A former senior FBI official is casting serious doubt on whether Savannah Guthrie’s 84-year-old mother, Nancy, is still alive — or even in the hands of kidnappers at all.
“I’m highly skeptical,” former FBI Assistant Director Chris Swecker said during an appearance on Fox News’ The Big Weekend Show on Sunday.
Former FBI Assistant Director Chris Swecker raised serious questions about whether Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance is truly a kidnapping during his appearance on The Big Weekend Show. Fox News
"Is this really a kidnapping? Does somebody really have her, and is she really alive?" he asked, casting doubt on the criminals claiming to be holding her.
The former FBI official shared his doubts after Savannah Guthrie and her two siblings turned to social media, pleading with whoever is believed to have their mother to bring her home — even as they signaled a willingness to pay the $6 million ransom being demanded.
“If this was a kidnapping, it would be a very simple matter to authenticate and provide proof of life,” Swecker said, noting that no evidence had been “credibly authenticated at this point.”
“You have to allow for the possibility that this was something more or something other than a kidnapping.”
Swecker also flagged the reported ransom demands, noting that the figure reportedly surged from $1 million to as much as $6 million in just a matter of days.
Savannah Guthrie pictured with her mother, Nancy Guthrie, in 2020. savannahguthrie/Instagram
A drone view of Nancy Guthrie’s home in Tucson, Arizona, following the disappearance of the 84-year-old mother of Savannah Guthrie, who vanished from the residence on Feb. 8, 2026. REUTERS
“Remember now, it was 1 million not too long ago. All of a sudden, it’s 6 million,” Swecker told the outlet.
“I really think there’s a third party here that’s just playing with them, opportunists who think they can exploit this situation.”
At least two alleged ransom messages have emerged since the Today show anchor’s ailing mother vanished from her home in Tucson.
The first alleged ransom note, sent to multiple media outlets a week ago, set two deadlines — one on Thursday, which has passed, and a second on Monday, according to FBI officials.
