OAN Staff Katherine Mosack
Friday, February 6, 2026
UPDATE 4:05 PM PT – Law enforcement has publicly confirmed that the FBI and the Pima County Sheriff’s Department are aware of a new message purportedly linked to Nancy’s disappearance. Authorities are actively reviewing the information in the message to determine its authenticity, but it has not yet been verified as genuine.
The Tucson-based station KOLD 13 News reported receiving the second message, sending it on to investigators at the Pima County Sheriff’s Department.
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11:55 AM – As the grueling search for 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie enters its sixth day, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) confirmed that the 5:00 p.m. Thursday ransom deadline had passed with no further word from her captors.
The initial ransom note demanded millions in Bitcoin, but there has been no follow-up communication or proof of life since the window closed, authorities announced.
This also follows after a man named Derrick Callella, 42, was charged with transmitting a “fake” ransom demand related to Nancy Guthrie. The 42-year-old from Hawthorne, California, is now facing criminal charges after he admitted to investigators that he sent texts and made phone calls to the family after they released a video stating they were willing to negotiate financially in exchange for their mother.
This was a separate incident by a “bad actor” and has nothing to do with the current investigation.
“Right now, we believe Nancy is still out there. We want her home,” Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said at a press conference on Thursday.
A second deadline, set for Monday, was reportedly included in the note, though police haven’t disclosed what was threatened if the demands go unmet. According to TMZ, the note warned that failing to meet the Thursday and Monday deadlines would result in new demands and harsher consequences.
On Thursday, investigators revealed that the blood found splattered on Guthrie’s front stoop has been confirmed as hers. They also noted that while a security camera detected movement at 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, it failed to capture a clear image of anyone.
As of Friday at 11:15 a.m. PT, there are still no formal suspects or persons of interest, but law enforcement is not ruling anyone out.
The FBI is currently offering a $50,000 reward for any information leading to Nancy’s safe return.
Authorities have confirmed that Nancy had dinner with her daughter Annie and her son-in-law, Tommaso Cioni, on the Saturday evening before she disappeared. Cioni reportedly drove her home and was the last person known to have seen her.
Ashleigh Banfield, a journalist and television host best-known for her work on the NewsNation network, reported — citing an unnamed law enforcement source — that Cioni was a “prime suspect.” These same reports also alleged that Annie Guthrie’s car had been impounded by police. Nonetheless, the sheriff has since blasted Banfield for her “reckless” reporting, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Office has continuously pushed back against these “unconfirmed” reports, calling the sharing of accusations from “unnamed” sources “irresponsible.” They have personally not confirmed that any vehicle was seized and maintain that no family member has been named a suspect.
Although FBI agents have been observed at the home where Cioni and Annie Guthrie reside, authorities have not specified the reason for the visit — beyond the general scope of the investigation.
“Do the right thing,” said FBI Phoenix Special Agent in Charge Heith Janke. “This is an 84-year-old grandma. This is an 84-year-old grandma that needs vital medication for her well-being. You still have the time to do the right thing before this becomes a much worse scenario for you. Please return Nancy home.”
While the ransom note lacked proof of life or specific updates on Guthrie’s condition, it contained intimate details about her home, likely included to establish the abductor’s credibility. However, the special agent noted that there has been no further contact from them since the message was first received.
“In a normal kidnapping case, there would be contact by now trying to discuss that,” Janke noted, adding that “any action taken on any ransom is ultimately decided by the family.”
With help from the FBI, Nancy’s youngest daughter, Savannah Guthrie, known for her work on NBC’s the “Today” show, recently posted a video on social media, alongside her brother and sister, pleading to their mother’s captors for confirmation that she was still alive and in stable condition.
“We need to know, without a doubt, that she is alive and that you have her. We want to hear from you, and we are ready to listen,” Savannah, flanked by her siblings, said in the video. “Please, reach out to us.”
As the initial 5:00 p.m. deadline passed, Savannah’s brother issued yet another plea, once again urging the abductors to contact him.
The family has long emphasized the life-threatening urgency of the situation, noting that Nancy requires daily medication to survive.
Although she is described as “sharp as a tack,” police noted that she has limited mobility and relies on a pacemaker.
Nancy was last seen on the night of January 31st, when her son-in-law dropped her off at her Catalina Foothills home following a family dinner. However, the situation turned suspicious overnight when her doorbell camera was disconnected. Hours later, at approximately 2:30 a.m. on Sunday, her pacemaker also lost its connection to her phone. After she failed to appear at her Sunday morning church service, worried congregants alerted her family, who discovered her missing and notified authorities at around noon. By Monday, law enforcement had officially begun treating the home as a potential crime scene.
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