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Donald Trump issues death penalty warning amid search for missing mom Nancy Guthrie
President Donald Trump has issued a stark warning in the ongoing search for Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of Today show host Savannah Guthrie, who was abducted from her home near Tucson, Arizona, on February 1.
As federal and local authorities continue their efforts to locate her, Trump has made clear that those responsible could face the harshest possible penalties if she is not returned alive.
The investigation remains active, with the FBI Phoenix office working alongside the Pima County Sheriff’s Department in hopes of finding Nancy alive.
The case has drawn national attention, with the president signaling that the federal government is prepared to pursue the strongest legal consequences available.
Trump signals death penalty could be pursued
In comments to the New York Post, Trump said that if Nancy Guthrie is discovered dead, her abductors would face "very, very severe — the most severe” federal consequences.
When asked directly whether that could mean the Department of Justice seeking the death penalty, he responded: "The most, yeah - that's true."
Although Trump has not frequently addressed the case in public, he recently disclosed that he had spoken directly with Savannah Guthrie and pledged full federal support in the search for her mother.
In a post on Truth Social earlier this month, he wrote: "I spoke with Savannah Guthrie, and let her know that I am directing 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. The prayers of our Nation are with her and her family. GOD BLESS AND PROTECT NANCY!"
Authorities clear family as investigation continues
As speculation surrounding the case has circulated, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has emphasized that investigators are not targeting members of the Guthrie family.
In a public statement, he said: "To be clear ... the Guthrie family - to include all siblings and spouses - has been cleared as possible suspects. The family has been nothing but cooperative and gracious and are victims in this case.
"To suggest otherwise is not only wrong, it is cruel. The Guthrie family are victims plain and simple."
Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance is being treated as a potential kidnapping. However, law enforcement officials have acknowledged that determining a clear motive has proven difficult.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Nanos described the baffling nature of the case: "This is somebody who's disappeared from the face of the earth, and now we have a camera that says here's the person who did this.
“And that's what makes me say this is a kidnapping. The motivation for it is where we get stuck, right? Is it for money? I mean, we had the one demand where they asked for money. But is it really for money, or is it for revenge for something?”