Update on Nancy Guthrie’s Disappearance

Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe has commented on the distressing situation surrounding Savannah Guthrie’s mother, Nancy. He suggests that her pleading messages to her alleged captors indicate that the family hasn’t received a genuine ransom demand yet.

“This appears to be an attempt to communicate,” McCabe stated during a CNN interview late Wednesday. “While we can’t say for certain, it seems they don’t really believe there’s an actual ransom at play.” He speculated that the family might be trying to express readiness to talk: “I can almost hear them saying, ‘We want you to know we have our mother. We’re open to discussions.’ That doesn’t happen if they were already deep in negotiations with someone they believe has the victim.”

McCabe added that it’s common to encounter false leads during such distressing events. “You tend to get a lot of scams in cases like this—people trying to exploit a tough situation. It’s unimaginable but it happens,” he noted.

He pointed out that Nancy Guthrie is elderly and in poor health, suggesting she might struggle with the conditions tied to confinement.

“I understand that this ordeal is extremely challenging on multiple levels—medically, psychologically, and physically. It’s hard to think that a well-organized kidnapping would delay a ransom demand. I expected something to happen soon,” he commented.

As for what comes next, McCabe hinted at potential developments but refrained from making predictions.

Savannah, visibly distressed, made a direct plea to her mother’s alleged captor, urging them to confirm that Nancy is alive. “We truly need to know that she is safe and that you’re in contact with her. We are prepared to hear from you,” Savannah said alongside her siblings.

The search for Nancy, who went missing from her home in Catalina Hills, Arizona, has now stretched into its fifth day. During a vigil in Tucson, over 400 attendees lit candles and shared prayers in memory of Nancy.

President Trump has reached out to Savannah, pledging to utilize all federal resources in the search for her mother. “I reached out to Savannah and instructed all federal law enforcement to fully support her family and local officials,” he mentioned in a Truth Social post.

Savannah expressed her family’s anguish to the president, stating that prayers are what they most urgently need. She also thanked him for his support.

On Wednesday, Attorney General Pam Bondi spoke with Savannah and shared that FBI Director Kash Patel would be heading to Tucson. Authorities are still pursuing leads related to alleged ransom notes sent to various media outlets, including those demanding a multi-million dollar payment in cryptocurrency.

Additionally, one of the ransom notes referenced specific details about what Nancy was wearing the night she disappeared. Reportedly, Nancy was last seen after returning home from dinner on Saturday night, with her son-in-law, Tommaso Cioni, being the last known person to see her.

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos confirmed that Cioni had made sure Nancy got home safely.