Niamh Shackleton
Police have confirmed that they're investigating reports about apparent ransom notes relating to Nancy Guthrie's whereabouts.
Nancy, who is the mother of well-known TV host Savannah Guthrie, vanished from her Catalina Foothills home, Arizona, on January 31.
There are fears that the 84-year-old has been kidnapped. With this in mind, Nancy's home is being treated as an active crime scene.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department said in a press conference on February 2: "At this point, investigators believe she was taken from the home against her will, possibly in the middle of the night. Taken against her will includes possible kidnapping or abduction."
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It's also said that there were signs of forced entry into Nancy's home, KOLD-TV reports.
Adding to the speculation that Nancy was possibly adducted are reports of there being ransom notes.
TMZ reportedly received one of the notes yesterday (February 3) that demanded a large sum of Bitcoin to be sent to a specific Bitcoin address for Nancy to be released.
Police have now confirmed they are looking into the alleged ransom notes but have not yet confirmed if they're legitimate or not.
"We are aware of reports circulating about possible ransom note(s) regarding the investigation into Nancy Guthrie. We are taking all tips and leads very seriously," the sheriff's department said in a statement.
It added: "Anything that comes in, goes directly to our detectives who are coordinating with the FBI."
The department proceeded to share a QR code that people can use to share information or tips with law enforcement that may help them locate Nancy.
TODAY star Savannah has addressed her mom's disappearance online and asked for people's prayers.
"We believe in prayer. We believe in voices raised in unison, in love, in hope. We believe in goodness. We believe in humanity. above all, we believe in Him," she said on Instagram.
"Thank you for lifting your prayers with ours for our beloved mom, our dearest Nancy, a woman of deep conviction, a good and faithful servant. raise your prayers with us and believe with us that she will be lifted by them in this very moment."
She concluded her statement with: "Bring her home."
The likes of Josh Gad, Amy Schumer, Gwen Stefani, and Jason Kennedy all shared their thoughts with Savannah in the comments section.
Frozen star Gad said: "You have nothing but prayers in this household. I am so truly sorry that this is happening," while Stefani replied with a prayer-hands emoji.