Experts say Savannah Guthrie was not forced by authorities to share her emotional complaints about her mother, Nancy’s alleged kidnapper.
In the latest video shared on Sunday, the Today anchor implores Nancy’s alleged captors to “do the right thing” and bring her home as the investigation into the 84-year-old’s disappearance continues.
Tracy Walder, a former CIA officer and FBI special agent, told Page Six that Savannah, 54, was trying to present “a different angle” to her alleged kidnapper after multiple previous videos.
“I don’t think the FBI or the authorities are necessarily encouraging her or telling her what to do. Rather, I think she wants to post and is asking if she can post,” Walder said.
“These don’t seem to be responding to a specific ransom demand. Rather, let’s try a different angle to appeal to this (kidnapper),” the NewsNation contributor added.
In Sunday’s video, Savannah’s family says they are “holding out hope” that Nancy, who has not been seen since January 31, is still alive.
“I just wanted to say to anyone who owns her or knows where she is, it’s never too late,” Savannah said in the video. “And you’re never lost or alone. It’s never too late to do the right thing.”
Savannah’s latest plea comes after the FBI and local authorities discovered suspicious black gloves near Nancy’s home in Tucson, Arizona. The gloves matched the gloves worn by the suspect in surveillance footage from the night Nancy was apparently taken.
An FBI spokesperson confirmed to Fox News that the DNA on the glove was different from other DNA found at the scene.
Investigators are awaiting final test results before uploading the DNA profile to a national database to identify the individual, media outlets reported.
Walder told Page Six that he hopes investigators will “process the family tree DNA,” but that “that could take three to eight weeks.”
On Friday, it was reported that at least four people had been detained in connection with Nancy’s disappearance, raising hopes for new developments in the case.
However, all have since been released and no longer considered suspects in the case.
“I don’t consider Friday a ‘failure.’ Rather, the community is doing what they’re supposed to do and calling out any suspects they may see,” Walder said.
After Friday’s surgery, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos acknowledged that Nancy’s disappearance case had become “tough.”
“Maybe an hour from now, maybe weeks from now, months from now, years from now. But we’re not quitting. We’re going to find Nancy. We’re going to find this guy,” he told The New York Times.
The FBI said Nancy’s suspected kidnapper is an average-sized man, approximately 5-foot-9 to 5-foot-10 tall.
The reward for critical information leading to finding Nancy has also been increased to $100,000.
Savannah has made several videos, including one with her brother Camron and sister Annie calling for their mother’s return.
Officials told Page Six that Savannah will remain in Tucson from “today” until “the foreseeable future” during the search.
