Ransom Deadline for Missing Nancy Guthrie Expires as Authorities Question Kidnapper’s Authenticity

Investigators in Pima County, Arizona, spent Monday weighing an alleged kidnapper’s 5 p.m. PT deadline to receive bitcoin in exchange for the safe return of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, mother of “Today” host Savannah Guthrie. With no proof that the demand originated from the individual or group responsible for Guthrie’s disappearance, law-enforcement officials and former federal negotiators said they remain uncertain whether the threat is genuine.

The disappearance

Nancy Guthrie vanished from her home near Tucson sometime between the night of Jan. 31 and the early hours of Feb. 1. According to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, relatives last saw her after a family dinner at the nearby residence of her daughter Annie. When Savannah Guthrie failed to reach her mother the next morning, deputies conducted a welfare check and discovered several troubling signs: blood droplets on the front porch that later matched the missing woman’s DNA, a door propped open, and a disconnected doorbell camera. Guthrie’s cellphone, Apple Watch, and heart medication were still in the house. Investigators said the watch had been removed from the pacemaker to which it was paired, further suggesting she did not leave voluntarily.

Authorities believe the narrow time window of Guthrie’s disappearance may help them pinpoint movements in the neighborhood. Surveillance footage subsequently collected from a nearby gas station shows what detectives call a “suspicious” vehicle parked during a 45-minute span that aligns with the estimated abduction period. The Sheriff’s Department has not released details about the vehicle’s make, model, or occupants.

Unverified ransom notes

Two unsigned communications emailed to media organizations last week demanded an undisclosed amount of bitcoin and threatened unspecified consequences if payment was not made by 5 p.m. Monday. Neither message included a photograph, audio clip, or video of Nancy Guthrie to confirm she is alive. Retired FBI special agent Rich Frankel, who previously served as a bureau hostage negotiator, said the lack of “proof of life” is a critical gap.

“You need a picture, a video, or a voice recording to establish that the abductors actually have the victim,” Frankel told reporters. He added that advances in artificial intelligence now make such evidence easier to falsify, but technicians can still evaluate authenticity. Until then, he said, investigators will likely discourage the family from transferring cryptocurrency.

Family appeals

Savannah Guthrie and her siblings Annie and Camron have released three social-media videos addressed to the purported kidnapper since Feb. 3. In the latest message, posted Saturday, Savannah said, “We beg you to return our mother. We will pay.” On Monday morning, she broadened the appeal, asking members of the public to share any information that could aid the search. “We are at an hour of desperation,” she said.

The family’s public outreach strategy follows guidance commonly provided by negotiators. Frankel said maintaining a dialogue, even indirect, can buy investigators time. “You do not want the deadline to be the end of communication; you want it to become part of the conversation,” he noted.

Renewed searches

Over the weekend, detectives returned to Nancy Guthrie’s property, climbing onto the roof to inspect a security camera and opening a septic tank to look for additional evidence. The same team removed items from daughter Annie’s home for forensic testing. Sheriff Chris Nanos said last week that any biological or trace evidence recovered could clarify whether someone entered Nancy Guthrie’s home or vehicle in the hours before she disappeared.

Brad Garrett, another retired FBI agent with kidnapping expertise, said investigators may be comparing specifics from the ransom emails to the crime scene. “If the writer referenced moving a particular object or commented on where blood could be found, that information might confirm the author was inside the house,” Garrett explained on ABC’s “This Week.”

Imagem: Internet

Obstacles and time pressures

The passage of time has already complicated the probe. Many home security systems automatically overwrite footage after several days, and some email servers erase metadata that could identify a sender’s location. Frankel cautioned that potential electronic evidence may therefore be lost. He also noted that ransom communications normally involve “give-and-take,” a feature absent so far in this case. “Right now, it’s a one-way street: instructions without negotiation,” he said.

The investigation remains classified as a high-priority missing-person case, but the Sheriff’s Department confirmed that the FBI and U.S. Marshals Service are assisting. Federal agencies often join local authorities when interstate or international components—such as cryptocurrency demands—enter the picture. The FBI’s general guidance on kidnappings, available on its official website, emphasizes verifying credibility and seeking proof of life before any payment is considered.

Next steps

As Monday’s deadline expired without public acknowledgment of payment or further communication, investigators prepared for several possible outcomes. A follow-up message from the sender could extend the deadline, reduce the demand, or provide evidence of Guthrie’s condition. Alternatively, silence might indicate the writer was bluffing, or that different actors are involved.

Law-enforcement officials urged residents of Guthrie’s neighborhood to review doorbell recordings and dash-cam footage from Jan. 31 and Feb. 1. Tips can be submitted to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department or the FBI, and anonymous information may also be provided through local Crime Stoppers hotlines.

For now, Savannah Guthrie and her siblings continue to wait for any sign their mother is alive. “We believe our mom is still out there,” she said in Monday’s plea. Detectives echo that hope while acknowledging that every hour without verified contact complicates the search.

Crédito da imagem: NBCUniversal