A former top FBI official is questioning whether Savannah Guthrie’s missing mother, Nancy, is actually alive or being held by kidnappers, as new ransom claims continue to surface.
Chris Swecker, a former FBI assistant director, said he remains doubtful about the alleged abduction during an appearance on Fox News’ The Big Weekend Show on Sunday. He pointed to the lack of verified proof that the 84-year-old is alive, saying that in a legitimate kidnapping, providing “proof of life” would usually be straightforward.
“You have to allow for the possibility that this was something more or something other than a kidnapping,” Swecker said, adding that no evidence has been “credibly authenticated at this point.”
His comments come after Guthrie and her two siblings posted emotional pleas on social media, asking whoever has their mother to bring her home safely. The family has reportedly agreed to meet ransom demands that climbed from $1 million to as much as $6 million — a sharp increase that Swecker described as suspicious.
“I really think there’s a third party here that’s just playing with them,” he said, suggesting opportunists could be exploiting the high-profile case.
At least two alleged ransom messages have surfaced since Nancy vanished from her Tucson home. One note, sent to several media outlets, outlined two deadlines — the first already passed, and a second set for Monday, according to FBI officials.
Authorities have not confirmed the authenticity of the messages, and the investigation into Nancy’s disappearance remains ongoing. Savannah Guthrie’s mother, Nancy Guthrie, was reported missing on Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026 — hours after she failed to show up for church following a dinner the night before. Authorities believe she disappeared sometime overnight between Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 from her Tucson-area home.
Nancy was last seen after returning home from dinner with her daughter Annie the night before she was reported missing. When investigators searched the home, they found signs of a disturbance, including blood that was later confirmed to be Nancy’s and a missing doorbell camera, raising fears that she may have been taken against her will.
