Savannah Guthrie’s mother’s kidnappers want “attention” and to be in the “spotlight,” according to a former FBI agent.
In an interview with NewsNation, Daniel Brunner, a 20-year veteran of the bureau, described the taking of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie as not being a “traditional kidnapping.”
The frantic search for Nancy has entered a week-long period. Authorities have not identified any suspects or ruled anyone out, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said at a news conference Thursday.
Authorities think she was taken against her will from her home just outside Tucson over the weekend. DNA tests showed blood on Guthrie’s front porch was a match to her, Nanos has said.
Former agent Brunner says the case is unusual for several reasons
“They want attention, they want the spotlight to be put on this incident,” Brunner said.
The former special agent said that he found it irregular that the alleged ransom notes were being sent to media outlets, rather than directly to the family.
“The more attention this gets, the more dangerous it is for [Nancy Guthrie].”
“Because if it gets more attention, the kidnappers may do something rash because they’re getting so nervous about the circle closing in on them,” he added.
Tucson TV station KOLD said on Friday it received a new message, via email, tied to the Guthrie case. The station said it couldn’t disclose its contents. The FBI said it was aware of a new message and was reviewing its authenticity.
KOLD was one of the media outlets that received a ransom message earlier in the week.
Savannah Guthrie, the longtime host of NBC’s morning show “Today,” and her two siblings released an emotional video message Wednesday to her mother’s kidnapper, saying they were ready to talk but wanted proof their mom was alive. Camron Guthrie repeated the family’s plea in a video posted Thursday.
“Whoever is out there holding our mother, we want to hear from you. We haven’t heard anything directly,” he said.
It’s unclear if all of the ransom notes were identical. Heith Janke, the FBI chief in Phoenix, said the details included a demand for money with a deadline that passed Thursday evening, and a second deadline for Monday if the first wasn’t met. At least one note mentioned a floodlight at Guthrie’s home and an Apple watch, Janke said.
Brunner also said that if the Guthrie family decided to pay a ransom for their beloved mother, it would be their choice, but he stressed it would be done with the coordination of the FBI.
Another law enforcement officer turned media personality, former homicide detective Ted Williams, told Fox News in an interview that he believes the original investigators on the case may have “contaminated” the crime scene.
President Donald Trump, speaking on Air Force One, said the investigation into Guthrie’s disappearance was going “very well.”
“We have some clues that I think are very strong,” Trump said, while en route to his Florida estate. “We have some things that may be coming out reasonably soon.”
Investigators were back in Nancy Guthrie’s neighborhood this weekend.
The county sheriff’s department posted on social media that they were restricting access to the road in front of the home to give investigators space. They directed media organizations that staked out there to move.
The Catalina Foothills Association, a neighborhood group, told residents in a letter that authorities were resuming searches in the area immediately.
“I know we all stand together in our collective disbelief and sadness and greatly appreciate your willingness to speak with law enforcement, share camera images and allow searches of your properties,” the president of the association said in the letter.
The sheriff said Thursday that investigators have not given up on trying to retrieve footage from the home.
“I wish technology was as easy as we believe it is, that here’s a picture, here’s your bad guy. But it’s not,” Nanos told the AP. “There are pieces of information that come to us from these tech groups that say ‘this is what we have and we can’t get anymore.’”
President Donald Trump, speaking on Air Force One, said the investigation into Guthrie’s disappearance was going “very well.”
“We have some clues that I think are very strong,” Trump said, while en route to his Florida estate. “We have some things that may be coming out reasonably soon.”
Attorney General Pam Bondi said Friday that federal authorities are assisting Arizona officials, but she declined to offer details.
“It breaks my heart for Savannah and for her family,” Bondi said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
