Savannah Guthrie, co-host of NBC's "TODAY" show, issued an emotional public appeal to whoever abducted her mother, 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, more than 25 weeks after she vanished from her home in Arizona. The plea, described as carrying a "very specific" message, was posted to Guthrie's Instagram account and calls on the kidnapper to disclose her mother's whereabouts, underlining how the prolonged disappearance continues to weigh heavily on the family and keep the case in the public eye.

The appeal comes as a separate report, citing an FBI source, suggests the kidnappers panicked and abandoned their demands for money following Nancy Guthrie's alleged death. Fellow kidnapping survivor Elizabeth Smart has also spoken publicly about the case, saying there remains "reason to have hope" even after nearly six months without resolution.