Savannah Guthrie has spoken out about the profound pain and trauma her family has endured over the past five months since her mother, Nancy Guthrie, was abducted from her Tucson, Arizona, home on February 1.
"It is five months of agony and unending trauma for our family," Guthrie told KOLD 13 News. "There is not a moment that goes by that we aren’t actively trying to find our mom."
She expressed gratitude to the Tucson community for their support and to the FBI and Pima County Sheriff’s Department for their persistent efforts in the case, concluding her statement with a plea: "Bring her home."
The public statement comes as reports circulate regarding the ransom notes received in connection with the case. The FBI has stated that while some notes demanding millions in bitcoin have been deemed "extortion attempts without legitimacy," others may still be considered potentially legitimate and are under investigation. The agency emphasized that the case remains a kidnapping for ransom, with local authorities leading the investigation and the FBI offering assistance.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos echoed that the investigation is ongoing, refuting claims that all ransom notes have been proven fake. "We have a number of notes that we are actively looking at and will continue to actively investigate," Nanos told 13 News. He noted that tips are still being received, though fewer than at the start of the investigation.
Nanos also detailed the ongoing investigative processes, including collaboration with Google on video components and with national labs for DNA testing. He explained that the work has been divided, with the FBI focusing on ransom notes and his department on forensic analysis. The sheriff highlighted the complexity introduced by advancements in genealogy, which require extensive work to identify potential persons of interest or their associates.
"I know this is the five-month mark, and our thoughts are still and have been and will always be with the whole Guthrie family," Nanos said. "Here you are, five months later, and you still have no answers. The best I can tell the family is we’ll continue to work this case. We’re not giving up."