TUCSON, AZ — Friday marks six months since Nancy Guthrie, the mother of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie, was last seen on the evening of Jan. 31.
Savannah said in a video released on Monday that her family is living an unending nightmare after her mother’s disappearance and pleaded with her kidnappers: “Tell us where to look for her.”
RELATED: The search for Nancy Guthrie
Authorities believe Nancy Guthrie was kidnapped in the early morning hours of Feb. 1.
Watch our full interview with Sheriff Chris Nanos covering the last 6 months of the Nancy Guthrie case in the player below.
They found Nancy's blood near the front doorstep of her home just outside Tucson, and the FBI later released surveillance videos showing a masked man on her porch that night.
Volunteers and search teams scoured the nearby desert terrain filled with cacti, bushes and boulders in the weeks after she vanished.
A volunteer group has searched for her body near the Arizona-Mexico border.
Watch previous reports by ABC15 on the search for Nancy Guthrie in the video player above.
Authorities have not said how many purported ransom notes were made after Guthrie’s disappearance, though several news organizations reported receiving such notes and turned them over to investigators.
The FBI has discounted some of the ransom notes as nothing more than extortion attempts, but said it’s still evaluating others that might be legitimate. The federal agency hasn’t specified which ransom notes might be genuine.
Savannah has previously made a series of social media postings about her mother after she went missing. In the days after the disappearance, Savannah and her siblings acknowledged they were aware of media reports of a supposed ransom letter and were ready to talk and listen, but wanted proof their mother was alive.
Weeks later, Savannah said her family was offering a $1 million reward for information leading to the recovery of her mother. She also acknowledged for the first time that her mother might not be alive, but added that there was still hope.
Anyone with information is urged to call 911, the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI, or the Pima County Sheriff's Department at 520-351-4900.
The Pima County Sheriff's Department shared the following release on Friday:
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Phoenix Field Office have been working together for the past six months to locate Nancy Guthrie. Nancy was last confirmed at her residence in the Catalina Foothills neighborhood in Tucson on the evening of January 31, 2026.
Through our collective investigative resources, with the assistance of the private sector, we have recovered videos from her residence showing an unidentified male who knows what happened to Nancy.
Two videos recovered from Nancy’s doorbell camera may be from two separate days.
These videos are critical to our understanding of the unidentified male’s behaviors and choices. They indicate he took steps to prepare for the event on the night of January 31 to February 1.
Investigators continue to pursue every available technological and investigative lead.
However, community members remain a vital resource as we seek to provide answers for Nancy’s family. We would like to thank those who have already provided tips and information.
We are asking for the public’s continued assistance and are confident that you can further the effort.
We know there are individuals familiar with this unidentified male who may have observed changes in his behavior around the timeframe of the videos, to include:
- A change in mood or displays of anxiety, nervousness or irritability
- A change of physical appearance: hair color or cut, growth or removal of facial hair, etc.
- Unexplained injuries (cuts on hands, bruises, etc.) during the period Nancy was last seen
- Normal routine changes (missing work, classes or appointments)
- Sudden departures from the area around the time of her disappearance
- Vehicle cleaning, or repairs
- Unexplained interest or disinterest in Nancy Guthrie’s neighborhood
- Noticeable intense interest or disinterest in the investigation or an unexplained knowledge of the situation
Two ransom notes (attached) were sent to local and national media outlets that purport to have been written by kidnappers.
The local CBS affiliate in Tucson, KOLD-TV 13 News, received the first note on February 2, and the second on February 6. These communications reveal distinctive patterns of word choice, syntax, and phraseology that reflect the writer’s unique linguistic style.
They also provide valuable insight into the person’s mindset, motives, and the evolution of their tone over time. As with the unidentified male depicted in the video, we believe these distinctive linguistic characteristics may be recognizable to someone who knows or has interacted with the notes’ writer. A friend, family member, coworker, classmate, or acquaintance may recognize these patterns of expression and possess information that could help identify the individual responsible.
In some cases, there are times when people who may have knowledge initially do not come forward.
This may be due to their close relationships with those who might be involved as well as a concern for their own safety, reputation, or standing in the community and amongst their friends. We recognize relationships and loyalties change over time as do people and their perspectives.
It is not too late to come forward. Regardless of how insignificant you think your information may be, or whether you think we are already aware of it, please contact us.
If you have any information, please call 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or 88-CRIME (you can remain anonymous). There is a reward available for your information.
Case Number: 260201080
Take a look at the ransom notes provided by PCSD below:
Sheriff Nanos shared the following video on YouTube:
Savannah Guthrie shared a message on Instagram on Saturday:
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Here's a timeline of the known occurrences in the Guthrie case:
Saturday, January 31
- 9:45 PM: Nancy's son-in-law drops her off at home after dinner and a family game night with her daughter and her family nearby.
Sunday, February 1
- Around 1:45 a.m.: Nancy's doorbell disconnects
- Around 2:15 a.m.: Someone is detected outside Nancy's door
- Around 2:30 a.m.: Nancy's pacemaker appears to be offline
- 11 a.m.: Nancy fails to show up at a friend's house to livestream church services
- 12:15 p.m.: Pima County deputies arrive on scene at Nancy's home after family members call 911. Investigators find blood on the front patio that would later be confirmed as belonging to Nancy.
Monday, February 2
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos holds his first news conference, confirming investigators believe Nancy's home is a "crime scene."
Later that day, the first of several alleged ransom notes are sent to TMZ and local TV stations, including our Scripps News Group in Tucson, reportedly demanding millions of dollars in Bitcoin.
February 4
Savannah Guthrie and her siblings release their first video on social media, pleading for their mom's safe return.
February 7
One week after their mom was last seen, the Guthrie family releases another video on social media
February 10
With the help of Google, the FBI releases images from Nancy's doorbell camera showing a man wearing a mask, trying to pry the doorbell off.
That same night, police detain and question a man near Nogales in connection to the case. ABC15's Ford Hatchett is the first reporter to speak with him, just moments after he's released. He was never arrested or charged.
February 13
Word spreads that tensions are building between the Pima County Sheriff's Department and the FBI, specifically over which lab is handling potential evidence, with PCSD opting to send samples to a private lab in Florida instead of using the FBI lab in Quantico.
Investigators reveal unknown DNA was found on Guthrie's property and that more than a dozen gloves - with a potential link to a suspect - had been found in and around the area and were being tested.
That night, the FBI, Pima County deputies, and law enforcement from across Southern Arizona swarm a neighborhood about five minutes away from Nancy's home where they search a property.
About a mile away, police also search a Range Rover and detain the driver for questioning. No arrests are made.
February 16
Sheriff Nanos announces that everyone in the Guthrie Family has been cleared as suspects.
March 21
Pima County deputies announce they're looking for doorbell and cell phone video from January 31, February 1, and now January 11 as well, but don't specify why that earlier date is now being included.
April 6
Savannah Guthrie returns to the Today Show for the first time since her mom's disappearance, more than two months ago.
May 12
100 days since Guthrie's disappearance, Sheriff Nanos says the investigation is moving forward. We also learn a DNA sample is now with the FBI at Quantico being analyzed.
June 11
Reports surface that Nancy's remains may be in an unmarked grave in Mexico. Searchers come up empty.
July 27
Savannah releases a solo video on social media, once again pleading for whoever knows where Nancy is to "do the right thing" and "make the right choice" by letting someone know.
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