THIS MORNING, Nancy Guthrie’s favorite car was towed away from her Arizona home, and inside they found a letter tucked under the floor mat of the second seat…

Nancy Guthrie.Credit : Savannah Guthrie/Instagram

A car was towed from the Arizona home belonging to Savannah Guthrie’s mother, Nancy Guthrie, as search efforts for the missing woman continue.

Nancy’s blue SUV was taken from her garage on the evening of Friday, Feb. 6, PEOPLE can confirm. A solar-powered camera was removed from the home’s roof, as was a white video camera from the nearby casita.

Video footage captured by NBC News shows the vehicle being placed on the back of a tow truck and subsequently taken away from the residence.

The Pima County Sheriff’s Department tells PEOPLE, “This remains an active and ongoing investigation, which includes the review of multiple pieces of evidence. At this time, we will not confirm or release additional details regarding what is being analyzed.”

A representative for Savannah Guthrie did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

Tracy Walder, who worked as a CIA agent for six years before becoming a special agent for the FBI for four years, tells PEOPLE the ransom note tied to Nancy’s disappearance may have played a role in the recent FBI and police activity at the 84-year-old’s home.

“I believe something in the note sparked them to go back to the home, expand the perimeter and remove the vehicle for further processing,” Walder says. “Of course, anything digital will help, but to me, it sounds like the garage door never opened or closed again after 9:50 p.m., so I personally don’t think the car went anywhere. But they will look at historical data.”

Nancy was first reported missing on Feb. 1, after not showing up to church. Police believe the mother of three was abducted, and they have yet to identify any suspects in the case.

Authorities continue to investigate an alleged ransom note sent to the media. FBI Phoenix Special Agent in Charge Heith Janke said whoever wrote the ransom note set a deadline of 5 p.m. the evening of Thursday, Feb. 5.

“If a transfer wasn’t made, the second demand was for next Monday,” he said at a press conference, attended by PEOPLE, that same day. “I’m not going to go beyond that.”

On Friday, Feb. 6, the FBI acknowledged a new message potentially tied to Nancy’s disappearance. “The FBI and Pima County Sheriff’s Department are aware of a new message regarding Nancy Guthrie,” the Pima County Sheriff’s Department said in a statement to PEOPLE.

“Investigators are actively inspecting the information provided in the message for its authenticity,” the statement continued. “While this is one new piece of information, the FBI and the Pima County Sheriff’s Department are still asking anyone with tips to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI. The FBI continues to offer a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the recovery of Nancy Guthrie and/or the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in her disappearance.”

Tucson-based KOLD News/News 13 shared that it had received the message earlier in the day, but would not be releasing details “out of respect to the family.” The outlet said it forwarded the message to law enforcement, along with the IP address from the initial note. The IP address is not the same IP address as the initial note, but “it appears the sender used the same type of secure server to hide their IP address,” the outlet said.

During an interview with NBC’s Liz Kreutz, which aired on the Today show on Feb. 6, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos got choked up as he spoke about the investigation. “You have to have hope. Come on, this is somebody’s mom,” he said. “We’re gonna find her.”

Camron Guthrie, Savannah’s brother, shared a video on his sister’s social media on Feb. 5, speaking on behalf of their family and calling for “whoever is out there holding our mother” to get in touch.

“We haven’t heard anything directly. We need you to reach out, and we need a way to communicate with you so we can move forward,” Camron said. “But first, we have to know that you have our mom. We want to talk to you, and we are waiting for contact.”

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Savannah, 54, Camron and their sister, Annie Guthrie, previously shared a video on social media on Wednesday, Feb. 4, speaking to the potential abductor of Nancy.

“We need to know without a doubt that she is alive and that you have her. We want to hear from you and we are ready to listen. Please, reach out to us,” Savannah said in the clip.

Hoda Kotb returned to the Today show amid the investigation on Feb. 6, sitting at the anchor desk alongside Sheinelle Jones, Carson Daly and Craig Melvin.

The group spoke about the outpouring of support for the Guthrie family. “I was thinking this morning, you know when they say, ‘Love is patient. Love is kind.’ We’ll be patient and put prayers up,” Kotb, 61, who exited the show in January 2025, said.

“It’s just that feeling of helplessness,” Melvin, 46, added. “And we’re not helpless because it’s prayer and hope.”