Nancy Guthrie: Where things stand as search enters 4th week
PHOENIX - After days with relatively fewer updates on the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, another development in the case happened on Feb. 24.
Here's is a look at where things stand currently.
What happened on Feb. 24?
On Tuesday, "Today" show host Savannah Guthrie announced that the family is offering a reward of up to $1 million for the "recovery" of Nancy. Savannah is Nancy's daughter.
What Savannah Said:
"We still believe. We still believe in a miracle. We still believe that she can come home. Hope against hope," Savannah said in the video. "She may have already gone home to the Lord that she loves and is dancing in heaven with her mom and her dad and with her beloved brother, Pierce, and with our daddy. And if this is what is to be, then we will accept it. But we need to know where she is. We need her to come home."
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'We still believe in a miracle': Nancy Guthrie's family offers $1 million reward for 'recovery' of their mom
Savannah Guthrie says her family is offering a reward of up to $1 million for the "recovery" of their mom, Nancy Guthrie, who authorities say was taken against her will from her Tucson-area home earlier this month.
When did Nancy Guthrie went missing?
According to the Pima County Sheriff's Department, 84-year-old Nancy was last seen on the evening of Jan. 31 at her home near East Skyline Drive and North Campbell Avenue, which is located outside of Tucson.
Dig deeper:
Officials said Nancy was reported missing on Feb. 1, after family members were notified that she had not shown up for church service.
"Family went to her residence in Tucson, AZ and Nancy was not in the home," the Arizona Department of Public Safety said in a statement. "All her personal belongings, to include her wallet, cell phone and vehicle were still there, but she was nowhere to be found."
"Sheriff [Chris] Nanos has stated that he believes a crime has been committed. At this point, investigators believe she was taken from the home against her will, possibly in the middle of the night. Taken against her will includes possible kidnapping or abduction," officials with the Pima County Sheriff's Department said on Feb. 2.
Sheriff Nanos has said that Nancy lives alone, and did not have her required daily medication. Meanwhile, a video at Guthrie's home showed blood on the ground outside the front door.
What has happened since Nancy disappeared?
A number of developments have happened since Nancy's disappearance.
The investigation
According to a Feb. 23 article by the Associated Press, officials with PCSD said several hundred people are working on the case, while FBI and other agencies are assisting.
Meanwhile, volunteer search groups have launched their own searches in hopes of cracking the case.
What Officials Are Saying:
Officials with PCSD said while they appreciate the concern for Nancy, they are also asking people inquiring about volunteering to give investigators space to do their jobs.
Rewards for information
The reward announced by Savannah Guthrie on Feb. 24 is one of a number of rewards being offered for information related to the case.
By the numbers:
Besides the reward Guthrie offered, the FBI is offering a $100,000 reward for information that leads Nancy and/or the arrest and conviction of those involved. That was increased from the initial reward of $50,000.
On Feb. 16, it was reported that an attorney from the Milwaukee, Wisc. area is offering a separate $100,000 reward for information that lead to an arrest.
The lawyer, Michael Hupy, said he believes the FBI's requirement for personal information could deter people from coming forward.
"She’s an 84-year-old woman and I don’t like the way the investigation and reward is being handled," Hupy said. "I think it could have been done much better.
Ransom or demand notes
On Feb. 6, the AP reported that at least three news organizations have reported receiving purported ransom notes that they have given to investigators, who said they are taking them seriously.
The article also reported that a California man was charged with sending text messages to the Guthrie family seeking bitcoin, after following the case on television. According to our report, the suspect is named Derrick Callella.
"When he said that he had sent text messages, he was trying to see if the family would respond," read a portion of the court documents. "The two text messages have not been linked to the February 2, 2026, ransom demand."
Dig deeper:
Meanwhile, media outlet TMZ has received multiple notes that demanded money in exchange for the suspect's identity.
Per the outlet, they have received four notes from the same person. Some of the contents from one of the notes were revealed on Feb. 18. In that note, the person demanded $50,000 in bitcoin in return for information regarding the suspect. According to data from Binance.com, one bitcoin was worth around $66,960 at the end of the day on Feb. 18.
On Feb. 18, TMZ reported that they have received "a highly sophisticated demand" involving a cryptocurrency other than Bitcoin.
"The email demands a dollar amount similar to the $6 million ransom demand in the previous email we received, days after the kidnapping. This email graphically describes the consequences if the ransom isn't paid," read a portion of TMZ's report.
TMZ's report also states that the new ransom demand e-mail contains a crypto account number that is different from the original, and that the e-mail has been forwarded to the FBI.
Tips
On Feb. 21, we reported that detectives are combing through nearly 20,000 tips.
Local perspective:
While the physical search remains centered around Nancy's North Tucson home, investigators say the vast majority of new leads are coming from out of state. Officials are now asking the public to consider the quality of their information before calling the tip line.
"What we’re asking is that you just take a moment before you call and ask yourself: Is this tip viable? Is this tip credible? Is this a tip that investigators may be able to act upon?" said 9-1-1 Dispatch Manager Cecilia Ochoa.
What you can do:
Anyone with information on the case can call the FBI Tip Line at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324). The agency did warn that people may experience delays when submitting information, due to high call volume.
The Source: Information for this article was gathered from previous, relevant FOX 10 news reports, with supplemental information gathered from the Associated Press.