Timeline of Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance
Investigators have laid out a timeline of how Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance unfolded.
A week after Nancy Guthrie was last seen, authorities are still searching for Today anchor Savannah Guthrie’s 84-year-old mother and investigating the authenticity of a new note.
Authorities believe Nancy Guthrie was taken from her home near Tucson, Arizona, and her health was deteriorating because she was not taking vital medications. She was last seen on the night of January 31st, and her family realized she was missing when she failed to show up for church the next day.
“We believe Nancy is still out there,” Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said on February 5.
Investigators are searching the area around her home as the timeline of her disappearance becomes increasingly concerning. Without daily medication, Nanny Guthrie is at risk due to health issues, and the initial deadline associated with the ransom note has passed.
The SUV was towed from her property at 8pm local time on Friday, February 6, after police cordoned off a large area of land around the house and placed evidence markers around it.
The FBI is offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to Nancy Guthrie’s recovery or the arrest and conviction of those responsible for her disappearance.
Here’s what we know about this incident.
When did Nancy Guthrie go missing? Timeline of her disappearance
Nancy Guthrie was last seen on the night of January 31st, when her family drove her home. She was reported missing around noon on February 1st after her family went to check on her and found she had not left the house.
Investigators said both Nancy Guthrie’s video doorbell and pacemaker app were disconnected during the night. The doorbell detected movement just before 2 a.m. on February 1, but authorities said the recorded footage was not saved.
Bloodstains found on the front steps of the home were confirmed to be Nancy Guthrie’s, Nanos said.
FBI Special Agent Heiss Janke said the ransom note, which was shared with some media outlets, listed deadlines of February 5 and February 9.
Do police know the motive behind Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance?
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said his team could not determine whether Guthrie was the target of a crime or what motivated her to be taken against her will.
“We’ll find out more about what the motive is, but for now my guess is as good as yours,” Nanos told reporters on February 5.
What was in the ransom note? Who received it?
KOLD reporter Mary Coleman told CNN on February 3 that the ransom note received by news outlets including Arizona-based news stations KOLD and TMZ allegedly included a deadline, amount, and specific details that only Guthrie’s kidnappers could know. Both media outlets reported that the letter included a demand for millions of dollars in Bitcoin.
Janke said the memo shared with the media set the payment deadline as Feb. 5 at 5 p.m., and the second deadline listed in the memo is Monday, Feb. 9.
Janke said the memo included details about Nancy Guthrie’s Apple Watch. The note also included details about the clothes she was wearing on the night of her disappearance, according to CBS News.
In a Friday “Investigators are actively testing the reliability of the information provided in the messages,” the department said.
Have any arrests been made?
Authorities have not confirmed the arrest of any suspect in Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance.
A Southern California man was arrested on February 5 in Hawthorne, California, south of Los Angeles International Airport, after police debunked a “scammer’s” ransom demand, the Arizona District Attorney’s Office announced.
Derrick Carrera faces two federal charges, according to a criminal complaint. One charge is that he is accused of sending communications containing demands or requests for ransom for the release of a kidnapped person, and he is also accused of making phone calls without identifying himself with the intent to abuse, intimidate, or harass a person.
Are there any negotiations related to the ransom demand?
Police have not confirmed any contact with the Guthrie kidnappers, nor have they confirmed the authenticity of the ransom note.
Nancy’s son, Camron Guthrie, said in an Instagram video posted Thursday that the family has not heard from anyone who may have abducted her.g, “If you are holding our mother, we would like to hear from you.”
“We haven’t heard anything directly. We need to reach you and we need a way to communicate with you for us to move forward. But first we have to know that you have our mother. We want to talk to you and we are waiting to hear from you,” Kamron added.
What does Nancy’s other children, Savannah Guthrie, say?
Savannah, Camron and their sister Annie Guthrie posted an emotional four-minute video on Wednesday, February 4, pleading for her return following reports of a ransom letter.
“As a family, we are doing the best we can. We are ready to speak. But we live in a world where voices and images are easily manipulated. We definitely need to know that she is alive and that you have her. We want to hear from you and we are ready to listen. Please contact us,” Savannah Guthrie said.
The TV journalist emphasized that Nancy Guthrie’s health is fragile: “She lives in constant pain. She has no medicine. She needs medicine to live. She needs medicine not to suffer.”
“Mom, if you’re listening, I want you to come home. I’ve missed you,” Annie Guthrie said.
Contributors: Anna Kaufman and Taijuan Moorman, america today; Sarah Lapidus, Stephanie Innes, Perry Vander, Helen Rumel, Arizona Republic
