Live updates: Investigators believe Nancy Guthrie is 'out there' and remain committed to bringing her home safely
No suspect has been identified during the investigation into Guthrie's disappearance.
What we know
- Six days into the search for the mother of "TODAY" co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, no suspects or persons of interest have been identified, authorities said.
- Officials yesterday offered a timeline of the hours after Nancy Guthrie, 84, was dropped off by family at her home outside Tucson, Arizona, on Saturday night and when she was reported missing about noon Sunday.
- NBC News has reviewed a copy of what authorities have described as a possible ransom note sent to three news organizations referencing Guthrie, and the contents are consistent with the descriptions provided by the FBI and those news outlets.
- One of the reported ransom notes had a deadline of 5 p.m. yesterday. In a video statement posted near the deadline, Guthrie's son, Camron Guthrie, asked to speak to “whoever is out there holding our mother,” saying the family wants to talk and is “waiting for contact.”
Officials say they're investigating 'new message' regarding Guthrie
The FBI and Pima County Sheriff’s Department this afternoon said it is aware of a “new message regarding Nancy Guthrie.”
It’s not clear what kind of message it is and if it is connected to previously reported ransom notes.
Investigators are “actively inspecting the information provided in the message for its authenticity,” the sheriff’s department said in a post shared on social media.
Celebrities show support for Guthrie family
An outpouring of support for the Guthrie family can be seen in the comments of Savannah Guthrie's emotional video, posted to Instagram Wednesday night.
Sheryl Crow commented a few praying hands emojis, and Khloe Kardashian said she is "praying praying praying!"
Several big names from NBC News commented, including Savannah Guthrie's former "TODAY" co-anchor Hoda Kotb, Hallie Jackson, Jenna Bush Hager, and Dana Griffin.
Tina Knowles, Beyoncé's mom, offered a prayer in the comments.
"Lord God in heaven, we glorify and praise your name. God, please bring this woman home to her family safe and sound in Jesus name, we pray, amen," she wrote.
NBC hosts at Olympics acknowledge Savannah Guthrie and her family
NBC hosts Mary Carillo and Terry Gannon took a moment ahead of the opening ceremony to acknowledge “TODAY” co-anchor Savannah Guthrie.
Savannah Guthrie had been scheduled to co-host the event in Italy but remained in Arizona as authorities continue to search for her mother, Nancy Guthrie, 84.
“She is dearly missed by everybody here,” Gannon said. “We send our love and our prayers and our positive energy to Savannah tonight.”
Man accused of sending fake ransom note set to appear in Los Angeles federal court
Derrick Callella, the man accused of sending a fake ransom note to news networks in the ongoing Guthrie case, will have his initial appearance today at 5 p.m. ET at the Ronald Reagan Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Santa Ana, California.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Karen E. Scott will preside over the hearing, and no plea will be taken today.
Sheriff says Guthrie's blood was found on her porch
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said yesterday that blood investigators found on the porch outside Guthrie’s house tested positive for her DNA. No suspects or persons of interest, however, have been identified in the investigation.
Notre Dame, Guthrie's alma mater, offers prayers
Notre Dame Academy confirmed in a statement to NBC News that Guthrie graduated from the institution in 1959 and offered prayers for her and her family.
"Please know that Nancy and her family are being held in our prayers," it said in a statement. "As an institution, we are being very intentional about responding in a way that is respectful, restrained, and mindful of the circumstances."
CORRECTION (Feb. 6, 2026, 1:43 p.m. ET): A previous version of this article misstated Nancy Guthrie’s alma mater. It is Notre Dame Academy, not the University of Notre Dame.
Trump spoke with Savannah Guthrie this week amid search for her mother
President Donald Trump called Savannah Guthrie on Wednesday to offer support as state and federal law enforcement officials continue investigating the disappearance of her mother.
Trump reached out to Savannah Guthrie shortly after an interview with “NBC Nightly News” anchor Tom Llamas. The president assured the Guthrie family that every resource was available as needed.
In a post on Truth Social late yesterday, Trump said: “I spoke with Savannah Guthrie, and let her know that I am 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,” the president added. “The prayers of our Nation are with her and her family. GOD BLESS AND PROTECT NANCY!”
Trump also watched Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos’ latest news conference about the Guthrie investigation yesterday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters, describing the case as a “heartbreaking situation.”
‘TODAY’ co-anchor Savannah Guthrie makes emotional plea for mom’s safe return
Savannah Guthrie and her siblings, Camron Guthrie and Annie Guthrie, shared a video message on social media Wednesday night to their beloved mother.
“We will not rest,” Savannah Guthrie said in the video. “Your children will not rest until we are together again.” They also addressed reports of a ransom letter, saying, “Please reach out to us.”
AG Pam Bondi offers comment on Guthrie case
Attorney General Pam Bondi offered her prayers on the Guthrie case.
"It breaks my heart for Savannah and for her family," Bondi said today. "I know she’s asked for all of our prayers. So please, pray for her. Pray for her beautiful mom. Pray for her family that she’s returned home."
She added that the FBI is supporting local law enforcement.
"We’re doing everything to assist the locals."
Bondi said she and Savannah Guthrie have known each other for more than 30 years.
Possible ransom note reviewed by NBC News
NBC News has reviewed a copy of what authorities have described as a possible ransom note sent to three news organizations referencing Guthrie, and the contents are consistent with the descriptions provided by the FBI and those news outlets.
FBI offering $50,000 reward for tips in Guthrie case
The FBI is offering up to $50,000 for information leading to either the recovery of Guthrie or the arrest of anyone involved in her disappearance.
Sheriff says authorities won’t hold another news conference until there’s major news
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos concluded by saying he has no plans to schedule any further news conferences unless “we have some real evidence or something to bring up.”
“It’s pretty pointless to just keep hounding the same things over and over,” he said.
No suspects or persons of interest identified, sheriff says
There is currently no suspect or persons of interest identified by law enforcement, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos told reporters yesterday.
“We’re not there yet,” he said.
No individual has been ruled out as a potential suspect, but there is no information for investigators to say they have a suspect, he clarified.
“We’re actively looking at everybody we come across, in this case, everybody,” Nanos said. “We would be irresponsible if we didn’t talk to everybody.”
He added that erroneous reports about potential suspects could harm the individual and undermine the case.
“It’s really kind of reckless to report that someone is a suspect when they could very well be a victim,” Nanos said.
Savannah Guthrie won’t host Olympics opening ceremony
“TODAY” co-anchor Savannah Guthrie will not host the 2026 Winter Olympics opening ceremony later today as Arizona authorities continue to investigate her mother’s possible abduction.
“Savannah will not be joining us at the Olympics as she focuses on being with her family during this difficult time,” an NBC Sports spokesperson said in a statement Tuesday. “Our hearts are with her and the entire Guthrie family as the search continues for their mother.”
Guthrie family message last night was posted around time of first note deadline
The video from Camron Guthrie on Instagram last night appears to have been posted around the same time as a 5 p.m. deadline in one of the reported ransom notes.
One of the notes had a deadline of 5 p.m. yesterday, Heith Janke, the FBI’s special agent in charge in Phoenix, said, adding that there was a second deadline Monday.
The Instagram video has a visible time stamp of around 5 p.m. MT.
Hoda Kotb joins ‘TODAY’: 'This whole thing is breaking my heart'
Hoda Kotb joined the show this morning to detail the outpouring of support the Guthrie family has received amid the ongoing search for their mother and to describe her personal heartbreak over her friend.
“This whole thing is breaking my heart, and I’m happy to be sitting here with you,” Kotb told her colleagues. “Everybody’s hoping and praying for Nancy’s safe return. There’s been a massive show of support, from vigils to people offering positive thoughts online and just a lot of hope.”
The ongoing search for Guthrie has spurred support from across the country, Hollywood, and the NBC family, Kotb said. She added that Savannah Guthrie was always the first to help a colleague in need, and there is a “helpless feeling” of being unable to help.
“We’ll be patient and put prayers up, and that’s all we can do,” Kotb added.
Investigation to find Guthrie may take time
Law enforcement has indicated it is taking all pieces of evidence in this investigation seriously, including potentially legitimate ransom notes that include details about Guthrie's life.
The timeline is a critical piece to the investigation that officials revealed to the public yesterday. Indicating when her doorbell camera was removed from the door is crucial to figuring this out, but there are still questions.
At this point, there are clues, but not many details.
Another clue for investigators could be the potential abductor's license plate. Not many cars are on the road at 2:30 a.m., when Guthrie appeared to be taken from her home, so investigators can start to search for hints.
But that kind of work takes a long time and is challenging.
The scene yesterday outside Guthrie's home in Tucson, Ariz. Caitlin O'Hara / AP
Sheriff Nanos on ongoing investigation: 'You have to have hope. We're gonna find her.'
A day after authorities released a timeline leading up to Guthrie's disappearance, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos told NBC News that "we're gonna find her."
"You have to have hope," Nanos said.
Officials are investigating the legitimacy of a number of ransom notes sent to news outlets, with crisis negotiators on the ground ready to assist the family in case that one is real.
The FBI is also now offering a $50,000 reward for any information that leads to Guthrie.
Authorities provide a timeline of the night Guthrie disappeared
Man accused of sending fake ransom note to appear in Los Angeles federal court
A man accused of sending a fake ransom note to Guthrie’s family is expected to make an initial appearance today in federal court in Los Angeles.
Derrick Callella was charged with one count of intent to transmit a demand for ransom and one count of using a telecommunications device to anonymously abuse, threaten or harass a person.
The complaint alleges Callella admitted to sending the messages “to see if the family would respond.”
On Wednesday, Callella allegedly used a Voice over Internet Protocol phone number to text the Guthries, asking whether they had gathered the bitcoin “[we are] waiting for on our end for the transaction,” according to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Arizona.
The messages linked to Callella have not been connected to a ransom demand reported to an Arizona news station days earlier, the complaint says.
It was not immediately clear whether Callella, who was arrested yesterday in Los Angeles, has a lawyer to speak on his behalf.
Camron Guthrie pleads with possible kidnapper to communicate with the family directly
Guthrie's son, Camron Guthrie, yesterday released a message in which the family asked whoever may be holding their 84-year-old mother to provide a way for direct communication.
“Whoever is out there holding our mother, we want to hear from you. We haven’t heard anything directly,” Camron Guthrie said in a video on Instagram.
“We need you to reach out, and we need a way to communicate with you so we move forward,” he said.
“But first, we have to know that you have our mom,” he said. “We want to talk to you, and we are waiting for contact.”
FBI puts up $50,000 reward for information
The FBI has joined the investigation into Guthrie's disappearnce and is now working the case jointly with the Pima County Sheriff’s Department. Previously, the sheriff's department had been the lead investigative agency.
The FBI is now fully engaged and has brought in additional human and technical resources from around the country and is mounting a publicity campaign to generate tips.
Heith Janke, FBI Phoenix special agent in charge, announced a $50,000 reward for information leading to Guthrie's recovery.
No suspect or person of interest identified yet
Reports indicate that ransom notes referencing Guthrie have been sent to at least three news outlets.
Heith Janke, FBI Phoenix’s special agent in charge, told reporters that one of the reported ransom notes had a deadline of 5 p.m. yesterday. He said there was a second deadline Monday.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos reiterated that authorities have not identified a suspect or a person of interest in the case, which has drawn national attention. “We’re not there yet,” he told reporters. He also confirmed that blood found on the porch outside Guthrie’s house tested positive for her DNA.
