Investigators in Arizona are examining one new communication connected to the disappearance of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, officials said on Friday, as the search for the television journalist’s elderly mother continues. Authorities described the correspondence as "one new piece of information" and indicated they are assessing its authenticity.
The message emerged after a previous communication, described by law enforcement as a purported ransom note, was distributed to media organizations earlier in the week. That ransom letter contained two deadlines; the first passed early on Thursday evening and the second was set for the following Monday.
Officials from the FBI and the Pima County Sheriff’s Department released a joint statement noting that investigators were "actively inspecting the information provided in the message for its authenticity." The statement did not elaborate on where the latest communication was received, its format, or its content, and it referred to the material only as a single additional item in the investigation.
Nancy Guthrie was last seen on January 31 when relatives dropped her off at her Tucson-area home after she had dinner with them. Family members reported her missing the next day. Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has said the woman is in frail health and has extremely limited mobility, concluding early in the investigation that she could not have left her residence without assistance and that a kidnapping was the most likely scenario.
The woman’s daughter, a long-time co-anchor on NBC’s morning program "Today," posted an appeal on Wednesday in an online video asking for her mother’s safe return and imploring those holding her to make direct contact with the family. The daughter has been a co-anchor on the program since 2012, according to information provided by authorities.
On Thursday evening, near the time that the ransom letter’s first 5 p.m. deadline expired, Nancy Guthrie’s son posted a follow-up video reiterating the family’s request to establish direct contact with whoever has their mother. He also asked for some form of proof to confirm that she is in the custody of those communicating with the family.
As of Thursday, five days into the investigation, investigators had not produced any proof of life, nor had they identified a suspect or a specific person of interest, Sheriff Nanos told reporters. He added that authorities were proceeding on the presumption that Nancy Guthrie remains alive.
Law enforcement activity continued on Friday around the woman’s residence. Detectives returned to the house and to nearby areas to conduct additional follow-up work, and the sheriff’s department said traffic in front of the home was being restricted to facilitate access for investigators.
The investigation remains active and limited information about the new communication has been released publicly. Officials are treating the latest material as potentially relevant while seeking to verify its legitimacy before providing further details.