The search for missing mother Nancy Guthrie has entered a critical new phase, as the deadline for a ransom note passed on February 9.
Detectives revealed they are expanding their investigation after finding fresh leads connected to her disappearance.
Nancy’s daughter and Today star Savannah Guthrie also shared a message saying, “We enter into another week of this nightmare.”
The search for missing mother Nancy Guthrie has entered a critical new phase
Image credits: Savannah Guthrie
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department announced on Monday that it was expanding its investigation and would continue searching residences belonging to the Guthrie family.
“Many of you observed an active presence at the Guthrie residences over the weekend,” the department said.
“That activity will continue tonight and into tomorrow as part of the ongoing investigative process, including the expansion of the search and follow-up on new leads.”
Their presence at the Guthrie residences was part of the investigative process as the search “expands and new leads come in,” the department added.
Image credits: Savannah Guthrie
Officials revealed that the FBI has been handling ransom notes, and investigators have been receiving thousands of calls across multiple tip lines.
Prior to the Monday statement, investigators were seen searching a septic tank behind Nancy’s home in Tucson, Arizona, on February 8.
Detectives were seen using a long pole to search inside the manhole, but it was unclear what they were looking for.
Investigators were seen searching a septic tank behind Nancy’s home in Tucson, Arizona
Image credits: Jan Sonnenmair/Getty Images
A ransom note, allegedly written by kidnappers holding the 84-year-old woman hostage, gave February 9 as the deadline for the Guthrie family to fork out $6 million in bitcoin.
The FBI and the sheriff’s department have been unable to verify the authenticity of the ransom note, as it provided no proof of life or photos of their alleged hostage.
However, as an attempt to confirm its veracity, the note included details about the crime scene from where the mother-of-three was taken.
The deadline for a ransom note passed on February 9
Image credits: Savannah Guthrie
“I’m very skeptical of this,” former FBI Assistant Director Chris Swecker told Fox News about the ransom note.
“If this was a kidnapping, it would be a very simple matter to authenticate and provide proof of life,” he continued. “You have to allow for the possibility that this was something more or something other than a kidnapping.”
Image credits: Savannah Guthrie
“I’ll read you one line from the ransom note we received,” TMZ founder Harvey Levin told CNN after his outlet received the ransom note, along with other outlets.
“And they say, ‘It is in the best interest of everyone to have this completed as soon as possible,’” he continued. “This was way back when the first ransom note was issued.”
Savannah shared a video on social media hours before the ransom note’s second deadline passed
Image credits: Nancy Guthrie
The ransom note included two deadlines, the first of which was 5 p.m. on February 5. The second deadline was 5 p.m. on February 9.
After the second deadline passed, FBI officials said they were “not aware of any continued communication between the Guthrie family and suspected kidnappers.”
They further noted in their update that no suspect or person of interest had been identified.
Image credits: Rebecca Noble/Getty Images
Hours before the ransom note’s second deadline passed, Savannah shared a video on social media, asking the public for help.
“I wanted to come on and share a few thoughts as we enter into another week of this nightmare,” she said. “Law enforcement is working tirelessly, around the clock trying to bring her mom, trying to find her.”
“She was taken and we don’t know where. And we need your help,” she added.
“We enter into another week of this nightmare,” Today star Savannah said on social media
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In the hours leading to Nancy’s disappearance, the mother had taken an Uber on January 31 to her daughter Annie’s house, about 10 minutes away from her home.
She had dinner and played games with relatives before Tommaso Cioni, her son-in-law and Annie’s husband, dropped her back at around 9:45 p.m.
By 1:47 a.m. on Sunday, the doorbell camera went dark, making authorities believe the suspect had disconnected and removed it.
The app on Nancy’s pacemaker (an implanted cardiac device) was disconnected from her phone at around 2:28 a.m.
Image credits: Nancy Guthrie
Investigators searched Annie’s home on February 7 for a couple of hours and left with a white suitcase and a brown bag.
“All that white case is — is evidence processing tools. The brown bag is for evidence,” Tracy Walder, a former CIA and FBI special agent, told People.
“The back and forth is of course odd and we don’t see that a lot,” she added.
“It’s an inside job,” a social media user speculated, while another said, “Looks like the sister did it”
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