The disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, mother of Today show co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, is getting more gripping day by day. She’s 84, the mother of three children, including Savannah Guthrie, and nobody’s seen her since the night of January 31, 2026, after she had dinner with family at her Tucson home. The next morning, she didn’t show up at church. Her family tried to call, but couldn’t reach her, and panic set in. By noon, they’d called 911.
The latest developments: The ransom notes
Since the disappearance, police found blood matching Nancy’s DNA on her porch and signs of forced entry. It looked like someone had taken her.
Then came the ransom notes. Over the next few days, messages started popping up; they were sent to local TV and celebrity news outlets. At least one of these notes demanded millions in Bitcoin and laid out two deadlines: Pay USD 4 million by Thursday, February 5, or else. That date came and went. The next demand upped the ante to USD 6 million, with a new deadline — on Monday, February 9. Per People, no payment happened, and as far as anyone can tell, the family didn’t confirm if they paid or not.
Nobody knows if the ransom notes are legit. The FBI and the Pima County Sheriff’s Office are all over the case, but they haven’t said if these messages even came from Nancy’s kidnappers or just someone taking advantage of a tragedy.
What made investigators take the notes seriously?
Some details in them matched things about Nancy’s house that weren’t public knowledge. Even so, the authorities are staying tight-lipped. No suspects. No direct contact between the kidnappers and the Guthrie family.
The family’s reaction
Nancy’s family is desperate. Her children have been insistent on the fact that their mother needs medication every day — her life depends on it. Savannah Guthrie has been posting videos on Instagram, pleading with the public and whoever took her mother. She and her siblings, Annie and Cameron, even tried to speak directly to the kidnappers, begging to get their mother back, saying they’re willing to pay for her return.
As the Monday deadline approached, Savannah released another video, saying in part, “We are at an hour of desperation."
"We believe our mom is still out there," she 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. And we need your help."
In a previous video shared on Saturday, February 7, Savannah, along with her siblings, Annie and Cameron, seemed to speak directly to their mother's kidnappers.
"We received your message, and we understand," Savannah said. "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. This is very valuable to us, and we will pay.”
Where does the investigation stand now
The FBI said on February 6 that they’d received another message possibly linked to Nancy’s disappearance, and investigators are checking if it’s real. Sheriff Chris Nanos confirmed the blood on Nancy’s porch is hers, but beyond that, not much is being shared.
Now, with both ransom deadlines gone and no news of payment or progress, the case drags on. Police are following leads, keeping details close, and the public is watching. There’s a USD 50,000 reward for information that brings Nancy home or leads to an arrest. Her family, and pretty much everyone else, is just hoping for a miracle — at any cost.
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