Daijiworld Media Network - Tucson

Tucson, Feb 16: US television anchor Savannah Guthrie has issued an emotional appeal for the safe return of her 84-year-old mother, Nancy Guthrie, who has been missing for two weeks.

In a new video message, Guthrie addressed “whoever has her, or knows where she is,” saying her family still holds out hope and urging those involved that “it is never too late to do the right thing.”

Investigators believe Nancy Guthrie was kidnapped in the early hours of February 1 from her home in Tucson, Arizona. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said a suspect seen in doorbell camera footage appears to have abducted her.

Authorities recently recovered a glove from a field about two miles from Guthrie’s home that appears to match one worn by the suspect in the surveillance video. Around 16 gloves were collected from various locations near her home, though most were discarded by search volunteers.

“The one with the DNA profile recovered is different and appears to match the gloves of the subject in the surveillance video,” the FBI said. Preliminary DNA results have been obtained, and officials are awaiting quality control and official confirmation before entering what they described as an “unknown male profile” into the database.

Earlier footage released by investigators shows a masked man wearing gloves and a backpack approaching Guthrie’s front door camera. The suspect is seen attempting to cover the lens with his gloved hand and using yard brush to block the view.

Following forensic analysis, the FBI said the suspect is believed to be between 5 ft 9 in and 5 ft 10 in tall (175–177 cm) with an average build. The backpack seen in the video was identified as a 25-litre Ozark Trail Hiker Pack.

The Pima County Sheriff's Department said the suspect description remains a key focus, but investigators are not ruling out other possibilities.

Nancy Guthrie was last seen on January 31 after being dropped home by a family member following a gathering at her daughter Annie’s house. Members of her church noticed her absence the following day and alerted the family.

Since her disappearance, the FBI and local authorities have carried out an extensive search involving helicopters, sniffer dogs and hundreds of officers, while processing thousands of public tips. Officials have warned she may be in serious health danger without her medication. Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said she was not in good physical health, though she had no known cognitive issues.

On Friday, investigators executed a search warrant at a residence two miles from her home, but no arrests have been made. Authorities also confirmed that DNA found at Guthrie’s residence did not match her or anyone close to her.

The FBI has increased the reward for information leading to her recovery from $50,000 to $100,000 as the search continues.