Nancy Guthrie, the mother of American journalist Savannah Guthrie, marks six months this Friday since she was last seen, without authorities having identified a suspect related to her disappearance, in a case that has attracted international headlines and the attention of US President Donald Trump.
Guthrie, 84, was last seen alive on the night of January 31, at her residence in Catalina Foothills, a desert area near Tucson (Arizona), where she lived alone.
Her family learned of her disappearance a day later, on February 1, 2026, when she did not attend, as was her custom, a religious service, and since then the police, with assistance from the FBI, have been searching for her.
Authorities believe she was taken against her will, after finding traces of her blood near the entrance to her home and other evidence suggesting she was kidnapped.
However, so far, investigators have not publicly identified any suspects in the case, nor have the results of DNA samples or other forensic tests collected at the home been released. Guthrie, who had health problems and uses a pacemaker, which has been lost since his disappearance.
Messages fuel the mystery
The multiple ransom notes received, which initially included a demand for millions of dollars for his ransom, have increased the enigma surrounding the case.
Several of the communications sent, some to the media, were considered false extortion attempts, but authorities and the family have given credibility to at least two of them.
Last Monday and after several weeks of silence, Savannah Guthrie sent a new message to her mother's alleged kidnappers and urged them to “do the right thing.”
The host of NBC's 'Today' show said in a video on her Instagram account that her family had "done their part" and that she would "never stop looking" for her mother.
"The world can be a cruel and unforgiving place, and I know that you have tried to do things the right way. So I ask you, I beg you, to do the right thing now," the communicator insisted.
The call came almost a month after a note was received, attributed to the alleged kidnappers, explaining that the victim had died shortly after being kidnapped and that her death was not intentional.
The message even caught the attention of President Donald Trump, who expressed hope late last month that authorities would find the octogenarian. “That family has gone through hell,” declared the Republican, who from the beginning asked the federal authorities to collaborate.
Investigation remains open
In this sense, the FBI declared in early July that Guthrie's disappearance continues to be investigated as a case of kidnapping for extortion.
For his part, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos, who has led the local investigation, said this week that the case remains active and has not been classified as “unsolved,” as he told KVOA, an NBC affiliate in Tucson.
Likewise, the sheriff, who has faced criticism for his handling of the case, trusted that the DNA tests, which are still being examined by several laboratories in the country, will provide the answers necessary to solve the case.
The authorities and the family also trust that finally the million-dollar reward of $1,100,000 for anyone who helps find Guthrie's whereabouts or capture those responsible for his disappearance will be the hook to solve the case.
“We are working on this with the greatest dedication possible,” Nanos told the television station, while making a new call to the public to collaborate.
In February, authorities detained two possible suspects in the case, who were eventually released without charge. This Thursday it was learned that Carlos Palazuelos, one of the detainees, filed a judicial claim for 2.5 million dollars, for unjustified arrest.
