1 00:00:00,520 --> 00:00:03,760 Speaker 1: Already, and this is the Daily Oh, this is the. 2 00:00:03,800 --> 00:00:15,400 Speaker 2: Daily ohs oh, now it makes sense. Good morning, and 3 00:00:15,440 --> 00:00:18,440 Speaker 2: welcome to the Daily OS. It's Monday, the ninth of February. 4 00:00:18,600 --> 00:00:19,760 Speaker 2: I'm Billy FitzSimons. 5 00:00:20,000 --> 00:00:21,680 Speaker 3: I'm Zara Zeidler, the. 6 00:00:21,600 --> 00:00:25,680 Speaker 2: Mother of a prominent American news anchor was allegedly kidnapped 7 00:00:25,720 --> 00:00:29,480 Speaker 2: a week ago. NBC Today Savannah Guthrie posted a video 8 00:00:29,640 --> 00:00:32,400 Speaker 2: over the weekend saying her family is prepared to pay 9 00:00:32,400 --> 00:00:35,040 Speaker 2: a ransom to bring her eighty four year old mother 10 00:00:35,200 --> 00:00:38,360 Speaker 2: home safely. But now more than a week since the 11 00:00:38,400 --> 00:00:43,840 Speaker 2: alleged abduction, authorities still don't have a suspect in the case. Today, 12 00:00:44,000 --> 00:00:46,000 Speaker 2: we are going to explain what we know about the 13 00:00:46,040 --> 00:00:49,479 Speaker 2: disappearance and what investigators have found so far. 14 00:00:53,520 --> 00:00:55,840 Speaker 3: Billy, this is one of those stories that at first 15 00:00:56,000 --> 00:00:58,720 Speaker 3: was simmering, and we weren't sure whether this was something 16 00:00:58,760 --> 00:01:01,120 Speaker 3: we were going to report on because you know, it's 17 00:01:01,160 --> 00:01:04,720 Speaker 3: a US journalist. It's over there, it's not here. But 18 00:01:04,800 --> 00:01:07,080 Speaker 3: as the days have gone on, this story has just 19 00:01:07,160 --> 00:01:08,840 Speaker 3: taken on a life of its own and it has 20 00:01:08,880 --> 00:01:12,000 Speaker 3: become a really really big one in the new cycle. 21 00:01:12,040 --> 00:01:15,120 Speaker 3: So I think it's worth talking through and explaining, but 22 00:01:15,160 --> 00:01:18,480 Speaker 3: I guess in the first instance, just explaining who Savannah 23 00:01:18,520 --> 00:01:22,640 Speaker 3: Guthrie is feels important because as journalists we're familiar with her, 24 00:01:22,840 --> 00:01:25,240 Speaker 3: but for lots of our listeners they might not actually 25 00:01:25,240 --> 00:01:26,039 Speaker 3: know her before this. 26 00:01:26,319 --> 00:01:30,080 Speaker 2: Yes, so Savannah Guthrie is a longtime morning show host 27 00:01:30,200 --> 00:01:31,960 Speaker 2: in the US. So if you think of the Today 28 00:01:32,040 --> 00:01:35,399 Speaker 2: Show or Sunrise here in Australia, she has hosted a 29 00:01:35,400 --> 00:01:38,240 Speaker 2: show like that It's Actually Cool Today there as well, 30 00:01:38,600 --> 00:01:42,160 Speaker 2: and she's hosted that since twenty eleven, so people in 31 00:01:42,200 --> 00:01:45,039 Speaker 2: America are very familiar with her. If you think of 32 00:01:45,120 --> 00:01:48,000 Speaker 2: kind of a nap bar here who currently hosts Sunrise, 33 00:01:48,040 --> 00:01:51,480 Speaker 2: she's like that. Now. One thing I didn't know before 34 00:01:51,520 --> 00:01:55,480 Speaker 2: researching this is that Savannah Guthrie was actually born in Melbourne, Australia, 35 00:01:55,520 --> 00:01:57,160 Speaker 2: so there is a bit of a local link here. 36 00:01:57,200 --> 00:01:58,080 Speaker 3: I did see that. 37 00:01:58,480 --> 00:02:01,680 Speaker 2: Yeah, and she was two she moved to the US, 38 00:02:01,720 --> 00:02:04,000 Speaker 2: so she wasn't here for long, but she was born 39 00:02:04,120 --> 00:02:07,840 Speaker 2: in Melbourne. And another thing to mention is that Morning Wars, 40 00:02:07,920 --> 00:02:10,800 Speaker 2: which is the very popular show on Apple TV featuring 41 00:02:11,080 --> 00:02:15,760 Speaker 2: Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon, is kind of based on her. 42 00:02:16,080 --> 00:02:18,320 Speaker 2: So in twenty seventeen, during the height of the Me 43 00:02:18,440 --> 00:02:22,320 Speaker 2: Too movement, her co host Matt Lauer was accused of 44 00:02:22,320 --> 00:02:27,640 Speaker 2: sexual assault by their fellow colleagues, and she announced literally 45 00:02:27,760 --> 00:02:31,280 Speaker 2: moments after she found out about those allegations live on air, 46 00:02:31,400 --> 00:02:34,840 Speaker 2: that he had been dismissed from the show entirely. I 47 00:02:34,919 --> 00:02:38,040 Speaker 2: remember that day so clearly because it was such a 48 00:02:38,080 --> 00:02:42,600 Speaker 2: big moment of the me Too movement. And yes, some 49 00:02:42,639 --> 00:02:45,760 Speaker 2: people might think that that storyline sounds familiar because it's 50 00:02:45,800 --> 00:02:48,959 Speaker 2: literally the first episode of Morning Wars season one. 51 00:02:49,120 --> 00:02:52,080 Speaker 3: Yes it is, and it was such a pivotal time 52 00:02:52,440 --> 00:02:56,320 Speaker 3: for the media, but of course also then across industries, 53 00:02:56,840 --> 00:03:00,960 Speaker 3: and she, Savannah Guthrie, became almost the face that through 54 00:03:01,040 --> 00:03:04,120 Speaker 3: this video of her announcing that her co host was leaving, 55 00:03:04,200 --> 00:03:04,440 Speaker 3: and you. 56 00:03:04,440 --> 00:03:07,639 Speaker 2: Can literally see the shock on her face as she 57 00:03:07,919 --> 00:03:10,520 Speaker 2: is announcing to the world this huge news that she 58 00:03:10,840 --> 00:03:13,160 Speaker 2: just found out about someone that she had worked with 59 00:03:13,200 --> 00:03:16,160 Speaker 2: so closely, literally minutes ago. But moving on from that, 60 00:03:16,200 --> 00:03:18,040 Speaker 2: because that's not why we're talking about it today. 61 00:03:18,360 --> 00:03:21,840 Speaker 3: No, So we're talking about her today because, as you said, 62 00:03:21,880 --> 00:03:25,559 Speaker 3: just over a week ago, her mother was allegedly abducted. 63 00:03:26,160 --> 00:03:29,639 Speaker 3: Take us through what happened, because the language about abduction 64 00:03:30,000 --> 00:03:34,560 Speaker 3: only really started being used the last few days because 65 00:03:34,600 --> 00:03:36,360 Speaker 3: before that her mother had just gone missing. 66 00:03:36,480 --> 00:03:39,400 Speaker 2: Right yeah, Now, authorities are definitely saying that this is 67 00:03:39,480 --> 00:03:43,040 Speaker 2: an alleged abduction. So her mother's name is Nancy Gustrie. 68 00:03:43,160 --> 00:03:45,240 Speaker 2: She's eighty four years old. There's actually a lot of 69 00:03:45,240 --> 00:03:48,520 Speaker 2: footage of her appearing on today at different moments with 70 00:03:48,680 --> 00:03:51,720 Speaker 2: her daughter Savannah. Now, she was last seen at her 71 00:03:51,920 --> 00:03:55,400 Speaker 2: home at Tucson in the US state of Arizona on 72 00:03:55,520 --> 00:03:59,040 Speaker 2: the evening of Saturday, the thirty first of January, so 73 00:03:59,280 --> 00:04:03,480 Speaker 2: this is over a week ago now. According to authorities, 74 00:04:03,720 --> 00:04:06,320 Speaker 2: Nancy had been dropped off at her home by her 75 00:04:06,360 --> 00:04:09,720 Speaker 2: son in law at about nine fifty pm that Saturday 76 00:04:09,800 --> 00:04:13,480 Speaker 2: night after having dinner with her family. 77 00:04:13,480 --> 00:04:16,360 Speaker 3: And that was the last time they saw her. 78 00:04:16,279 --> 00:04:19,760 Speaker 2: Right yes, Okay, So what we now know is that 79 00:04:19,960 --> 00:04:23,279 Speaker 2: at about quarter to two a camera at her front 80 00:04:23,320 --> 00:04:26,919 Speaker 2: door was disconnected. This is at Nancy's homes about his 81 00:04:27,000 --> 00:04:31,400 Speaker 2: mother's home. Then just after two am, another camera somewhere 82 00:04:31,440 --> 00:04:36,240 Speaker 2: on the property detected motion, but it didn't record any video, 83 00:04:36,320 --> 00:04:39,440 Speaker 2: so we don't have any footage of that movement that 84 00:04:39,640 --> 00:04:42,800 Speaker 2: was detected. The next thing we know is that at 85 00:04:42,839 --> 00:04:48,200 Speaker 2: about two thirty am, Nancy's heart monitor was disconnected. Then 86 00:04:48,240 --> 00:04:51,800 Speaker 2: the following morning, Nancy didn't show up to church. She 87 00:04:51,960 --> 00:04:55,400 Speaker 2: was a devoted Christian and so that raised alarm bells 88 00:04:55,560 --> 00:04:59,440 Speaker 2: for those who attended church regularly with her. They spoke 89 00:04:59,440 --> 00:05:02,120 Speaker 2: to her family and the family members went to check 90 00:05:02,120 --> 00:05:04,800 Speaker 2: on her, and she wasn't at the home. She was 91 00:05:04,839 --> 00:05:07,120 Speaker 2: nowhere to be found. Her phone was there, her daily 92 00:05:07,160 --> 00:05:10,880 Speaker 2: medication that she requires to live was still there. Everything 93 00:05:11,240 --> 00:05:15,040 Speaker 2: was still at the house, and when police examined the property, 94 00:05:15,400 --> 00:05:18,279 Speaker 2: they found blood on the front porch of her home, 95 00:05:18,440 --> 00:05:21,479 Speaker 2: which was later confirmed to belong to Nancy. 96 00:05:22,040 --> 00:05:24,960 Speaker 3: Billy, I want to understand what police have said about this. 97 00:05:25,120 --> 00:05:26,919 Speaker 3: We're just going to take a really short break to 98 00:05:26,960 --> 00:05:32,599 Speaker 3: hear from today's sponsor. Okay, So, Billy, you just walked 99 00:05:32,640 --> 00:05:36,000 Speaker 3: us through the events that led up to this alleged abduction, 100 00:05:36,400 --> 00:05:40,039 Speaker 3: and now police believe she was kidnapped, right. 101 00:05:40,000 --> 00:05:42,839 Speaker 2: Yeah, And they are saying that this is even more 102 00:05:42,920 --> 00:05:45,440 Speaker 2: concerning because of her health conditions. So, like I said, 103 00:05:45,440 --> 00:05:48,560 Speaker 2: she's an eighty four year old woman. She has existing 104 00:05:48,600 --> 00:05:51,560 Speaker 2: health conditions, and she needs to take her daily medication 105 00:05:51,800 --> 00:05:55,000 Speaker 2: to survive. At this stage, they believe that she doesn't 106 00:05:55,040 --> 00:05:58,159 Speaker 2: have the medication with her, and so that could mean 107 00:05:58,240 --> 00:06:00,360 Speaker 2: that she has already died. 108 00:06:00,800 --> 00:06:04,200 Speaker 3: Yeah, and that's certainly some of the messaging that we've heard, 109 00:06:04,600 --> 00:06:08,880 Speaker 3: not just from police, but now also from Nancy Guthrie's children, 110 00:06:08,960 --> 00:06:11,960 Speaker 3: Savannah Guthrie being of course one of them. I think 111 00:06:12,000 --> 00:06:16,080 Speaker 3: what's been so interesting about this story is the way 112 00:06:16,160 --> 00:06:19,960 Speaker 3: that her very public facing daughter has used her own 113 00:06:19,960 --> 00:06:25,080 Speaker 3: platform to appeal to people around this alleged kidnapping. What 114 00:06:25,160 --> 00:06:27,440 Speaker 3: have we heard from Savannah and her siblings so far? 115 00:06:27,760 --> 00:06:31,279 Speaker 2: Yeah, these videos are incredibly eerie to watch. There have 116 00:06:31,360 --> 00:06:34,120 Speaker 2: now been three of those videos, and they look like 117 00:06:34,160 --> 00:06:37,320 Speaker 2: they're straight out of a horror film. Savannah is on 118 00:06:37,360 --> 00:06:40,200 Speaker 2: her couch with her family, and she's speaking to the 119 00:06:40,240 --> 00:06:42,360 Speaker 2: public in some parts, but there are also parts where 120 00:06:42,360 --> 00:06:45,680 Speaker 2: she's talking directly to the alleged kidnappers. 121 00:06:45,720 --> 00:06:49,040 Speaker 3: And I think what makes this unique is that whenever 122 00:06:49,080 --> 00:06:51,760 Speaker 3: we've seen Savannah Guthrie, it's been in a very polished, 123 00:06:51,880 --> 00:06:55,280 Speaker 3: you know, like she's on commercial television each and every morning, 124 00:06:55,720 --> 00:06:59,039 Speaker 3: and she is one of the most public figures on 125 00:06:59,360 --> 00:07:03,039 Speaker 3: you know, morning television. Certainly there's a TV show that's 126 00:07:03,040 --> 00:07:05,280 Speaker 3: potentially modeled off her and so I think seeing her 127 00:07:05,320 --> 00:07:08,159 Speaker 3: in this sort of setting is so stark and so different. 128 00:07:08,400 --> 00:07:11,640 Speaker 2: Yeah, and it's not often that the journalist who is 129 00:07:12,040 --> 00:07:16,720 Speaker 2: usually reporting on the news then becomes so The first 130 00:07:16,800 --> 00:07:20,040 Speaker 2: video that she posted was a few days after the 131 00:07:20,080 --> 00:07:25,040 Speaker 2: alleged kidnapping and Savannah is thanking people for sending their prayers, 132 00:07:25,320 --> 00:07:27,400 Speaker 2: and then she also sends a message in the video 133 00:07:27,480 --> 00:07:31,520 Speaker 2: directly to the alleged abductors, saying, we are ready to talk. 134 00:07:32,000 --> 00:07:35,080 Speaker 1: We two have heard the reports about a ransom letter 135 00:07:35,160 --> 00:07:38,760 Speaker 1: in the media. We are ready to talk. We need 136 00:07:38,800 --> 00:07:43,240 Speaker 1: to know without a doubt that she is alive and 137 00:07:43,320 --> 00:07:46,040 Speaker 1: that you have her. We want to hear from you 138 00:07:46,640 --> 00:07:50,640 Speaker 1: and we are ready to listen. Please reach out to us. 139 00:07:51,200 --> 00:07:53,320 Speaker 2: So that was the first video. There was then another 140 00:07:53,440 --> 00:07:56,800 Speaker 2: video of Savannah's brother again talking directly to the abductors 141 00:07:56,800 --> 00:07:58,440 Speaker 2: and saying we haven't heard from you yet, can you 142 00:07:58,480 --> 00:08:01,200 Speaker 2: please reach out to us. And then over the weekend 143 00:08:01,320 --> 00:08:05,760 Speaker 2: another video was uploaded where Savannah told the alleged abductors 144 00:08:05,800 --> 00:08:08,600 Speaker 2: that she had received their message. So there we are 145 00:08:08,640 --> 00:08:13,000 Speaker 2: presuming that there has been now some communication between them, 146 00:08:13,440 --> 00:08:16,960 Speaker 2: and Savannah says in that video, we will pay for 147 00:08:17,040 --> 00:08:18,920 Speaker 2: the return of our mother. 148 00:08:19,320 --> 00:08:23,440 Speaker 1: We received your message and we understand this is very 149 00:08:23,520 --> 00:08:26,280 Speaker 1: valuable to us and we will pay. 150 00:08:26,920 --> 00:08:29,760 Speaker 3: So we still don't know anything about the suspects at 151 00:08:29,800 --> 00:08:32,640 Speaker 3: this stage, but we do know that they have sent 152 00:08:32,920 --> 00:08:33,920 Speaker 3: ransom letters. 153 00:08:34,320 --> 00:08:37,560 Speaker 2: What's confusing about this is that we know that media 154 00:08:37,600 --> 00:08:42,640 Speaker 2: publications have definitely received ransom letters. What we don't know 155 00:08:43,320 --> 00:08:46,200 Speaker 2: is how real they are. We know that at least 156 00:08:46,280 --> 00:08:49,280 Speaker 2: one was definitely fake, and someone has been charged in 157 00:08:49,360 --> 00:08:53,120 Speaker 2: relation to a fake ransom letter. We know that other 158 00:08:53,160 --> 00:08:57,080 Speaker 2: publications have been sent some other ones, but we don't 159 00:08:57,120 --> 00:08:58,880 Speaker 2: for sure know that any are real. 160 00:08:59,360 --> 00:09:03,120 Speaker 3: And I mean, that's the really unique part of this 161 00:09:03,200 --> 00:09:06,560 Speaker 3: is that Savannah is such a public figure and the 162 00:09:06,640 --> 00:09:09,440 Speaker 3: media can be a tool in this case or it 163 00:09:09,480 --> 00:09:13,280 Speaker 3: can really impede on whatever is happening. It's such a 164 00:09:13,360 --> 00:09:14,000 Speaker 3: unique case. 165 00:09:14,080 --> 00:09:17,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, there is one that possibly seems to be the 166 00:09:17,480 --> 00:09:19,440 Speaker 2: most real, or at least from what I could see, 167 00:09:19,559 --> 00:09:22,520 Speaker 2: is being spoken about by authorities as potentially the most 168 00:09:22,520 --> 00:09:28,880 Speaker 2: real one. So, a Tuxan television station called KOLD received 169 00:09:28,920 --> 00:09:32,120 Speaker 2: a ransom note, and we have no details of what 170 00:09:32,440 --> 00:09:36,679 Speaker 2: was in that specific note or what the alleged abductors 171 00:09:36,720 --> 00:09:40,240 Speaker 2: are asking for. We also don't even know again if 172 00:09:40,280 --> 00:09:42,520 Speaker 2: the letters are real or if Nancy is even alive, 173 00:09:43,040 --> 00:09:46,760 Speaker 2: but we do know that this specific one had two deadlines. 174 00:09:47,040 --> 00:09:49,680 Speaker 2: It had one for Thursday and one for Monday, so 175 00:09:49,760 --> 00:09:52,280 Speaker 2: one for yesterday, although remember that the days are in 176 00:09:52,400 --> 00:09:55,080 Speaker 2: US time, so it's a little bit different. But by 177 00:09:55,160 --> 00:09:59,280 Speaker 2: now those deadlines have come and gone. We don't know 178 00:09:59,320 --> 00:10:02,520 Speaker 2: what happened now that they've come and gone. It's all 179 00:10:02,679 --> 00:10:06,920 Speaker 2: very murky because authorities are hesitant to share any of 180 00:10:06,960 --> 00:10:11,840 Speaker 2: the details publicly about the specific details in those notes. 181 00:10:12,320 --> 00:10:14,839 Speaker 3: And just quickly before we end Billy, there have been 182 00:10:15,920 --> 00:10:20,440 Speaker 3: some reports I've certainly seen online that the sister and 183 00:10:20,640 --> 00:10:23,240 Speaker 3: her husband could be involved. Have you seen that? 184 00:10:23,520 --> 00:10:26,600 Speaker 2: Yeah, this was a theory that I only saw yesterday, 185 00:10:26,760 --> 00:10:32,320 Speaker 2: and it was after Savannah's sister's home was searched by police. 186 00:10:32,720 --> 00:10:36,760 Speaker 2: But certainly, at this stage, police have not identified any suspects. 187 00:10:37,000 --> 00:10:40,480 Speaker 2: They have not said that Savanna's sister or Savannah's brother 188 00:10:40,559 --> 00:10:43,000 Speaker 2: in law is a suspect in this case, or are 189 00:10:43,040 --> 00:10:47,640 Speaker 2: even being investigated. We just know that their home was searched. 190 00:10:47,960 --> 00:10:50,560 Speaker 2: We also know that the brother in law was the 191 00:10:50,800 --> 00:10:55,080 Speaker 2: last person to see her alive, but authorities have not 192 00:10:55,120 --> 00:10:57,200 Speaker 2: said that they are involved in any case. We just 193 00:10:57,240 --> 00:10:58,760 Speaker 2: saw that their home was being searched. 194 00:10:59,120 --> 00:11:01,560 Speaker 3: Yeah, look, Billy, this is something that is clearly unfolding 195 00:11:01,640 --> 00:11:04,760 Speaker 3: day by day, and certainly it's unfolding publicly on social 196 00:11:04,800 --> 00:11:07,640 Speaker 3: media in a way that perhaps some other cases haven't. 197 00:11:07,720 --> 00:11:09,640 Speaker 3: So we'll be sure to keep people updated as we 198 00:11:09,760 --> 00:11:11,840 Speaker 3: learn more. But thank you for taking us through that, 199 00:11:12,080 --> 00:11:14,280 Speaker 3: and thank you for joining us for another episode of 200 00:11:14,320 --> 00:11:16,800 Speaker 3: The Daily Oz. We'll be back as usual with the 201 00:11:16,880 --> 00:11:20,160 Speaker 3: evening headlines later today, but until then, have a great day. 202 00:11:24,280 --> 00:11:26,560 Speaker 1: My name is Lily Madden and I'm a proud Arunda 203 00:11:26,800 --> 00:11:29,360 Speaker 1: Bungelung Kalkotin woman from Gadighl Country. 204 00:11:30,200 --> 00:11:33,319 Speaker 2: The Daily oz acknowledges that this podcast is recorded on 205 00:11:33,360 --> 00:11:35,880 Speaker 2: the lands of the Gadighl people and pays respect to 206 00:11:35,920 --> 00:11:38,600 Speaker 2: all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island and nations. 207 00:11:38,920 --> 00:11:41,840 Speaker 1: We pay our respects to the first peoples of these countries, 208 00:11:41,960 --> 00:11:43,160 Speaker 1: both past and present.