The ongoing mystery surrounding the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of Today show co-host Savannah Guthrie, has entered its third week. On Monday, President Trump voiced his concern, sending a stark message to the kidnappers: release Nancy unharmed or face the “most severe” federal penalties.
Nancy was reportedly taken from her home in the Tucson, Arizona, area during the early hours of Sunday, February 1. Although several ransom notes have surfaced in the media, none have led to her safe return or provided significant insights into the kidnappers’ identities. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has gained some traction in the case, recovering footage from a doorbell camera at Nancy’s house that offers the public its first look at a potential suspect in this troubling situation.
President Trump spoke with Savannah Guthrie the Wednesday after her mother’s disappearance and told her he was “deploying all resources to get her mother home safely.”
“I spoke with Savannah Guthrie, and let her know that I am directing ALL Federal Law Enforcement to be at the family’s, and Local Law Enforcement’s, complete disposal, IMMEDIATELY. We are deploying all resources to get her mother home safely. The prayers of our Nation are with her and her family. GOD BLESS AND PROTECT NANCY! PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Trump threatens kidnappers with death penalty if Nancy Guthrie isn’t returned alive in call with The Post https://t.co/aIDvvOeE5y
— Steven Nelson (@stevennelson10) February 16, 2026
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In remarks made on Monday, the president stated that the death penalty could be considered if and when those responsible for Nancy Guthrie’s death are caught.
In a brief phone interview, Trump said he would want the Justice Department to seek the death penalty if the 84-year-old mother of NBC “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie is killed.
The president said the abductors would face “very, very severe — the most severe” federal consequences if Nancy Guthrie is found dead after being abducted from her home outside Tucson on Feb. 1.
Asked if that meant the DOJ would request the death penalty, Trump answered: “The most, yeah — that’s true.”
Trump’s ominous message for the kidnappers comes one day after Savannah Guthrie put out a video on her Instagram telling those responsible, “it’s never too late to do the right thing.”
Savannah Guthrie tells mom Nancy's kidnapper 'it's never too late to do the right thing' https://t.co/sjvYGkrSgS pic.twitter.com/fHcEyhpQAy
— New York Post (@nypost) February 16, 2026
Last week, the FBI found DNA on a glove discovered near Nancy Guthrie’s house, marking what could be a the most significant development yet in the search. “An FBI spokesperson confirmed the agency received preliminary results on Saturday and is awaiting quality control and official confirmation before putting the unknown male profile into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), the bureau’s national DNA database. This process typically takes 24 hours from when the bureau receives DNA.”
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos, who is at the forefront of the search for Nancy Guthrie, mentioned to a news outlet that the motive behind the kidnapping could be “revenge,” likely directed at Savannah Guthrie.
“The motivation for it is where we get stuck, right? Is it for money? I mean, we had the one demand where they asked for money,” he said of notes that appear to have dried up despite failing to get the millions demanded in bitcoin.
“But is it really for money, or is it for revenge for something?” he asked.
Nanos is also hopeful that the door cam footage will blow the case wide open, saying, “I believe somebody out there can look at that video and go, ‘I know exactly who that is.'”
