By Jordan Freiman, Pat Milton
“Today” show co-host Savannah Guthrie and her siblings, Camron and Annie Guthrie, released an emotional video Wednesday night pleading for the return of their mother, Nancy Guthrie, who authorities believe was abducted from her Tucson, Arizona, home over the weekend.
Saying that they were aware of reports of a ransom note, Savannah Guthrie said she and her family are “ready to talk.”
“However, we live in a world where voices and images are easily manipulated. We need to know without a doubt that she is alive and that you have her,” Savannah Guthrie said. “We want to hear from you, and we are ready to listen. Please, reach out to us.”
The Guthries also spoke about how important Nancy is to them and the condition she is in.
“Our mom is a kind, faithful, loyal, fiercely loving woman of goodness and light,” Savannah Guthrie said. “She is funny, spunky and clever. She has grandchildren that adore her and crowd around her and cover her with kisses. She loves fun and adventure. She is a devoted friend. She is full of kindness and knowledge. Talk to her and you’ll see.”
Annie Guthrie added, “She is our beacon. She holds fast to joy in all of life’s circumstances. She chooses joy day after day. Despite having already passed through great trials of pain and grief. We are always going to be merely human, just normal human people who need our mom.”
“Our mom is our heart and our home,” Savannah Guthrie said. “She is 84 years old. Her health, her heart, is fragile. She lives in constant pain. She is without any medicine. She needs it to survive. She needs it not to suffer.”
The children also addressed their mother directly, with Savannah Guthrie saying, “Mommy, if you are hearing this, you are a strong woman. You are God’s precious daughter, Nancy. We believe and know that even in this valley, He is with you. Everyone is looking for you, mommy, everywhere. We will not rest, your children will not rest, until we are together again.”
“Mama, mama — if you’re listening, we need you to come home, we miss you,” Annie Guthrie said.
Camron Guthrie added, “We love you, mom. Stay strong.”
Nancy Guthrie’s family reported her disappearance to authorities Sunday after not finding her at home when they were told she had missed church that morning.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos told CBS News that Nancy Guthrie had dinner at Annie Guthrie’s home on Saturday. Annie Guthrie’s husband, Tommaso Cioni, drove Nancy Guthrie home afterward, Nanos said. The details were first reported by The New York Times.
Nanos told CBS News on Tuesday that a ransom note was sent to a local Arizona news station following Guthrie’s disappearance, although he would not confirm its authenticity. He said the station received the note on Monday and agreed not to report on it, and that it contained specific details about the home and what Nancy Guthrie was wearing the night she went missing.
Nanos did not specify which station the note was sent to, but CBS affiliate KOLD-TV reported Tuesday it had received an email that “appears to be one of the alleged ransom notes,” which it forwarded to the sheriff’s office.
Investigators said earlier Wednesday they had not identified any suspects or persons of interest in the case. Nanos said it wasn’t clear how many people took Guthrie. “It could be one, it could’ve been more, I don’t know,” he said.
A little bit of blood found inside the home was being tested, a law enforcement source familiar with the case told CBS News. What appeared to be a small amount of dried blood was also seen next to a doormat outside the front door of Guthrie’s home on Tuesday.
“Nothing has come up that says, here he is, here’s your bad guy,” Nanos told CBS News on Wednesday. “We’re working towards, where is Nancy? Where is Ms. Guthrie? We want to find her. That’s what everybody wants. Once we do that, then we can worry about the whodunit.”
CBS News learned Wednesday that the FBI is sending in additional personnel to assist in the investigation.
President Trump said Wednesday on social media that he had spoken with Savannah Guthrie and he is “directing ALL Federal Law Enforcement to be at the family’s, and Local Law Enforcement’s, complete disposal, IMMEDIATELY.”
We are deploying all resources to get her mother home safely,” Mr. Trump wrote.”The prayers of our Nation are with her and her family. GOD BLESS AND PROTECT NANCY!”