Savannah Guthrie posts message to her mother's kidnapper asking to
provide proof she is alive
[February 05, 2026]
By SEJAL GOVINDARAO and JACQUES BILLEAUD
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — NBC “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie sent a
public message to her 84-year-old mother’s kidnapper on Wednesday saying
that her family is ready to talk but wants proof that she is alive.
Guthrie said in a recorded video posted on social media that her family
has heard media reports about a ransom letter for Nancy Guthrie, who
authorities believe was taken from her home in Arizona against her will.
“We are ready to talk. However, we live in a world where voices and
images are easily manipulated,” Savannah Guthrie said while reading from
a prepared statement. “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.”
She was last seen around 9:45 p.m. Saturday, when she was dropped off at
home by family after having dinner with them, the sheriff’s department
said. She was reported missing midday Sunday after she didn’t appear at
a church.
The family posted the message after police conducted a search in and
around Nancy Guthrie’s home for several hours Wednesday.
Kevin Adger, a spokesperson for the Pima County Sheriff’s Department,
said investigators had been at the home earlier in the week for a couple
of days and then turned it back over to the family with the
understanding they could go back if they needed to.
“This is a follow up investigation,” he said in reference to officials
returning Wednesday.
Adger said the sheriff’s department was not commenting on the video
released by the family.
Multiple media organizations reported receiving purported ransom notes
Tuesday that they handed over to investigators. The sheriff’s department
had said it was taking the notes and other tips seriously but declined
to comment further.
The family's message for Nancy Guthrie
Savannah Guthrie was at times emotional during the recording, with her
voice cracking. She smiled and looked into the camera when addressing
her mother directly, saying that the family was praying for her and that
people were looking for her.
“Mommy, if you are hearing this, you are a strong woman. You are God’s
precious daughter,” she said.
Savannah Guthrie described her mother as a “kind, faithful, loyal,
fiercely loving woman of goodness and light” and said she was funny,
spunky and clever.
“Talk to her and you’ll see,” she said.
Guthrie was flanked by her sister Annie and her brother Camron who both
also spoke. Annie called their mother their beacon and said they need
her.
“Mamma, If you’re listening, we need you to come home. We miss you,”
Annie Guthrie said.
No suspect identified
Authorities on Wednesday offered no detailed update on their search.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos' office said detectives still were
speaking with anyone who had contact with Nancy Guthrie last weekend but
that no suspect or person of interest had been identified.
Nanos suggested there was video from some cameras, though he didn’t
elaborate, adding: “That’s all been submitted and we’re doing our best
with the companies that own those cameras or built those cameras.”
There were signs of forced entry at the home in the Catalina Foothills
neighborhood. Guthrie has limited mobility, and officials do not believe
she left on her own. A sheriff's dispatcher talking to deputies during a
search Sunday indicated that she has high blood pressure, a pacemaker
and heart issues, according to audio from broadcastify.com.
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St. Philip's in the Hills Episcopal Church hosted a candlelight
service for Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of NBC "Today"
show host Savannah Guthrie in Tucson, Ariz. on Wednesday, Feb. 4,
2026. (Mamta Popat/Arizona Daily Star via AP)
Jim Mason, longtime commander of a search-and-rescue posse in
Maricopa County, isn't involved in the search for Guthrie but said
desert terrain can make looking for missing people difficult. He
said it can be hard to peer into areas that are dense with mesquite
trees, cholla cactus and other desert brush.
"Some of it is so thick you can’t drive through it,” Mason said.
Supporters around the country
A couple hundred people attended an evening vigil for Nancy Guthrie
at a Tucson church where they heard prayers and placed lit candles
on an altar. A priest prayed for God to comfort Guthrie and to bring
her home to those she loves.
Afterward, Jeremy Thacker had tears in his eyes as he described the
heartbreak and helplessness he was experiencing over Guthrie's
disappearance. He worked with Savannah Guthrie at a local news
station and they shared losing their fathers at a young age. His own
sister was kidnapped when he was young.
Thacker said he knew Nancy Guthrie to be sharp, grounded and
earnest.
“We’re all holding our breath,” Thacker said.
On the other side of the country, Victory Church in Albany, New
York, said it’s offering a $25,000 reward for information that leads
to finding Nancy Guthrie.
“Me and my wife, we watch Savannah every single morning. We’ve heard
of her faith. We’ve heard of her mom’s faith. And she’s got such a
sweet spirit,” Pastor Charlie Muller said.
The White House said President Donald Trump called and spoke with
Savannah Guthrie on Wednesday.
“I spoke with Savannah Guthrie, and let her know that I am directing
ALL Federal Law Enforcement to be at the family’s, and Local Law
Enforcement’s, complete disposal, IMMEDIATELY," Trump said in a post
on Truth Social. "We are deploying all resources to get her mother
home safely.”
For a third day, “Today” opened with Guthrie’s disappearance, but
Savannah Guthrie was not at the anchor’s desk. NBC Sports said
Tuesday that she will not be covering the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter
Olympics “as she focuses on being with her family during this
difficult time.”
The “Today” host grew up in Tucson, graduated from the University of
Arizona and previously worked as a reporter and anchor at Tucson
television station KVOA. Her parents settled in Tucson in the 1970s
when she was a young child. The youngest of three siblings, she
credits her mom with holding their family together after her father
died of a heart attack at 49, when Savannah was just 16.
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Billeaud reported from Phoenix. Associated Press writers Audrey
McAvoy in Honolulu, Hallie Golden in Seattle, Michael Hill in
Albany, New York, Darlene Superville in Washington and Julie Walker
in New York contributed.
All contents © copyright 2026 Associated Press. All rights reserved
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