US police believe Savannah Guthrie's missing mother is 'still out there'

Arizona police say they believe Nancy Guthrie, the missing mother of US news anchor Savannah Guthrie, "is still out there", though they have yet to identify a suspect in her disappearance five days after she vanished.

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said investigators were working under the assumption that the 84-year-old is still alive and were "going to continue thinking that way until we find her".

The FBI said it was reviewing two ransom notes, and added that officers had made an arrest over a fake note.

On Thursday night, Nancy Guthrie's family posted their second video message this week appealing for the return of their mother.

Watch: What's happened since Savannah Guthrie's mother disappeared?

"Whoever is out there holding our mother, we want to hear from you," said her son, Camron Guthrie.

"We need a way to communicate with you so we can move forward," he continued.

"But first, we have to know that you have our mom, and we want to talk to you."

It is standard procedure in hostage and kidnap cases for negotiators to demand proof of life from abductors.

At news briefing earlier on Thursday, FBI Special Agent Heith Janke said his agency was reviewing a ransom note sent to several media outlets.

The note gave a deadline for payment of 17:00 on Thursday, he said, without specifying which time zone, and had a second deadline for Monday.

Details about an Apple watch and a floodlight at Nancy Guthrie's home were in the note.

The FBI agent said the Guthrie family understand that "time is of the essence".

Investigators gave new details at the news conference about the timeline of her disappearance.

Sheriff: Savannah Guthrie’s mother 'didn’t go willingly'

On Saturday evening, she took an Uber to her daughter Annie's house for dinner nearby in the Tucson area. Police have spoken to the taxi driver.

Nancy Guthrie spent the night playing games with her relatives before one of them dropped her off back at her home in the affluent secluded neighbourhood of Catalina Foothills, the sheriff said.

At 01:47 local time on Sunday, a doorbell camera to her home was disconnected and removed, but officials said she did not have a subscription, so no footage could be recovered.

At 02:12, software data detected movement on camera near the home, but there is no video available and the sheriff acknowledged an animal could have caused the motion.

At 02:28, the app on her pacemaker, an implanted cardiac device, disconnected from her phone.

Blood found on her front porch has tested positive as hers, he said, and law enforcement is awaiting further lab results and analysis of evidence taken from the scene of the crime.

Family members were alerted after she did not attend church on Sunday morning as usual, which concerned members of the congregation.

The FBI has offered a $50,000 (£37,000) reward for information leading to an arrest.

During the briefing, Sheriff Nanos said there was still a possibility the kidnapping was not for ransom, but law enforcement was taking the demands seriously.

When asked about the possibility of not finding her alive, he said: "I'm certainly fearful of that."

In the first family video posted on Wednesday night, Savannah Guthrie directly addressed whoever is holding their mother.

"We are ready to talk," said the NBC host. "However, we live in a world where voices and images are easily manipulated.

"We need to know without a doubt that she is alive and that you have her."

Joined by sister Annie and brother Camron, the TV anchor added: "Her health, her heart is fragile. She lives in constant pain.

"She is without any medicine. She needs it to survive. She needs it not to suffer."

Shortly after the video was posted, US President Donald Trump commented on Truth Social about the case.

He said he was directing all federal law enforcement to help bring the investigation to a close and "get her mother home safely".

The sheriff has described an all-hands-on-deck search with dogs, drones, helicopters and federal agents to find the missing woman.

On Thursday morning, the FBI arrested a California man on suspicion of making a false ransom demand.

The accused, Derrick Callella, allegedly found Guthrie family members' information online and sent them texts asking: "Did you get the bitcoin".

Savannah Guthrie is one of the most famous faces in US media. She joined NBC in 2007 and was named co-anchor of NBC's Today show in 2012.

She had been due to co-host NBC's coverage of the Opening Ceremony for the Winter Olympics in Milan on Friday.

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Tomas Espinoza

US police believe Savannah Guthrie's missing mother is 'still out there'

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