Police were seen searching the septic tank behind Nancy Guthrie’s home Sunday as the frantic search for missing 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie continues.
Drone footage shows three police officers opening a manhole cover in the backyard of a house and sticking long sticks inside.
However, the police officers finished searching the septic tank empty-handed. No further information has been released about what exactly they were looking for.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Office said officers will be on hand at Nancy’s property at all times for security.
The investigation into Nancy’s disappearance has entered its eighth day, and things are getting tougher. On Saturday evening, a defeated Savannah made another emotional plea on social media to her mother’s alleged kidnappers, in which she also offered to pay a ransom.
ABC affiliate KGUN9 in Tucson reported that the would-be kidnappers demanded that the Guthrie family pay them $6 million in Bitcoin by a deadline of Monday, February 9th at 5pm (Montana).
“We received your message and we understand it,” the “Today” anchor said, along with his brother Camron and sister Annie.
“Please give us back our mother now so we can celebrate with her,” she added. “This is the only way we can achieve peace. This is something that is very valuable to us and we will pay the price for it.”
Tracy Walder, a former CIA employee and FBI special agent, told Page Six that she felt the message was “very contrived” and “scripted.”
“I feel like they’re using a lot of coded language there, ‘This is something of great value to us.’ ‘So that we can celebrate her (with).’ That’s not the usual word we would use to describe a situation like this,” Walder explained.
“Is this a corpse ransom? Are we paying to get a corpse back? Or are we paying to get a human back?” she continued. “Using words like ‘celebrate’ not only suggests a memorial service or funeral, but also suggests that she wants to have a party when she gets home.”
Nancy was last seen on January 31st, when Annie’s husband, Tommaso Cioni, dropped her off after dinner with the couple.
Authorities were reportedly seen searching Annie and Cioni’s Tucson home in the middle of the night on Saturday, taking photos in Montana until about 10:30 p.m.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Office told Page Six in a statement Sunday: “This remains an active and ongoing investigation. Detectives and investigators continue to follow up at multiple locations.”
“Details of the follow-up investigation are not being released at this time. Investigators have not identified any suspects, persons, or vehicles involved in this incident.”
Gayle King told Page Six that everyone in the broadcast community is rallying around Savannah.
“We’re competitors, but when it comes to stories like this, there are no barriers. We’re all pulling together, praying, and hoping this ends well,” the CBS Morning host exclusively told Page Six’s Desiree Murphy at Michael Rubin’s Fanatics Super Bowl Party in San Francisco on Saturday.
“It’s very disturbing. It’s a very strange incident and there are still many questions,” she added. “Let’s hope people do the right thing. Someone knows something and it’s time for that someone to speak out.”
