The search for missing 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie took another unsettling turn Sunday after police were seen checking a septic tank behind her home.
Drone footage captured three officers in the backyard opening a manhole cover and using a long pole to search inside the tank. It is not clear what they were looking for, but authorities appeared to be taking the possibility seriously as the case stretched into its eighth day.
Officers reportedly left the area without finding anything, and no additional details have been released about what prompted the search.
According to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, officers will continue to remain at Nancy’s property around the clock for security as the investigation continues.
Nancy’s disappearance has become increasingly grim, especially after her daughter, “Today” show anchor Savannah Guthrie, made another emotional appeal online over the weekend. On Saturday evening, Savannah posted a message directed at her mother’s alleged kidnappers, saying the family is willing to pay.
Tucson ABC affiliate KGUN9 reported that whoever is behind the situation demanded the Guthrie family pay $6 million in bitcoin, with a deadline of Monday, Feb. 9, at 5 p.m. MT.
In the video message, Savannah appeared alongside her brother, Camron, and sister, Annie, as they spoke directly to the people holding their mother. “We received your message, and we understand,” the “Today” anchor said.
“We beg you now to return our mother to us, so that we can celebrate with her,” she added. “This is the only way we will have peace. This is very valuable to us, and we will pay.”
The wording of the plea raised eyebrows among some experts, including former CIA officer and FBI special agent Tracy Walder. Walder told Page Six the statement came across as “very contrived” and “also scripted.”
“I feel like they use a lot of coded language in there: ‘This is very valuable to us.’ ‘So that we can celebrate [with] her.’ That’s not normal words we use to describe a situation like this,” Walder explained.
Walder also questioned what the demand might actually mean, raising a disturbing possibility. “Is this a ransom for a dead body? Are we paying to get a body or a human back?” she continued. “Using words like ‘celebrate’ infers memorial or funeral, but it also infers they want to have a party when she comes home.”
Nancy was last seen on Jan. 31, according to reports, after being dropped off at home following dinner. She was reportedly driven by Annie’s husband, Tommaso Cioni, after the meal with him and Annie.
As the investigation continues, authorities have been spotted searching multiple locations. On Saturday night, law enforcement was reportedly seen conducting a late-night search at Annie and Cioni’s home in Tucson, where they were reportedly taking photographs until around 10:30 p.m. MT.
In a statement to Page Six on Sunday, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department said, “This remains an active and ongoing investigation. Detectives and agents continue to conduct follow-up at multiple locations.
“Details of that follow-up are not being released at this time. Investigators have not identified any suspects, persons of interest, or vehicles connected to this case.”
Meanwhile, the story has shaken the broadcasting world. Gayle King spoke to Page Six and said people across the industry are rallying around Savannah during the nightmare situation.
“We’re a competition, but when it comes to a story like this, there are no barriers. Everybody is pulling, praying and hoping that this has a positive outcome,” the “CBS Mornings” host exclusively told Page Six’s Desiree Murphy at Michael Rubin’s Fanatics Super Bowl Party in San Francisco on Saturday.
“It’s very unsettling. It’s a very strange case, and there is still so many questions,” she added. “Let’s hope people do the right thing. Somebody knows something. Now is the time for that somebody to speak up.”