No suspects and a new reward: Family pleads for Nancy Guthrie’s return as search enters sixth day

Where things stand

• No suspects, new reward: There are still no suspects named as the search for Nancy Guthrie, mother of “Today” host Savannah Guthrie, enters a sixth day. The FBI, now working jointly with local authorities, announced a $50,000 reward for information leading to the recovery of the 84-year-old, who authorities believe was abducted from her home near Tucson, Arizona, over the weekend and is without critical medication.

• Son’s plea: Nancy Guthrie’s son issued a new appeal Thursday to possible captors to reach out, saying in a video “we want to hear from you.” A second deadline mentioned in purported ransom notes, which authorities have not verified, is on Monday, the FBI said.

• Clues emerging: Blood found on Nancy Guthrie’s porch belonged to her and a front door camera is missing, authorities said. A camera also detected motion around 2 a.m. Sunday, around the time her pacemaker last pinged her phone.

Lack of contact between captors and family is unusual, retired FBI agent says

From CNN's Zoe Sottile

Retired FBI Supervisory Special Agent speaks about Guthrie case

05:32

The fact that the person or people who purportedly abducted Nancy Guthrie haven’t made contact with her family – despite their pleas for direct contact – “is the most beguiling part” of the kidnapping case, according to James Gagliano, a retired FBI supervisory special agent who has worked on hostage negotiations.

“This one doesn’t make sense, the way the kidnappers are working,” he told CNN this morning. “It is head-scratchingly odd.”

The multiple deadlines mentioned in the ransom note are also unusual, according to Gagliano.

Authorities are working to determine the legitimacy of the ransom notes and whether they are connected to Guthrie’s disappearance.

Similarly, Andrew McCabe, former deputy director of the FBI, said on CNN this morning, “Every kidnapper knows that you cannot get the money, the ransom, unless you’ve provided proof of life.”

“So for this person, who sent these letters, to say, ‘we’ll never contact you, we won’t negotiate, you won’t ever get proof of life,’ to me, that undermines the credibility of the letters,” he explained.