Savannah Guthrie’s plea for the safe return of mother Nancy’s ‘strong signal’ ransom note has yet to be granted
Savannah Guthrie’s appeal to those accused of kidnapping her mother Nancy is a strong sign that the “Today” star’s family has not yet found the need for an official ransom, according to former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe.
“To me, it’s like trying to establish some kind of connection,” McCabe told CNN on Wednesday. “We don’t know this for sure, but I feel this is a strong indication that they don’t believe they have a legitimate ransom demand.”
“What the family hears is, ‘We are ready to talk, contact us, we want to know that you have our mother.’
But, McCabe said the complaint was rare before adding: “In these situations, you get a lot of false leads, you get a lot of scammers, you get a lot of people trying to take advantage of a bad situation – it’s unthinkable but it happens.
He said Nancy Guthrie would find it difficult to “endure the rigors of imprisonment” due to her vulnerability, aging and ill health.
“This incident is incredibly stressful – medically, psychologically, physically – so knowing that it’s hard to imagine that a well-planned, well-executed kidnapping could delay a ransom demand. I expected that to happen,” he said.
McCabe suggested it opened up more possibilities, but he didn’t speculate.
Savannah pleaded with the alleged kidnapper to tell her family that the matriarch was alive.
He filed his plea as the search for Nancy, who disappeared from her million-dollar home in Catalina Hills, Ariz., enters its fifth day.
“We need to know, without a doubt, that you are alive, and that you are with him. We want to hear from you, and we are ready to listen. Please contact us,” said Savannah and her siblings.
More than 400 people attended a vigil in Nancy’s honor at a church in Tucson on Wednesday.
Candles placed on the altar of St. Philip at the Hill Episcopal Church, while some in attendance prayed and others recalled their memories of the Guthrie family, as reported by the Arizona Republic.
President Trump spoke to Savannah and vowed to use every resource to help find her mother.
“I spoke with Savannah Guthrie, and informed her that I am directing ALL Federal Law Enforcement on the family, as well as Local Law Enforcement, for total abandonment, IMMEDIATELY,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.
“We are using all resources so that his mother can return home safely.”
Savannah told Trump that her family is devastated and needs prayers more than anything, NBC News reported. He thanked the President for reaching out.
Attorney General Pam Bondi called Savannah again on Wednesday and FBI Director Kash Patel is headed to Tucson, as reported by Axios.
Police are still investigating the alleged ransom notes — one posted to TMZ and others to local news networks.
A note purportedly posted to TMZ demands a cryptocurrency payment in the millions of dollars.
Speaking directly to the alleged ransom notes, police said any information would go directly to detectives working closely with the FBI.
A letter purported to be sent to CBS affiliate KOLD-TV contained information about what Nancy was wearing the night before she was abducted.
Nancy disappeared a few hours after returning home from a Saturday dinner and her son-in-law, Tommaso Cioni, was the last person to see her. Cioni is married to Savannah’s sister, Annie.
Cioni made sure Nancy got safely into his home, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos told The New York Times.
