84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, mother of NBC “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie, was last seen Jan. 31 at her home in Arizona. She was reported missing the following morning after she failed to attend a virtual church service. Investigators and law enforcement are treating this disappearance as an abduction. 

This week marks the third week of the search for Guthrie. Authorities have just disclosed that the DNA recovered from the gloves that were found two miles from her home does not match any DNA in the FBI’s criminal database. This DNA also did not match the DNA found on her property. Authorities have asked the community for additional information, specifically residents within a two-mile radius of Guthrie’s home, in hopes that the community can provide relevant footage and offer insight into the case. Investigators have also confirmed they are examining multiple ransom notes that have been sent to media outlets and others connected to the case, such as Guthrie’s family, who are currently faced with a series of ransom demands. Despite some conspiracies, authorities have reiterated that the family members have been interviewed and are not considered to be suspects in the case.

Media outlet “TMZ” reported that they received another ransom note. They described this note as “highly sophisticated” and demanded roughly 6 million dollars in cryptocurrency in exchange for Guthrie’s return. Unlike earlier ransom notes that requested payment in the form of bitcoin, this note demanded a digital currency and detailed graphic warnings about consequences if the ransom is not paid. The authenticity of this note has not yet been publicly verified.

To further incentivize tips from community members, Michael Hupy, an attorney and president of Milwaukee Crime Stoppers, donated an additional $100,000 to increase the reward money for those assisting in the investigation. Hupys’ $100,000 has been added to the already large sum of $102,500 from the FBI and local Crime Stoppers program. Officials have stated this investigation remains active, and all credible tips are being carefully evaluated. 

As investigators enter their third week of searching, no arrests have been announced, and many people have begun forming their own theories. Yet the question remains: what happened to Nancy Guthrie?