Kash Patel ‘prepared to go’ on Nancy Guthrie search after Trump speaks with her daughter Savannah
FBI Director Kash Patel is poised to assist in the search for Nancy Guthrie, mother of Today show co-host Savannah Guthrie, who has been missing for five days after disappearing from her home in unexplained circumstances.
Nancy Guthrie, 84, was last seen around 9:45 p.m. January 31 when family members dropped her off at her home in the Catalina Foothills area, outside Tucson, after dinner. She was reported missing Sunday after she failed to attend church.
Law enforcement believe the elderly woman, who has health conditions and requires daily medication, was taken against her will and have described her home as a crime scene.
The decision comes after President Donald Trump said that he had spoken directly with Savannah Guthrie and ordered federal law enforcement to assist immediately.
“We are deploying all resources to get her mother home safely. The prayers of our Nation are with her and her family,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. He added that he was “directing ALL Federal Law Enforcement to be at the family’s, and Local Law Enforcement’s, complete disposal, IMMEDIATELY.”
The FBI told The Independent that Patel is receiving updates from his team and will provide any and all support needed in the case.
“The Pima County Sheriff’s Department remains the lead in the investigation, and the FBI will continue to provide any and all support needed in the case,” the FBI said.
“Director Patel is receiving personal updates from his team. Potential travel to Tucson is unrelated to this investigation and had been previously discussed weeks prior, though plans may change and we don’t have any additional comment at this time.”
Two sources also told Axios that Patel is “devoting all resources possible to help” in the search for Nancy Guthrie, and is “prepared to go if the situation warrants.”
On Wednesday night, Savannah Guthrie and her siblings shared an emotional video, asking for proof their mother is still alive and pleading with a potential kidnapper to let her come home. Speaking directly to her mother, Savannah added: “We will not rest. Your children will not rest until we are together again.”
They acknowledged “reports about a ransom letter” after some media outlets, including TMZ and Tucson station KGUN, reported receiving alleged notes demanding millions of dollars in Bitcoin in exchange for Guthrie’s return. Law enforcement are analyzing the notes to determine whether they are authentic.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said investigators believe Guthrie was taken against her will. He called her home a crime scene after discovering what they called “suspicious circumstances,” including signs of forced entry.
It’s not the first time Patel has personally involved himself in high-profile investigations. When he traveled to Utah in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s shooting, he reportedly refused to get off the plane until someone brought him a medium-size FBI raid jacket. He ended up taking a female agent’s jacket, which sparked criticism on social media.
Patel also drew scrutiny last Halloween when he announced on social media that the FBI had thwarted a potential terrorist attack in Michigan.
“The FBI thwarted a potential terrorist attack,” Patel wrote in a 7:32 a.m. post.
However, no criminal charges had yet been filed, and police were unaware of key details. According to court documents and law enforcement officials, two associates of the alleged suspects in New Jersey and Washington state learned of the arrests through media coverage and sped up their plans to flee the country.
Deputies were back out in the neighborhood on Wednesday, conducting grid searches in nearby fields, and helicopters flew low scanning the ground. Federal agents were also observed entering the home of Guthrie’s daughter Annie, about 10 miles away.
“This is a follow-up investigation,” sheriff’s spokesperson Kevin Adger said, explaining why detectives returned to the home Wednesday after initially releasing the property to the family.
Earlier this week, DNA samples were collected, and while officials have not confirmed whether they were blood, NewsNation documented a visible blood trail leading to Guthrie’s front door.
Multiple media outlets, including TMZ and Tucson station KGUN, reported receiving alleged ransom notes demanding millions of dollars in Bitcoin in exchange for Guthrie’s return. Nanos said investigators are analyzing the notes to determine whether they are authentic.
“When the note comes to us, it’s like any piece of evidence,” Nanos told CBS News. “You give it to us, you give us a lead, we’re going to look at every aspect of that lead.”
In a video posted Wednesday evening, Savannah Guthrie and her siblings — sister Annie Guthrie and brother Camron Guthrie — acknowledged “reports about a ransom letter” and said they’re “ready to talk.”
“We are ready to talk. However, we live in a world where voices and images are easily manipulated,” Savannah Guthrie said. “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. Please reach out to us.”
Speaking directly to her mother, she added: “We will not rest. Your children will not rest until we are together again.”
Officials say Guthrie has limited mobility and serious health issues, including heart problems and a pacemaker, and does not have access to her medication.
As of early Thursday, there was no public sign of a response to the Guthrie family’s proof-of-life demand. As of Thursday, authorities said no suspect or person of interest had been identified.
Meanwhile, Savannah has stepped away from anchoring duties, and NBC Sports announced she will not cover the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics “as she focuses on being with her family during this difficult time.”
She described her mother as a “kind, faithful, loyal, fiercely loving woman of goodness and light,” adding, “Talk to her and you’ll see.”
A candlelight vigil was held Wednesday at St. Philip’s in the Hills Episcopal Church in Tucson, as the community prayed for Nancy’s safe return.
Additional rewards have been announced, including $25,000 from Victory Church in Albany, New York, and up to $2,500 for information leading to an arrest.
