President Donald Trump said federal investigators have uncovered ‘very strong’ clues in the abduction of Nancy Guthrie and suggested a breakthrough could come soon in the high-stakes search for the missing mother of Today co-anchor Savannah Guthrie.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Friday night, Trump said the investigation had accelerated rapidly and that authorities may be closing in on answers after days of uncertainty and mounting public alarm.
‘I think we are doing very well,’ Trump said of the federal response. ‘You’re probably surprised to hear that. We have some clues that I think are very strong, and I think we could have some answers coming up fairly soon.’
The president signaled that investigators may be moving beyond simply searching for the missing 84-year-old and toward identifying those responsible.
‘I’m not talking about a search. I’m talking about a solution,’ Trump said.
‘We have some things I think that will maybe come out reasonably soon from DOJ or FBI or whoever.’
He added that developments had occurred rapidly, explaining that ‘a lot of things have happened with regard to that horrible situation in the last couple of hours.’
When pressed by reporters about whether that meant authorities had identified a suspect, Trump replied: ‘Yeah. Could be definitive.’
President Donald Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that federal investigators have uncovered ‘very strong’ clues in the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie and that authorities could have ‘some answers coming up fairly soon.’
Investigators believe Savannah Guthrie’s mother, Nancy, was abducted from her bed in Tucson
Investigators were seen at Nancy Guthrie’s home on Friday evening
The president’s comments came as federal and local investigators intensified their efforts at Nancy’s Tucson-area home, closing off the road and deploying forensic teams to search for new evidence on Friday evening.
Officials confirmed they were examining a second letter sent on Friday morning to Tucson television station KOLD, which appeared to be linked to the same individual or individuals who had previously claimed responsibility for abducting Nancy.
The FBI said it was reviewing the authenticity of the message but declined to reveal its contents.
Authorities also identified a ‘vehicle of interest’ connected to the investigation after a tip led investigators to surveillance footage from a Circle K convenience store in the Tucson area.
The store confirmed it was cooperating with law enforcement.
Investigators were seen placing new evidence markers around Nancy’s property, including near hedges and on the roof, as they worked to reconstruct what happened in the early morning hours of Sunday when she vanished.
DNA tests confirmed blood found outside her front door belonged to her, a discovery that Sheriff Chris Nanos said indicated she had been injured during the abduction.
The investigation has been complicated by a critical gap in surveillance footage.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos confirmed DNA testing showed blood found outside Nancy Guthrie’s front door belonged to her
Blood was spotted on the walkway of Nancy’s $1million Tucson, Arizona home
The Tucson, Arizona home of Nancy Guthrie, the missing mother of Today show host Savannah Guthrie, is seen from above
Savannah Guthrie publicly pleaded with her mother’s captor saying, ‘We need to know without a doubt that she is alive and that you have her’
The doorbell camera was disconnected shortly before 2am, but because she did not have an active subscription, investigators were unable to recover any video.
‘It is concerning, it’s actually almost disappointing because you’ve got your hopes up,’ Nanos said. ‘OK, they got an image. ‘Well, we do, but we don’t.”
Moments after the camera went offline, software data recorded movement at the home. Shortly afterward, Guthrie’s pacemaker connection was also lost, likely as she was taken from the property.
‘I wish technology was as easy as we believe it is, that here’s a picture, here’s your bad guy. But it’s not,’ Nanos said.
‘There are pieces of information that come to us from these tech groups that say ‘this is what we have and we can’t get anymore.’
Investigators are also examining ransom messages sent to media organizations, including TMZ and local television station KOLD, demanding millions in Bitcoin and claiming Nancy was ‘safe but scared.’
TMZ founder Harvey Levin said the note suggested the abductors were attempting to negotiate.
The FBI is treating ransom notes sent to media outlets seriously and has offered a $50,000 reward for credible information
Savannah described her mother as a ‘loving woman of goodness and light’
Forensics teams were seen arriving at the home on Friday evening, soon after law enforcement acknowledged a second letter had been sent to a local news outlet claiming to be from Nancy’s abductors
‘I will say the letter begins by saying she is safe but scared, and they go on to say she knows exactly what the demand is,’ Levin explained.
FBI officials said at least one message referenced details from Guthrie’s home, including a floodlight and an Apple Watch.
Authorities have not confirmed whether the messages are genuine, but officials say they are treating them as serious leads.
As the investigation enters its seventh day, officials say Guthrie’s medical condition makes the search increasingly urgent.
‘Her conditions, I would imagine, are worsening day by day,’ Nanos said. ‘She requires medication. And I have no way of knowing whether they’re getting that medication to her.’
Guthrie has a pacemaker and other serious health conditions that require daily treatment.
Authorities say they have not identified any suspects and have not ruled anyone out.
‘That’s not how we do police investigations. There has to be some control of your case,’ Nanos said, explaining why investigators have withheld some details.
Despite the uncertainty, he expressed confidence in the effort to find her. ‘We’re gonna find her,’ Nanos insisted.
Today Show host Savannah Guthrie, with her mother Nancy in 2020, said her family is ready to talk but wants proof their mom is still alive
In a video message on Wednesday, Savannah, her sister Annie and brother Camron begged the kidnappers to provide a ‘proof of life’ of their mother and declared they were ready to talk
Investigators are seen at Nancy Guthrie’s home in Tucson, Arizona on Friday
Earlier this week, Savannah Guthrie and her siblings Annie and Camron made emotional public appeals, urging whoever took their mother to contact them.
‘Whoever is out there holding our mother, we want to hear from you,’ Camron Guthrie said in a video message. ‘We haven’t heard anything directly.’
Savannah had previously said the family was ready to communicate but needed proof.
‘We need to know without a doubt that she is alive and that you have her,’ she said.
The FBI has offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to Guthrie’s rescue.
