporting at 88Crime.org or 520-882-7463.
With the case rapidly evolving, follow along with HELLO! as we share the latest from the ongoing investigation. This story will be updated with key details sporadically, so check back in for any further updates. The latest below.
A $1 million reward
Three days after sharing a tearful video, the TODAY anchor reshared the message again, reinforcing her and her family's desire for Nancy to be returned and reiterating the one million dollar reward. Savannah, who has been back in her hometown of Tucson, Arizona, where her mom was kidnapped, for the last three weeks, remarked on the grim milestone, maintaining: "Every hour, every minute, and second, and every long has been agony since then."
© Instagram"Of worrying about her, fearing for her, aching for her, and most of all just missing her," she added.
"NOTE: Family reward of up to $1 million will be paid only for recovery of Nancy Guthrie, consistent with FBI criteria for payment of its reward in this case," her caption further read, linking to a website with more information.
Savannah shares new video
Savannah shared another heartbreaking video on social media on February 15, as she urged anyone who knew anything to "do the right thing".
"It's been two weeks since our mom was taken. And I just wanted to come on and say that we still have hope. And we still believe," the Today host tearfully said in the video.
"I wanted to say to whoever has her or knows where she is that it's never too late. And you're not lost or alone. And it is never too late to do the right thing. And we are here. And we believe. And we believe in the essential goodness of every human being," she continued."It's never too late," she concluded the post.
New DNA evidence
A glove containing DNA evidence was recovered close to Nancy's home, and appears to match the glove worn by the person in the doorbell camera footage. "The one with the DNA profile recovered is different and appears to match the gloves of the subject in the surveillance video," the FBI said in a statement, adding that they were waiting on final test results that were just hours away.
Officials still searching for person in FBI video
The FBI analysis of the video is a man around 5ft 9 - 5ft 10who is wearing a black 25-liter Ozark Trail Hiker Pack backpack.
Person detained speaks out
Carlos Palazuelos claims he was the man detained and questioned over the "abduction" of Nancy Guthrie. He spoke out in a video insisting he is innocent and doesn't know who Nancy is.
Person detained for questioning
A man has been detained for questioning according to the ABC. A law enforcement official said that the person was from Tucson. "The subject is currently being questioned in connection to the Nancy Guthrie investigation," they said.
It is unclear if the person is the same individual who was caught on camera in the security footage. They were taken into custody in Rio Rico, a small town near the Mexico border. Authorities are now preparing a property search of the individual in question, who has not been charged.
Bitcoin ransom wallet shows first 'activity'
Bitcoin ransom wallet has shown first 'activity' according to TMZ's founder Harvey Levin. "I can only tell you that we have seen activity in the account," he reported.
FBI releases photos of armed suspects
FBI director Kash Patel tweeted four photos of an armed, masked suspect attempting to enter Nancy's home, along with a video. See it here.
© FBIFBI provide sad update
The FBI released a sad update on the case: "For more than a week, FBI agents, analysts and professional staff have worked around the clock to reunite Nancy Guthrie with her family," a spokesperson said.
"The FBI is not aware of any continued communication between the Guthrie family and suspected kidnappers, nor have we identified a suspect or person of interest in this case at this time," they continued.
The spokesperson then noted: "Additional personnel from FBI field offices across the nation continue to deploy to Tucson. We are currently operating a 24-hour command post that includes crisis management experts, analytic support and investigative teams. But we still need the public's help.
"Someone has that one piece of information that can help us bring Nancy home. We need that person to share what they know. Please call us at 1-800-CALL-FBI," they urged.
Savannah shares new video
In a video shared to Instagram Monday, February 9, Savannah, appearing without her siblings, confirmed that while they still appear to not have any concrete details on her mother Nancy's location, they do "believe she is still out there. She went on to plead with the public, saying: "We need your help. Law enforcement is working tirelessly, around the clock, trying to bring her home, trying to find her. She was taken and we don't know where, and we need your help.
Senator Mark Kelly weighs in
Mark Kelly, the Senator from Arizona whose wife Gabby Giffords was previously a Congresswoman for the state, revealed to KLTV that Savannah called him prior to calling the police, when they first noticed Nancy was missing.
"Well, I first learned of it before it was public. Savannah called me cause she knows I live here, and then I called the sheriff and the Tucson police chief," he said. "That was mid-afternoon Sunday, and Savannah was on her way to the airport to fly here."
Arrest made over fake ransom letter
In a press conference held by the Pima County Sheriff's Department, FBI agent Heith Janke shared that an arrest had been made in relation to an "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, adding: "My next message is to those imposters who are trying to take advantage and profit from this situation. We will investigate and ensure you are held accountable for your actions."
Timeline of the kidnapping
In the press conference, a timeline was also shared of Nancy's disappearance, including that she was allegedly kidnapped around 2 a.m. local time.
Ransom deadline
During the aforementioned press conference, the FBI shared that the ransom letter issued, in which millions of dollars were reportedly demanded in Bitcoin, and which is being taken seriously by investigators, a deadline of Thursday, February 5 was listed, as well as a second deadline of Monday, February 9.
There has been no communication from the alleged kidnappers since the first ransom notes were sent out.
Savannah and siblings share video update
On Wednesday, February 4, Savannah and her siblings, Annie and Camron, shared an emotional video, in which they both addressed any possible kidnapper, and pleaded that anyone who can aid in bringing 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, adding: "We feel them and we continue to believe that she feels them too."
"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," she continued, then, addressing reports of a ransom note sent to multiple media outlets, shared: "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."
"We want to hear from you and we are ready to listen. Please reach out to us."
Donald Trump extends support
Donald Trump, who Savannah interviewed in a Town Hall in 2020, called and spoke to Savannah, and offered words of support for her and her family as they search for her mother, per NBC's Tom Llamas.
Savannah's Olympics replacement
Following Savannah's decision to opt out of NBC's Winter Olympics coverage, the network has confirmed Mary Carillo will take up co-hosting duties for coverage of the Winter Olympics' opening ceremonies. A former tennis player, she is now an analyst for tennis on NBC and a reporter for NBC Olympic broadcasts.
Authorities remain hopeful she is still alive
"We have nothing else to go on but the belief that she is here," Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said in a new interview with NBC's Liz Kreutz, which aired on TODAY on Wednesday, February 4. "She's present. She's alive, and we want to save her."
"The leads we've got coming in are critical to us," he added, noting: "They're valuable and we're sharing those with the FBI and others."
© InstagramNo suspect yet
The Pima County Sheriff's Department maintained in a Wednesday, February 4 statement: "At this point, investigators have not identified a suspect or person of interest in this case. Detectives continue to speak with anyone who may have had contact with Mrs. Guthrie."
"Detectives are working closely with the Guthrie family. While we appreciate the public's concern, the sharing of unverified accusations or false information is irresponsible and does not assist the investigation," it added.
The statement comes shortly after independent journalist Ashleigh Banfield claimed that a law enforcement source told her that Savannah's brother-in-law Tommaso Cioni had been identified by police as a possible suspect in the case.
Savannah drops from NBC's Winter Olympics coverage
Savannah, who was set to depart this week for Italy to cover the Winter Olympics' Opening Ceremony alongside Terry Gannon, and remain in the country for the week and cover the Olympics with NBC's Hoda Kotb and Mike Tirico, has confirmed she won't be attending amid the ongoing search for her mother Nancy and investigation into her disappearance.
A spokesperson for NBC Sports shared: "Savannah will not be joining us at the Olympics as she focuses on being with her family during this difficult time. Our hearts are with her and the entire Guthrie family as the search continues for their mother. We will share additional information about our Opening Ceremony coverage plans soon."
A possible "ransom note"
TMZ previously reported that they had received an alleged ransom note for Nancy Guthrie for "millions" in Bitcoin. While the claims have not been verified, the Pima County Sheriff's Department addressed it with a statement on Twitter (now X).
"We are aware of reports circulating about possible ransom note(s) regarding the investigation into Nancy Guthrie," the statement read. "We are taking all tips and leads very seriously. Anything that comes in, goes directly to our detectives who are coordinating with the FBI."
© Getty Images"Following all leads"
In a Tuesday news conference, Pima County Sheriff Nanos, asked whether there is any indication as to whether Nancy's kidnapping was targeted or not, and whether anyone had received a ransom, merely said: "It's like I said earlier, we are looking at all the leads. We don't know, we are going to assume both sides of that, we'll look at both sides of that."
Blood and DNA findings
Local authorities reported that "biological DNA" had been discovered at Nancy's home. However, investigators in Tucson are still looking into the matter as well as the theory that she was "taken" from her bed' they have dubbed the crime scene and case an "abduction."
© Getty ImagesSavannah's husband breaks silence
Savannah's husband Michael Feldman spoke out on the case of his missing mother-in-law on Tuesday. He told Page Six that while he doesn't have "anything new to report" on the case, he feels unfortunately "mostly unhelpful" in the search but is remaining present and responsive, and further expressed gratitude to the media for their "thoughtfulness."
The TODAY team's responses
Members of Savannah's Today Show and NBC family have rallied around her during the search for her mother, with on-air hosts like Dylan Dreyer, Al Roker, Craig Melvin, Sheinelle Jones, Jenna Bush Hager and more sending messages of support.
Some, like Jenna and Sheinelle, have also shared additional details on Nancy as a person, including her acting like a "second mom" to many members of the team, as well as first sharing news of absent medication that she needs for "survival."
Other members of the extended TODAY family like former anchors Hoda Kotb and Katie Couric have also sent messages of support online and asked fans for prayers and collection action.
