Authorities searching for Savannah Guthrie's mom, Nancy Guthrie, say no suspect or person of interest identified
Investigators in the disappearance of "Today" show co-host Savannah Guthrie's mother, Nancy Guthrie, haven't identified a suspect or person of interest in the Arizona case, which is being investigated as a crime, authorities said Wednesday.
The Pima County Sheriff's Department posted the update to social media as the search continues for Nancy Guthrie, 84, who was reported missing Sunday.
"Detectives continue to speak with anyone who may have had contact with Mrs. Guthrie," the sheriff's department said in Wednesday's statement.
Authorities believe Guthrie was taken from her Tucson, Arizona, home over the weekend. A little bit of blood found inside the home was being tested, a law enforcement source familiar with the case told CBS News.
"Detectives are working closely with the Guthrie family," the sheriff's department said in its statement Wednesday. "While we appreciate the public's concern, the sharing of unverified accusations or false information is irresponsible and does not assist the investigation."
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos says the evidence collected from the home so far hasn't yet pointed toward a suspect. He also 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.
"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.
Authorities continue to ask for the public's help. Fabian Pacheco, chief of detectives for the Pima County Attorney's Office, oversees one of the tip lines and told CBS News that "[i]t only takes one tip, just one, to break this open, to offer the lead that we so desperately need in this case."
Guthrie's family reported the disappearance to authorities Sunday after looking for her at her home when they were told Guthrie missed church that morning.
Nanos told CBS News on Tuesday that a ransom note was sent to a local Arizona news station following Guthrie's disappearance.
The note, which the station received Monday and agreed not to report on, contained specific details about the home and what Guthrie was wearing that night, Nanos said, although he would not confirm the accuracy of that information or the legitimacy of the note.
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 have analyzed the note and are taking it seriously, Nanos said.
Nanos also told CBS News that Guthrie's home security system may have been set to automatically delete video footage after a short period of time, and investigators were attempting to recover footage through forensic means. A spokesperson for Google, which acquired home device company Nest in 2014, told CBS News on Wednesday that Google was assisting law enforcement and that further details couldn't be shared at this time.
Nanos told CBS News that Guthrie ate dinner Saturday at the home of her other daughter, Annie Guthrie, who lives nearby. Her husband, Tommaso Cioni, drove Nancy Guthrie home afterward, Nanos said. The details were first reported by The New York Times. Earlier this week, Nanos told Us Weekly that Annie Guthrie was the last known person to see her mother before the disappearance.
Nanos has dismissed the possibility that Nancy Guthrie, who lives alone, may have wandered away from her home because he said she doesn't have any cognitive issues and her mobility is limited.
Investigators hadn't determined whether Nancy Guthrie was targeted or if the abduction was random, Nanos said Tuesday.
In a post to Truth Social Wednesday night, President Trump said he had spoken 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 prayers of our Nation are with her and her family. GOD BLESS AND PROTECT NANCY!"
Nancy Guthrie has three children in total: Annie Guthrie, Savannah Guthrie and son Camron Guthrie. The three siblings released an emotional video on social media Wednesday night, pleading for the return of their mother and saying they were "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."
As investigators sort through hundreds of leads, Nanos has said there's additional urgency to the search effort because Guthrie needs daily medication.
"She is 84 years old," Savannah Guthrie said in Wednesday's video. "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."