President Donald Trump said Monday that he would direct the Department of Justice to pursue the death penalty against those responsible for kidnapping Nancy Guthrie if the 84-year-old mother of “Today” show co-anchor Savannah Guthrie is found dead.
In a brief phone interview with the New York Post, Trump made clear that the consequences would be “very, very severe — the most severe” if the abductors harm her. When asked directly whether the Justice Department would seek capital punishment in the case, the president responded, “The most, yeah — that’s true.”
Guthrie was last seen on the night of Jan. 31 at her home outside Tucson, Arizona. She was reported missing the following day, and investigators believe she was taken against her will in what authorities are treating as a kidnapping.
The FBI is offering a reward of up to $100,000 for information leading to her location and/or the arrest and conviction of those involved. Surveillance images captured by Guthrie’s doorbell camera show a suspect described as a man standing between 5-foot-9 and 5-foot-10 with an average build. In footage released last week, the individual is seen wearing dark gloves, sweatpants, and a jacket, and carrying a black 25-liter Ozark Trail Hiker Pack backpack.
The case has drawn national attention, not only because of the victim’s age but also because of her daughter’s public profile. Savannah Guthrie has been a longtime journalist and co-anchor of NBC’s “Today” show.
President Trump personally reached out to Savannah Guthrie on Feb. 4 to offer support and underscore the federal government’s commitment to resolving the case. He later stated that he directed “ALL Federal Law Enforcement to be at the family’s, and Local Law Enforcement’s, complete disposal, IMMEDIATELY. We are deploying all resources to get her mother home safely.”
On Friday, Trump said he believes “progress has been made” in the investigation.
Savannah Guthrie released a video Sunday urging anyone with information to come forward, saying, “it is never too late to do the right thing, and we are here.”
As the investigation continues, federal and local authorities remain engaged in what the president has described as a full-scale effort to bring Nancy Guthrie home safely and hold those responsible accountable.
Needed IF done & found dead
But they may hide body & No 1 can find??