Savannah Guthrie and her siblings Camron and Annie released a video on Instagram on February 4–5, 2026, pleading for the return of their 84-year-old mother, Nancy Guthrie, who was abducted from her Tucson home approximately one week ago.

The unedited 23-second clip shows Savannah delivering a direct plea to those responsible: “We received your message and we understand. We beg you now to return our mother so that we can celebrate with her.” She also described her mother’s critical condition: “She is without any medicine. She needs it to survive, and she needs it not to suffer.”

A federal expert confirmed the family consulted with FBI negotiators prior to recording the video. The language used aligns precisely with standard crisis negotiation tactics employed by law enforcement in abduction cases.

The eerie similarity between the Guthrie family’s appeal and a famous line from The Silence of the Lambs (1991) has drawn widespread attention. In that film, Senator Ruth Martin states to her daughter’s captor: “She is very gentle and kind. Talk to her and you’ll see.”

Experts note such phrases are standard in FBI crisis negotiation training, designed to humanize victims and encourage dialogue with captors. Authorities continue their search for Nancy Guthrie, who has not been confirmed alive or dead, while the family urges abductors to contact them directly.