Five Days After the Disappearance of Savannah Guthrie’s Mother, the Family Could No Longer Wait — They Have Taken a Final Step

Where things stand

Neighbor of Savannah Guthrie’s mom describes how police asked for help

CNN’s Erin Burnett spoke with a neighbor of Savannah Guthrie’s mother Nancy as investigators continue their search following her disappearance.

• Race against time: The search for the 84-year-old has entered a fifth day, further raising fears for her safety. Savannah Guthrie said her mother, “lives in constant pain” and needs her prescription medication to survive.

Authorities are investigating purported ransom notes for Nancy Guthrie

Arizona’s Pima County Sheriff says they are not dismissing unverified ransom notes that were sent to multiple media outlets in the Nancy Guthrie case. CNN’s Ed Lavandera reports.

Tucson community prays for Nancy Guthrie’s safe return at candlelight service

From CNN’s Kelly McCleary

People attend a vigil at St. Philip’s in the Hills Episcopal Church after the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie in Tucson, Arizona, on Wednesday.
Rebecca Noble/Reuters

Hundreds of people from the Tucson, Arizona, community gathered at a church Wednesday night for a candlelight service to pray for Nancy Guthrie’s safe return, CNN affiliate KOLD reported.

“What is happening is heart-wrenching and this community needed this,” Sally Shamrell, a friend of Nancy’s daughter Savannah Guthrie, who helped put together the service, told KOLD.

In a statement on her social media accounts Tuesday, “Today” anchor Savannah Guthrie spoke of her mother’s faith and asked supporters to “raise your prayers with us and believe with us that she will be lifted by them in the very moment.”

After the service at Hills Episcopal Church, attendees placed candles on the altar as a symbol of the community’s prayers.

“It’s to show that we are still hopeful, and I do believe in the power of prayer,” Guthrie family friend Cindy Klingberg told the outlet.

“We don’t know her, but … we wanted to show the support that Tucson has for her in the community,” attendee Brian Salado said.

Savannah Guthrie is pleading for proof of life in response to purported ransom notes. Here’s the latest

From CNN’s Elizabeth Wolfe

As Nancy Guthrie’s children make a tearful plea for her safe return, a middle-of-the-night ping from her pacemaker is providing clues about when, precisely, she was taken from her secluded Arizona home.

In a tearful video Wednesday, Savannah Guthrie issued a response to possible ransom notes and pleaded with potential captors: “We want to hear from you and we are ready to listen. Please reach out to us.”

But, she said, the family needs proof their mother is alive, because “we live in a world where voices and images are easily manipulated.”

As the search for Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of “Today” host Savannah Guthrie, enters the fifth day, investigators have not identified a suspect.

However, detectives in Pima County say they are working with the FBI to verify the alleged ransom notes after three media outlets reported receiving notes with similar notes.

We may find out more from authorities at 1 p.m. ET, when they’re scheduled to address reporters publicly.

Here’s the latest in the investigation:

No suspect: Local law enforcement pushed back on claims that detectives have identified a suspect in the case. The sheriff’s department asked the public not to spread rumors about who may be responsible for the disappearance. “The sharing of unverified accusations or false information is irresponsible and does not assist the investigation,” the department said.
Pacemaker ping narrows timeline: Though Guthrie was last seen Saturday night, her relatives were not alerted to her disappearance until some 12 hours later, providing a 13-hour window in which there is little information. Her pacemaker last sent a signal to her iPhone around 2 a.m. on Sunday, according to a source briefed on the investigation, providing a clue about when she was taken. Her iPhone was one of the items left behind in the house.
Guthrie’s health is a concern: The mother’s health complications may make every passing day more dire. The medication she takes – which was also left at her home – is critical for her health, and being without it “could be fatal,” Sheriff Chris Nanos said. Savannah Guthrie said her mother “lives in constant pain. She is without any medicine. She needs it to survive. She needs it not to suffer.”
Detectives vet possible ransom notes: At least three different media outlets — TMZ and CNN Tucson affiliates KOLD and KGUN — report they received ransom notes earlier this week demanding millions of dollars in bitcoin for Guthrie’s safe return. Investigators must now determine whether they are authentic or fake. Nanos told CBS News he is “absolutely not” dismissing the notes as possible leads.
Signs of an unwilling exit: The sheriff has said that Guthrie, who has limited mobility “did not leave on her own.” Blood was found inside the home, the Los Angeles Times reported Tuesday, citing law enforcement sources. There were also signs of forced entry at the house, according to a person familiar with the investigation who spoke to The Associated Press.
Potential trespasser: Authorities are reviewing a report of a possible trespassing that occurred near Guthrie’s home on January 4, as well as “all other cases within a close radius” to the residence, sheriff’s officials said in an update Wednesday.
Secluded setting presents challenges: The private, secluded location of Guthrie’s desert home may make it difficult for officials to find clear video footage or witness accounts. Many homes in the area sit far from the roadways, so even if they do have cameras, they might not have captured activity on the road. Local and federal authorities are canvassing for any security camera footage that may assist in identifying a possible suspect, a law enforcement source familiar with the investigation told CNN.

These are the challenges investigators in the Guthrie disappearance face

Analysis from Eric Levenson and Josh Campbell

Investigators searching for Nancy Guthrie have encountered several key challenges in the days since the 84-year-old mother of “Today” anchor Savannah Guthrie went missing, suspected of being taken from her home.

Here are some of the challenges:

Secluded crime scene: Guthrie’s home outside Tucson is in a rural area without street lights and with few neighbors. Many homes in the area are set back from the road, so even if doorbell camera footage is available, it may not capture activity on the street. Other kidnapping and fugitive cases have been solved with the assistance of technology such as cameras and license plate readers, but that technology is likely sparse in the Tucson area compared to larger metropolitan locations.
Race against time: Nancy Guthrie was last seen Saturday at around 9:30 p.m. When she did not show up to church Sunday, a church member called her relatives, who went to her home around 11 a.m. to look for her. A family member called 911 around noon Sunday to report her missing. That window of over 12 hours is notable, as every minute between an abduction and when police are called increases the potential search area. And Guthrie takes critical prescription medication, which could prove fatal if not taken within 24 hours, officials said.
Media attention: The high-profile nature of the case has put unusual scrutiny on investigators, but media attention has its benefits, too. Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos thanked the media for reporting on the case and said the attention had spurred “hundreds of leads” from the public. But that also means authorities have to dedicate more resources to combing through incoming tips to determine which may be credible.

Trump directs federal law enforcement to help find Nancy Guthrie

From CNN’s Samantha Waldenberg

President Donald Trump during in the Oval Office of the White House on Monday.
Bonnie Cash/UPI/Bloomberg/Getty Images

President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he is directing “ALL Federal Law Enforcement” to help the Guthrie family and local law enforcement in Arizona in finding Nancy Guthrie.

Neighbor of Savannah Guthrie’s mom describes how police asked for help

CNN’s Erin Burnett spoke with a neighbor of Savannah Guthrie’s mother Nancy as investigators continue their search following her disappearance.