Arizona Sheriff Says He Believes ‘Today’ Show Host Savannah Guthrie’s Mother Still Alive

As the search for the mother of “Today” show anchor Savannah Guthrie’s mother entered its sixth day on Friday, an Arizona sheriff said that authorities believe the woman is still alive.

“She’s out there, we’re gonna find her, we have to,” said Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos in an interview with ABC’s “Good Morning America” show aired on Friday, without providing more details.

The sheriff added at the end of the interview that people should “just pray” and said that “sometimes I don’t have a choice” but to pray.

Nanos also suggested during the ABC program that due to the rural location, it’s difficult for investigators to find relevant leads. Providing an example, he noted that house or doorbell cameras may only catch part of a passing by vehicle, making it more difficult to identify suspicious vehicles or persons of interest.

Officials believe the 84-year-old woman was taken against her will from her home in Tucson over the weekend. On Monday, the sheriff said that there was a “crime scene” at Guthrie’s home and added that she has mobility problems as well as health issues.

During a news conference on Thursday, Nanos and the FBI provided an update on the investigation of the missing woman, detailing alleged ransom notes that were sent in connection to the case. One of the notes contained information about items inside the woman’s house and also included a deadline of 5 p.m. Thursday and another deadline set for Monday, said FBI Special Agent in Charge Heith Janke.

Earlier in the week, two local Arizona stations and entertainment news website TMZ said they had received the ransom notes before passing them on to law enforcement. The FBI is taking the notes seriously, and there was an arrest made after an impostor sent a ransom demand, Janke said.

Authorities say any decision on whether to fulfill ransom demands is ultimately up to the family.

The FBI is now offering a $50,000 reward for anyone who can provide information about Nancy Guthrie’s whereabouts or information leading to the arrest and conviction of a suspect involved in the case, said Janke. No suspects or persons of interest have been identified so far, officials said.

Authorities also confirmed that blood found at the home of Nancy Guthrie was identified as belonging to the woman, Nanos said Thursday. Her pacemaker had disconnected from a personal monitoring device at around 2 a.m. on Sunday, and her doorbell camera was disconnected on the night she went missing, he added.

Later on Thursday, Savannah Guthrie’s brother, Camron Guthrie, released a video asking whoever may be holding their mother to contact the family. As of Friday afternoon, there was no public indication suggesting that anyone has reached out to them or law enforcement.

“Whoever is out there holding our mother, we want to hear from you. We haven’t heard anything directly,” he said. “We need you to reach out, and we need a way to communicate with you so we can move forward. But first, we have to know that you have our mom. We want to talk to you, and we are waiting for contact.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.