Where things stand

Neighbor of Savannah Guthrie’s mom describes how police asked for help

CNN’s Erin Burnett spoke with a neighbor of Savannah Guthrie’s mother Nancy as investigators continue their search following her disappearance.

• Race against time: The search for the 84-year-old has entered a fifth day, further raising fears for her safety. Savannah Guthrie said her mother, “lives in constant pain” and needs her prescription medication to survive.

Authorities are investigating purported ransom notes for Nancy Guthrie

Arizona’s Pima County Sheriff says they are not dismissing unverified ransom notes that were sent to multiple media outlets in the Nancy Guthrie case. CNN’s Ed Lavandera reports.

Tucson community prays for Nancy Guthrie’s safe return at candlelight service
From CNN’s Kelly McCleary
People attend a vigil at St. Philip's in the Hills Episcopal Church after the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie in Tucson, Arizona, on Wednesday.
People attend a vigil at St. Philip’s in the Hills Episcopal Church after the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie in Tucson, Arizona, on Wednesday.

Rebecca Noble/Reuters

Hundreds of people from the Tucson, Arizona, community gathered at a church Wednesday night for a candlelight service to pray for Nancy Guthrie’s safe return, CNN affiliate KOLD reported.

Savannah Guthrie is pleading for proof of life in response to purported ransom notes. Here’s the latest

From CNN’s Elizabeth Wolfe

As Nancy Guthrie’s children make a tearful plea for her safe return, a middle-of-the-night ping from her pacemaker is providing clues about when, precisely, she was taken from her secluded Arizona home.

In a tearful video Wednesday, Savannah Guthrie issued a response to possible ransom notes and pleaded with potential captors: “We want to hear from you and we are ready to listen. Please reach out to us.”

But, she said, the family needs proof their mother is alive, because “we live in a world where voices and images are easily manipulated.”

As the search for Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of “Today” host Savannah Guthrie, enters the fifth day, investigators have not identified a suspect.

These are the challenges investigators in the Guthrie disappearance face

Analysis from Eric Levenson and Josh Campbell

Investigators searching for Nancy Guthrie have encountered several key challenges in the days since the 84-year-old mother of “Today” anchor Savannah Guthrie went missing, suspected of being taken from her home.

Here are some of the challenges:

  • Secluded crime scene: Guthrie’s home outside Tucson is in a rural area without street lights and with few neighbors. Many homes in the area are set back from the road, so even if doorbell camera footage is available, it may not capture activity on the street. Other kidnapping and fugitive cases have been solved with the assistance of technology such as cameras and license plate readers, but that technology is likely sparse in the Tucson area compared to larger metropolitan locations.
  • Race against time: Nancy Guthrie was last seen Saturday at around 9:30 p.m. When she did not show up to church Sunday, a church member called her relatives, who went to her home around 11 a.m. to look for her. A family member called 911 around noon Sunday to report her missing. That window of over 12 hours is notable, as every minute between an abduction and when police are called increases the potential search area. And Guthrie takes critical prescription medication, which could prove fatal if not taken within 24 hours, officials said.
  • Media attention: The high-profile nature of the case has put unusual scrutiny on investigators, but media attention has its benefits, too. Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos thanked the media for reporting on the case and said the attention had spurred “hundreds of leads” from the public. But that also means authorities have to dedicate more resources to combing through incoming tips to determine which may be credible.

Trump directs federal law enforcement to help find Nancy Guthrie

From CNN’s Samantha Waldenberg

President Donald Trump during in the Oval Office of the White House on Monday.
President Donald Trump during in the Oval Office of the White House on Monday.

Bonnie Cash/UPI/Bloomberg/Getty Images

President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he is directing “ALL Federal Law Enforcement” to help the Guthrie family and local law enforcement in Arizona in finding Nancy Guthrie.

Neighbor of Savannah Guthrie’s mom describes how police asked for help

CNN’s Erin Burnett spoke with a neighbor of Savannah Guthrie’s mother Nancy as investigators continue their search following her disappearance.