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Chris Swecker, a former FBI Assistant Director, said the alleged kidnapping of Savannah Guthrie’s mother raises red flags, pointing to unauthenticated ransom messages and a jump in demands from $1 million to $6 million.
A former senior FBI official has questioned whether Savannah Guthrie’s missing mother, Nancy Guthrie, 84, is actually alive or being held by kidnappers, raising fresh doubts about the case as ransom demands continue to circulate.
Chris Swecker, a former FBI Assistant Director, said he was unconvinced by the claims made by individuals alleging they have abducted the Today show anchor’s mother.
“I’m very skeptical of this,” Swecker told Fox News on Sunday.
“Is this really a kidnapping? Does somebody really have her, and is she really alive?”
No proof of life provided
Swecker said that if the case involved a genuine kidnapping, providing proof of life would be straightforward — something he said has not happened so far.
“If this was a kidnapping, it would be a very simple matter to authenticate and provide proof of life,” he said, adding 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,” he added.
Family plea and ransom demand
The comments come after Savannah Guthrie and her two siblings publicly appealed on social media to the person or people claiming to have their mother, saying they were willing to pay the ransom being demanded — reportedly as much as $6 million.
Ransom amount raises red flags
Swecker also questioned the rapidly escalating ransom demands, calling them suspicious.
“Remember now, it was $1 million not too long ago. All of a sudden, it’s $6 million,” he said.
“I really think there’s a third party here that’s just playing with them — opportunists who think they can exploit this situation.”
Purported ransom notes surface
At least two alleged ransom messages have surfaced since Nancy Guthrie disappeared from her home in Tucson, Arizona. One note, sent to multiple media outlets about a week ago, outlined two deadlines — one on Thursday, which has already passed, and another on Monday, according to FBI officials.
Authorities have not publicly confirmed the authenticity of the messages as the investigation into Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance continues.
English (US) ·