The Today co-anchor Savannah Guthrie’s mother, Nancy Guthrie, was reported missing from her home on Sunday afternoon. A sheriff’s investigation has led authorities to believe that she was taken “possibly in the middle of the night, and that includes possible kidnapping or abduction.”
On Wednesday, Savannah issued a response to reports of a ransom note regarding her mother’s disappearance. Her statement said, “We too have heard the reports about a ransom letter in the media. As a family, we are doing everything that we can. We are ready to talk. However, we live in a world where voices and images are easily manipulated. We need to know without a doubt that she’s alive and that you have her. We want to hear from you, and we are ready to listen.”
While there is very limited information available about the case, retired FBI agent Greg Rogers has opined that Nancy’s abduction was likely not random. During an interview with KSL, Rogers said, “It’s not someone who doesn’t know anything about the family. This wasn’t a random act where they just showed up at her place, you know, without any knowledge of who she was.”
Savannah Guthrie posts deeply emotional plea for prayers for her missing mother Nancy who vanished from home pic.twitter.com/gsspv6o7hd
— Simo Saadi (@Simo7809957085) February 3, 2026
Rogers also highlighted that although Tucson is near Mexico and there are people there who kidnap others and demand ransoms for a living, Nancy’s case appears to be different. He said, “They’re very good at it, they’re using drop phones that they’re making one call on and pitching that phone.”
He then added, “This would be new. Those groups haven’t done this. They’ve done it in the States, but they’ve done it with narco-trafficking families and maybe kidnapped kids of some competitors — things like that — but they haven’t done it outside their wheelhouse, if you know what I mean.”
Rogers further mentioned, “They haven’t really gone after just American citizens. That’s a very dangerous thing for them to do. They know that.” The retired FBI agent then claimed that police likely knew more than they were disclosing publicly. He pointed to the lack of a strong public push for tips, which could indicate that investigators already have information they have not yet shared.
Moreover, Rogers added that FBI agents were likely giving the ransom note a thorough review for “psycholinguistic profiling,” which would help them evaluate the vocabulary, grammar, syntax, and handwriting to determine details such as the writer’s nationality, education, and intellect.
This case involving Savannah’s mother, Nancy Guthrie, is so bizarre and sad. Kidnapping a woman in her 80’s, in the middle of the night, for what?
— Jenna (@jennaxkc) February 3, 2026
Elaborating on this, Rogers said, “Law enforcement can determine very quickly how savvy the people making the ransom demands are.” He also pointed out that sending the ransom note to the media instead of the family does not align with the purpose of asking for a ransom, something kidnappers typically do.
Rogers also appeared skeptical that the individuals who sent the note were actually connected to the case, saying, “That’s not smart. I’ll be very interested to see if the individuals who did that really had anything to do with this case.”
As police continue to investigate every aspect of the case thoroughly, more information is expected to emerge.
