Federal authorities have offered a $1 million reward for information leading to the recovery of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of NBC “Today” anchor Savannah Guthrie, who has now been missing for 164 days as of July 17, 2026. The case remains under investigation as a kidnapping for ransom, with the FBI clarifying that while some ransom notes have been dismissed as fraudulent, others are still being examined as potentially legitimate.
Nancy Guthrie disappeared from her Catalina Foothills residence in Tucson, Ariz., after son-in-law Tommaso Cioni brought her home following dinner with family on the evening of January 31, around 9:45 p.m. She was reported missing around noon the following day, February 1, after she failed to appear for a church service online.
Recent Developments and Arrests
California resident Derrick Callella, 42, pleaded guilty to two felony harassment counts for sending fake ransom demands to the family. Callella used a Voice over Internet Protocol application to mask his identity on Feb. 4 and tracked down phone numbers for Nancy’s daughter Annie Guthrie and Cioni, texting them falsely to imply he held her captive while asking about a bitcoin payment.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department has issued a warning about fraudulent social media posts and fake QR codes requesting donations related to the investigation. The department clarified that PCSD “will never ask for money related to this case, or any investigation.”
Police Chief Chris Nanos issued an update regarding a string of arrests made near Nancy Guthrie’s home in the Catalina Foothills, related to true crime influencers blocking roads and causing local complaints.
FBI Statement on Ransom Notes
The FBI Phoenix office released a statement on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, addressing confusion over the status of ransom notes received during the investigation. “Some (of the notes) have been deemed to be extortion attempts without legitimacy,” the office said. “Other ransom demands may potentially be legitimate and are still being investigated as such.”
The clarification pushed back against an earlier report, citing an unnamed FBI official, that claimed federal investigators had determined all kidnapping-related messages to be fake. The FBI’s official statement characterized the total number of notes received only as “several” and distinguished between notes ruled out and those still under review.
“This case continues to be investigated as a kidnapping for ransom case,” the FBI said. According to the bureau, that classification affects resource allocation, agency participation, and tip evaluation procedures.
Evidence and Search Operations
Nancy Guthrie left without her phone or essential medications, details that alarmed investigators from the outset. Authorities found blood near the front doorstep of her home. On February 10, the FBI released doorbell camera footage showing a masked, armed individual on the porch the night she disappeared.
Investigators are also analyzing mixed DNA recovered from the home, including a hair sample, though no arrests or suspects have been publicly identified. In one development disclosed earlier in the investigation, federal agents transferred a small sum of cryptocurrency to a wallet address provided in one of the messages; those funds were never withdrawn and remained untouched.
Volunteers and search teams have repeatedly combed the desert terrain surrounding Tucson since Guthrie’s disappearance. A volunteer group conducted a search near the Arizona-Mexico border. Despite those efforts, no physical trace of Guthrie has been publicly reported.
Multiple notes surfaced in media reports following her disappearance. Tucson television station KOLD-TV said it received two of them — one demanding millions in cryptocurrency for Guthrie’s return, the other claiming she had died shortly after being taken. A note received by TMZ claimed to identify the kidnappers. The ransom demands included payment deadlines of February 5 and February 9.
Pima County Sheriff’s Department officials said they treat all tips seriously and share them with detectives coordinating with federal agents, but referred questions about the ransom notes to the FBI.
Savannah Guthrie, who has continued to anchor “Today” through the ordeal while publicly appealing for information, returned to the Today Show after a four-day absence. She has not commented publicly on the latest FBI statement.
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Pima County Sheriff’s Department at 520-351-4900 or the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI.