▶ Watch Video: Both ransom notes in Nancy Guthrie case released by police
“Today” co-host Savannah Guthrie asked again for answers in the disappearance of her mother Nancy in a message shared Saturday morning, one day after Arizona officials released the ransom notes the Guthrie family received in the days after the 84-year-old’s disappearance.
Nancy Guthrie went missing from her Tucson, Arizona, home six months ago. Guthrie wrote that she and her family have “lived every moment, every breath, and every heartbeat in agony and despair ever since.”
“Every day, we wake up and try to be strong and go on — because that’s what our joyful and resilient Mom taught us to do,” Guthrie wrote on social media, alongside an undated photo of Nancy. “But make no mistake — our hearts are in ruins.”
The second of the two notes shared by the kidnappers said that Nancy Guthrie had “perished shortly after she was taken” and was “buried in nature now.” The note said her death may have been related to heart-related causes.
Guthrie said the family spends “every waking moment thinking of her, longing for her, looking for her,” and wants to “find out what happened to her, so that we can give her the dignity of a proper goodbye — a celebration of her remarkable life that she so deserves.”
Guthrie asked that anyone who recognizes the writing in the ransom notes or who noticed “something different, strange, troubling or just unusual” come forward. She said tips can be given anonymously, and that a “reward is available.” The Guthrie family has offered $1 million for information leading to Nancy Guthrie’s recovery.
“There is a way to end this situation and do the right thing,” Guthrie wrote.
“We will never stop looking for answers — and we will never stop looking for the light. We will always be hoping and praying and believing in the best of our world — in spite of circumstance. This is what our faith makes possible,” she added. “Please. Bring her home.”
The replies to the post were filled with messages of support, including from former CBS “Evening News” host Norah O’Donnell.
The ransom notes were released by the Pima County Sheriff’s Office on Friday afternoon. In a statement, the department said it hoped the public release of the notes would lead to someone recognizing the “distinctive linguistic characteristics” in the messages.
The first message, addressed to Guthrie and sent to the tip line for CBS affiliate KOLD-TV in Tucson on Feb. 2, asks for a multimillion-dollar ransom. The second, sent four days later and addressed to the Guthrie family, said the kidnappers “did not fully grasp the seriousness” of Nancy Guthrie’s physical condition and said her death had been unintentional.
“Nothing you could have done could have changed the outcome. We want your family to know this and hope you all can find peace. We are truly sorry,” the note said.
Guthrie said in March that she believed the notes were genuine and that the family had responded to them.
Authorities believe both missives were likely sent by the person or group of people who kidnapped Nancy Guthrie, according to investigators familiar with the case. Both messages were sent from the same IP address, the investigators said.
Nancy Guthrie was last seen at her Arizona home on Jan. 31. She was reported missing the next day. Despite surveillance images, DNA testing and multiple pleas from Guthrie, no suspect in her disappearance has been identified, and no arrests have been made. Still, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos told CBS News on Thursday that the case is “far from being cold” and that law enforcement will “continue to work it.”
A task force of Pima County investigators and Federal Bureau of Investigation agents is continuing to investigate the kidnapping. The FBI tip line is 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324). The Guthrie family is offering a reward of $1 million, on top of the FBI’s reward of up to $100,000.