Today co-anchor Savannah Guthrie‘s mom, Nancy Guthrie, remains missing after another ransom deadline passed—and a former FBI agent explained what makes the situation “so dangerous” in an exclusive interview with Parade.
On Monday, Feb. 9, the second ransom deadline expired at 5 p.m. following the 84-year-old’s abduction from her Tucson, Ariz., home. So, what happens next?
In his experience working kidnapping cases, Jason Pack, a retired FBI special agent, told Parade that “deadlines are almost always a pressure tool designed to create urgency and force a response.”
“The vast majority of the time when a deadline passes, the kidnapper extends it or shifts demands because they want the money,” he noted. “A deadline only has power if the family believes it’s real. The concern is whether the person behind this is a calculated actor who understands that dynamic or someone unpredictable. That uncertainty is what makes this so dangerous.”
Additionally, Pack addressed “hard realities” at this point in Nancy’s missing person case.
“Nine days is a long time. I don’t say that to alarm anyone, but it would be dishonest not to acknowledge it,” he said. “Nancy Guthrie is 84 years old with a pacemaker and needs daily medication. Every day that passes without her being located makes this case more urgent from a health and survival standpoint alone. That timeline weighs heavily on investigators and on this family.”
Pack also acknowledged that the ransom notes so far could be a “hoax,” as law enforcement did not confirm any of them to be authentic, and no proof of life was made public.
“The notes went to media outlets rather than to the family, which is not how a traditional kidnap for ransom works,” Pack explained. “A real kidnapper wants a private channel and direct leverage over the family. Sending demands to TV stations is either the work of a very unsophisticated actor or potentially someone who doesn’t have Nancy at all and is exploiting a terrible situation for money. Investigators have to work both possibilities simultaneously, and that divides resources and attention during a critical window.”
Ultimately, the investigation itself will continue.
“A deadline is the kidnapper’s timeline, not law enforcement’s,” Pack pointed out. “The FBI and Pima County Sheriff will continue working this aggressively, whether the deadline passes or not. Regardless of whether these ransom notes are real or a hoax, Nancy Guthrie is still missing. That fact remains. Someone in the Tucson area or southern Arizona saw something.”
On Feb. 1, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department (PCSD) launched its search for Nancy, who was last seen on the evening of Jan. 31, at her home. The PCSD soon declared her residence a crime scene, determining that Nancy was “taken” from her residence “against her will.” Law enforcement also confirmed that the blood discovered at the home belonged to her.
Investigators have since returned to Savannah’s mom’s home multiple times to search for evidence. A video of a vehicle of interest was submitted to law enforcement, in addition to agents finding a camera on the roof of Nancy’s home. The FBI also made a strategic move across several states.
In the meantime, multiple alleged ransom notes surfaced, and Nancy’s family sent several public video messages to the captors. A Feb. 7 video featured Savannah saying to the camera, “We received your message, and we understand. We beg you now to return our mother to us so that we can celebrate with her. This is the only way we will have peace.”
The Today co-anchor concluded, “This is very valuable to us, and we will pay.”
On Feb. 9, just hours before the second ransom deadline, Savannah posted a video on Instagram to fans, thanking them for their prayers on behalf of herself and her siblings, Annie Guthrie and Camron Guthrie.
“We believe our mom is still out there,” Savannah said. “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.”
She reiterated, “We are at an hour of desperation, and we need your help.”
Those with any information about Nancy’s missing case are advised to contact the FBI tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI.
