For the fifth consecutive day, investigators searching for Nancy Guthrie say they are operating under one central assumption: she is still alive.

“Right now, we believe Nancy is still out there,” the sheriff said during a Thursday news conference. “We want her home.”

The Pima County Sheriff’s Department, working jointly with the FBI and multiple regional law enforcement agencies, says teams have been working around the clock as pressure mounts and unanswered questions multiply.

Authorities acknowledge the reality is grim.

“I’m certainly fearful of the worst,” the sheriff admitted. “But until we know otherwise, we operate from the position that she is alive, and we will continue thinking that way until we find her.”

Nancy Guthrie, 84, vanished from her Tucson-area home late Saturday night. Investigators now believe that whoever took her may have been on the property for approximately forty-five minutes.

The disappearance has drawn national attention, in part because of her family and the increasingly disturbing details emerging from the investigation.

At the center of the case is a narrow but critical overnight window.

According to law enforcement, Nancy spent Saturday evening at a family gathering in Tucson. She arrived by Uber at approximately 5:30 p.m. After dinner, she was driven back to her home.

Data reviewed by investigators shows her garage door opening at approximately 9:48 p.m. and closing again at 9:50 p.m. Authorities believe this marks the moment she returned home for the night.

From there, the timeline goes dark.

At 1:47 a.m. Sunday morning, the home’s doorbell camera disconnected. Roughly twenty-five minutes later, at 2:12 a.m., camera software detected a person on the property.

There is no video footage.

The homeowner did not have an active subscription, meaning the system automatically overwrote itself.

“It just loops and covers itself,” the sheriff explained. “That’s what our analysis teams have told us. We’re not done with that, but that’s what we have right now.”

Investigators cannot confirm whether the detection was a human or an animal.

At 2:28 a.m., data from Nancy Guthrie’s pacemaker app shows a disconnection from her phone.

Authorities believe that between approximately 1:47 a.m. and 2:28 a.m., a suspect or suspects may have been inside the home.

Later Sunday morning, when Nancy failed to show up for church, family members went to check on her. At 11:56 a.m., she was discovered missing. A 911 call was placed at 12:03 p.m.

Patrol units arrived minutes later.

What they found raised immediate alarm.

Blood droplets were visible on the front porch.

The sheriff confirmed publicly that the blood belongs to Nancy Guthrie.

Additional DNA evidence has been sent to labs for analysis. Authorities would not specify what those items are or whether more blood was found inside the house or elsewhere on the property.

Investigators have pushed back against reports of forced entry.

“We are not discussing whether it was forced entry or not,” the sheriff said. “I don’t know where that information came from. We have been very consistent on that.”

Rumors that security cameras inside the home were shattered have also been denied.

As the investigation expanded, law enforcement returned to the home days later, reestablishing crime scene tape. Officials said the decision was made after federal partners joined the case and requested an opportunity to reexamine the scene.

The vehicle belonging to Nancy’s daughter, Annie, was seized as part of standard evidence processing, according to authorities.

Investigators also confirmed they spoke with the Uber driver who transported Nancy to her family’s home Saturday evening.

Despite widespread speculation, law enforcement insists there is no suspect.

“We have not identified a suspect or a person of interest,” the sheriff said. “We are just not there yet.”

That includes ruling anyone out.

At the same time, investigators acknowledged something unusual: alleged ransom communications.

Authorities confirmed they are aware of ransom letters sent to local and national media outlets, including TMZ. One of those letters reportedly demanded a large sum of money in Bitcoin and included multiple deadlines.

The FBI says one deadline referenced in the letter passed Thursday afternoon, though agents would not confirm the timing of a second deadline.

“It is uncommon in a kidnapping case to not have additional communication at this point,” an FBI agent said.

Officials declined to share details but acknowledged the letters referenced specific items, including an Apple Watch and flood lights.

Some of those details, investigators noted, had already been visible to media parked outside the home.

In a four-minute video posted overnight on social media, Savannah Guthrie and her siblings addressed whoever may be responsible.

They made a pointed request.

They want proof.

“We live in a world where voices and images can be manipulated,” Savannah said. “We need to know without a doubt that she is alive and that you have her.”

Investigators confirmed they did not script the family’s message.

In a troubling development, the FBI also revealed that one individual has already been arrested for allegedly sending a fake ransom note unrelated to the disappearance.

Authorities say the person attempted to exploit the family during a moment of extreme vulnerability.

They do not believe that individual is connected to Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance.

The FBI has announced a $50,000 reward for information leading to Nancy’s recovery or the arrest of those responsible.

Tips can be submitted by phone or online.

As the investigation grows, so does the number of agencies involved. Regional critical incident teams, state police, local departments, and federal agents are now working side by side.

“This is a large, complex investigation with a lot of moving parts,” the sheriff said. “We are following every lead. Every single one.”

As investigators worked to reconstruct the overnight timeline, new and unsettling information surfaced — information authorities say complicates an already fragile case.

For the first time publicly, law enforcement acknowledged the existence of alleged ransom communications sent not to the family directly, but to media organizations.

Officials confirmed that multiple outlets, including local Arizona stations and national platforms, received emails claiming to be ransom demands connected to Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance.

One of those communications, authorities said, included a deadline of 5:00 p.m. Thursday. The FBI declined to confirm whether the time referenced Mountain Time, but acknowledged the deadline had passed.

Investigators also confirmed there was at least one additional deadline mentioned in the alleged messages. That deadline has not been disclosed.

According to federal agents, the lack of direct communication with the family at this stage is highly unusual.

In most kidnapping cases, authorities expect repeated contact, escalating demands, or proof-of-life attempts within days.

None of that has occurred.

“This is not typical,” an FBI official said during the briefing.

The contents of the alleged ransom notes remain largely undisclosed, but investigators acknowledged that the messages demanded a significant payment in Bitcoin.

TMZ reported that the Bitcoin wallet address included in the email was a valid address, though law enforcement stressed that the existence of a valid address does not confirm the authenticity of the sender.

Authorities also confirmed that the letters referenced two specific items: an Apple Watch and exterior flood lights near the home.

Investigators cautioned that both details could have been observed from the street, where media crews have been stationed for days.

That distinction matters.

One of the central questions facing investigators is whether the information contained in the messages reflects insider knowledge — or publicly visible details that anyone could reference.

Complicating matters further, the FBI revealed that an individual has already been arrested for allegedly sending a fake ransom message unrelated to the disappearance.

Officials described the person as an impostor who attempted to exploit the family during a moment of extreme vulnerability.

Authorities emphasized that this individual is not believed to be connected to Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance.

The revelation underscores a troubling reality of high-profile missing person cases: misinformation spreads quickly, and bad actors often attempt to insert themselves into the narrative.

While investigators sift through genuine leads and false signals, concern for Nancy Guthrie’s health continues to intensify.

Authorities reiterated that she requires critical daily medication.

Earlier in the investigation, the sheriff warned that without that medication, her condition could become life-threatening within 24 hours.

That window has long passed.

Despite this, officials have not declared the case a homicide.

Instead, they continue to describe it as an active missing person investigation.

Behind the scenes, the scale of the response has grown dramatically.

The Pima County Sheriff’s Department has activated its regional critical incident team, drawing officers from multiple jurisdictions across southern Arizona.

Local police departments, county agencies, state authorities, and federal partners are now embedded together.

The FBI confirmed it has deployed agents, analysts, and specialists from its Phoenix office, as well as members of its Critical Incident Response Group from Quantico, Virginia.

Digital forensics teams are actively reviewing data from banks, phone providers, social media platforms, and other sources capable of capturing electronic footprints.

“We are sharing every piece of information we can,” the sheriff said. “Every lead is being followed.”

Officials acknowledged that some evidence has already been rushed through forensic analysis, including blood found on the porch.

That testing confirmed the blood belongs to Nancy Guthrie.

Other items remain under review.

Results, authorities cautioned, do not always arrive quickly or cleanly.

Some data generates new questions, requiring additional testing or secondary analysis.

That process, investigators said, explains delays in publicly releasing details.

As frustration grows in the community, authorities urged patience — and vigilance.

They asked anyone with information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, to come forward.

The FBI announced a $50,000 reward for information leading to Nancy Guthrie’s recovery or the arrest and conviction of those responsible.

Tips can be submitted by phone or through the FBI’s online reporting system.

At the close of the briefing, officials addressed the emotional toll of the case.

Law enforcement leaders offered condolences to colleagues lost in an unrelated helicopter crash in northern Arizona, underscoring the strain facing agencies involved.

They also acknowledged the visible pain of the Guthrie family.

“Our entire team and our community are hurting with you,” the sheriff said. “We just want mom back.”

Despite the fear hanging over the investigation, authorities insisted their posture remains unchanged.

Until evidence proves otherwise, they will continue searching under the assumption that Nancy Guthrie is alive.

As the investigation entered its fifth day, the focus shifted from physical evidence to communication—or the absence of it.

Law enforcement officials acknowledged that, by this point in a typical kidnapping case, there is usually direct contact between abductors and the family. Instructions are clarified. Proof-of-life demands are made or responded to. Negotiations begin.

In the case of Nancy Guthrie, that pattern never materialized.

Instead, investigators confirmed that the alleged ransom communications were sent to media organizations rather than directly to the family. Local outlets in Arizona received emails, followed by national media, including TMZ. Those communications demanded a large payment in Bitcoin and included multiple deadlines, one of which had already passed by the time authorities became aware of it.

The FBI confirmed that the Guthrie family did respond to one of the messages by posting a public video overnight on Savannah Guthrie’s social media accounts. In that video, Savannah appeared visibly shaken, seated beside her siblings Annie and Cameron.

They did not plead for money. They did not negotiate.

Instead, they issued a condition.

They asked for certainty.

“We need to know without a doubt that she is alive and that you have her,” Savannah said in the video. “We are ready to listen. Please reach out to us.”

Investigators later clarified that the FBI did not script or direct that message. It was the family’s decision.

The emphasis on certainty was deliberate.

Authorities acknowledged that they are operating in a landscape where audio, images, and video can be artificially generated. The family, they said, wanted proof that could not be fabricated.

At a subsequent press conference, federal agents confirmed that the alleged ransom messages referenced specific details, including an Apple Watch and exterior flood lights at Nancy Guthrie’s home. Both details had already appeared in media coverage, raising questions about whether the sender possessed inside knowledge or was simply repackaging publicly available information.

The FBI declined to confirm whether any images, recordings, or voice samples were included in the messages. They would not say whether any material provided appeared authentic or manipulated.

What they did confirm was unexpected.

An arrest had already been made.

Investigators announced that they had taken an individual into custody accused of sending a fake ransom demand unrelated to the communications received by TMZ and other outlets. Authorities described the suspect as an impostor who attempted to exploit the case for personal gain.

They emphasized that this individual is not believed to be connected to Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance.

The arrest underscored the scale of the challenge facing investigators. As the case drew national attention, tips poured in by the hundreds. Some were genuine. Others were opportunistic. All had to be evaluated.

At the same time, the medical clock continued to loom.

Sheriff’s officials reiterated that Nancy Guthrie requires specific daily medication. Earlier statements indicated that missing doses for more than twenty-four hours could be fatal. By the fifth day, that window had long passed.

Despite that, law enforcement maintained their official stance.

Until there is definitive evidence otherwise, Nancy Guthrie is considered alive.

That position, officials explained, is not optimism. It is protocol.

The FBI announced a $50,000 reward for information leading to the recovery of Nancy Guthrie or the arrest and conviction of those responsible for her disappearance. Tip lines remained open, with agents reviewing digital data from phone companies, financial institutions, social media platforms, and connected devices.

Behind the scenes, specialized teams from Quantico’s Critical Incident Response Group and cellular analysis units continued to work through electronic footprints minute by minute.

Publicly, authorities said little.

Privately, they acknowledged that this case was no longer following the rules.

And as pressure mounted, one unanswered question continued to hang over every briefing, every update, every appeal to the public.

If Nancy Guthrie was taken for ransom—why had no one truly asked for it?