United States President Donald Trump suggested in an interview on Monday that Nancy Guthrie’s abductors could face the death penalty if she is not returned unharmed.
In a phone interview with the New York Post, Trump said the abductors would face “very, very severe” federal consequences. When asked if that meant the death penalty, Trump answered affirmatively, explaining that it would mark the “most severe” ramification.
Although Arizona has the death penalty, the state has carried out only two executions since 2022. The New York Post reported that there are 109 inmates on the state’s death row, though many have spent decades awaiting execution.
However, the federal government can separately seek the death penalty. Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, Pittsburgh synagogue shooter Robert Bowers, and South Carolina church shooter Dylann Roof are all on federal death row.
Guthrie, 84, was reported missing in Catalina Foothills, Ariz., on Feb. 1. She is the mother of three children, including NBC’s Savannah Guthrie.
🚨JUST IN: President Trump tells the NY Post moments ago he will urge the DOJ to pursue the death penalty if Nancy Guthrie is not returned safely. pic.twitter.com/duQQNiYRim
— Outnumbered (@OutnumberedFNC) February 16, 2026
Trump previously spoke with Savannah Guthrie earlier this month and offered federal assistance. Although the FBI and Pima County Sheriff’s Department are both investigating Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance, the PCSD remains the lead investigator.
Guthrie has a pacemaker and requires daily medication. As of publication, neither the investigators nor the Guthrie family has indicated they believe that she has died.
“To whoever has her or knows where she is, that it’s never too late, and you’re not lost or alone,” Savannah Guthrie said in an Instagram video posted on Sunday night. “And it’s never too late to do the right thing. And we are here. We believe.”
Trump separately addressed Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance in a Truth Social post on Monday morning, writing, “Hopefully there will be a positive result!”
🚨 Savannah Guthrie post new video two weeks after her mother has gone missing. pic.twitter.com/UJGjMDkG8v
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) February 16, 2026
Motives for Guthrie’s disappearance remain unclear. As of Feb. 16, the FBI believes the suspect is a male who is roughly 5 feet 9 inches to 5 feet 10 inches tall. Authorities have identified the suspected abductor’s backpack as a black, 25-liter Ozark Trail Hiker Pack backpack. Officials are working with retailers in Arizona to determine which retailers sell the backpack in question. Footage also shows the suspected abductor wearing black gloves, a ski mask, and a holster.
The FBI has received over 14,000 tips and recovered multiple gloves from the area. Federal officials are offering up to $100,000 for information leading to Guthrie’s recovery and/or a conviction.
Guthrie’s disappearance — and potential abduction — has resulted in one of the more high-profile possible kidnapping cases in recent memory. Cable news outlets such as Fox News and CNN have dedicated a significant amount of their daily programming to the latest updates, and Trump praised Fox News’s coverage on Monday morning. Trump specifically said he is impressed by former FBI special agent Nicole Parker, who now contributes to Fox News.
As authorities work through the Guthrie case, some supporters have placed flowers at her home. Others have visited her local church for Sunday services.
