The search for Savannah Guthrie’s missing mother has taken a disturbing new turn, after investigators were filmed opening and searching a septic tank behind the elderly woman’s Arizona home.
Nancy Guthrie, 84, has now been missing for more than a week after she was allegedly abducted from her home in Tucson last weekend — a case that continues to deepen in mystery as authorities admit they have no suspects or persons of interest.
Officers from the Pima County Sheriff’s Department were seen returning to Nancy’s property on Sunday, where drone footage captured detectives lifting a manhole cover and examining the septic tank behind the house.
Three investigators were filmed lowering a long pole into the tank, though officials have not revealed what they were searching for — or whether anything of significance was found.
The unsettling development came just 24 hours after police were last seen at the home, where they removed a vehicle from the garage and retrieved a camera from the roof that appeared to have been missed during earlier searches.
As the investigation entered its second week, officers were also spotted returning to the home of Savannah’s sister, Annie, on Friday night. An unmarked vehicle arrived and remained at the property for around two hours, during which camera flashes were reportedly seen inside the garage and other areas of the house, according to Fox News Digital.
Annie and her husband, Tommaso Cioni, were the last known people to see Nancy before she vanished, after taking her out to dinner and dropping her home on January 31.
Authorities have not confirmed whether any members of the Guthrie family have been ruled out as suspects.
The renewed police activity comes amid a growing sense of desperation from Nancy’s children.
Just hours before officers returned to Annie’s home, Savannah and her siblings released an emotional video appeal addressed directly to their mother’s alleged abductors.
In the short but powerful clip, the heartbroken family pleaded for Nancy’s safe return, with Savannah — fighting back tears — saying they were “ready to talk” and willing to pay a ransom that has reportedly been demanded in exchange for their mother’s life.
“We received your message, and we understand,” Savannah said in the video.
“We beg you now to return our mother to us so that we can celebrate with her.
This is the only way we will have peace. This is very valuable to us — and we will pay.”
Multiple ransom notes have reportedly been sent to the family and local news outlets, though it remains unclear which message prompted the family’s public plea.
Former FBI agents who reviewed the video told the Daily Mail that the family’s willingness to negotiate suggests a significant shift behind the scenes.
“The fact they’re now engaging and negotiating means they believe there’s some credibility to the most recent ransom note,” one former agent explained.
“They’re no longer asking for proof of life — they’re speaking directly to the ransomer. That tells you something changed.”
Despite the dramatic developments, authorities stressed that the investigation remains ongoing.
In a statement posted on X on Sunday, the Sheriff’s Department said:
“Follow-up continues at multiple locations. No suspects, persons of interest, or vehicles have been identified.”
“If any significant developments occur, a press conference will be called.”
As the search intensifies — from rooftops to garages to underground tanks — the case surrounding Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance grows increasingly dark, leaving her family and the public anxiously awaiting answers.
