Jasper Ward
Washington: US television news host Savannah Guthrie said in a new video message that her family was willing to pay to secure her mother’s return after her presumed abduction in Arizona.
Law enforcement officials have concluded that Nancy Guthrie, 84, was kidnapped, but the Pima County Sheriff’s Department has said it is yet to identify any suspects or people of interest in the case.
In Saturday’s (Sunday AEDT) post on Instagram, Savannah Guthrie, flanked by her brother and sister, pleaded for their mother’s return.
“This is the only way we will have peace,” said Guthrie, co-anchor of NBC’s morning news show Today since 2012. “This is very valuable to us, and we will pay.”
Investigators were examining a newly surfaced message in the case, the FBI and Pima County Sheriff’s Department said on Friday.
Authorities did not specify the nature or content of the latest communication, or where it was received, but the FBI and sheriff’s department said in a joint statement that investigators were “actively inspecting the information provided in the message for its authenticity”.
Nancy Guthrie was last seen near Tucson, Arizona, on January 31 when she was dropped off at her residence by family members after having dinner with them. Relatives reported her missing around noon the following day, according to authorities.
She has been described by Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos as frail with extremely limited mobility. Nanos said she could not have left her home unassisted.
News of the new message authorities are examining came three days after a purported ransom note was sent to media outlets and followed appeals by Guthrie’s relatives to whoever may be holding her captive to contact the family directly “so we can move forward”.
The first of two deadlines set in Tuesday’s ransom letter, as described by law enforcement officials, came and went early on Thursday evening. A second deadline was set for Monday.
The FBI on Thursday offered a $US50,000 ($71,000) reward for information leading to the recovery of Nancy Guthrie or the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in her disappearance.
US President Donald Trump on Friday suggested a resolution to the case was at hand, saying, “I think we could have some answers coming up fairly soon.”
Reuters
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