On Thursday (February 12), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced that the reward for information regarding the kidnapping case of Nancy Guthrie, mother of NBC host Savannah Guthrie, has been increased from $50,000 to $100,000 in an effort to seek clues to locate the missing elderly woman. Additionally, the agency released new photos related to the case and described the physical characteristics of the suspect.
The FBI doubled the reward to $100,000 to gather information that could assist in finding 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie or be related to the suspect in a way that could lead to their arrest and conviction.
In a statement posted on the social media platform X, the FBI described the suspect as a male, standing between 5 feet 9 inches and 5 feet 10 inches (approximately 1.75 meters to 1.78 meters) tall, with a medium build. This description was made by the FBI after conducting “evidentiary analysis” of footage captured by the Guthrie family’s doorbell camera.
The agency also released new evidence, including a photo of the suspect’s backpack captured in surveillance footage.
The FBI stated that the backpack pictured is a black 25-liter capacity bag. According to the agency’s identification, it is a “Ozark Trail” brand hiking backpack.
Since the family reported Guthrie missing around noon on February 1, the FBI has received over 13,000 tips from the public.
Guthrie was last seen by her family around 9:45 p.m. on January 31 at her home in the northern part of Tucson, Arizona.
Guthrie’s three children – NBC “Today” show hosts Savannah Guthrie, her brother, and sister – have released multiple videos pleading with the kidnapper to return their mother and indicating a willingness to pay a ransom.
Investigators in the Guthrie disappearance case have also found other evidence, including multiple gloves. It is currently unclear whether authorities believe these gloves were worn by the person captured by the doorbell camera.