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Guthrie Family Appeals Anew Despite the Second Ransom Deadline Expired; Skier Lindsay Vonn has No Regrets After her Injury at One of the Winter Olympics Competitions. Aired 3-3:45a ET

Aired February 10, 2026 - 03:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[03:00:00]

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ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. I'm Rosemary Church, Just ahead.

Ghislaine Maxwell's lawyer spells out how his client could clear President Trump's name in connection with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, but there is a catch.

"Today Show" host Savannah Guthrie makes another desperate plea for help, finding her missing mother as another ransom deadline passes.

And U.S. skier Lindsey Vonn is speaking out about Sunday's devastating crash at the Winter Olympics, why she says she has no regrets.

UNKNOWN (voice-over): Live from Atlanta, this is "CNN Newsroom" with Rosemary Church.

CHURCH: And we begin with the Epstein files and the fallout in both the United States and the United Kingdom. Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted accomplice of late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, refused to answer questions from the U.S. House Oversight Committee on Monday. Instead, she sent a clear message to President Donald Trump.

The lawyer says if the president grants her clemency, she would clear his name of any wrongdoing as it pertains to Epstein. Lawmakers asked her several questions, but were met with the same answer every time.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GHISLAINE MAXWELL, JEFFREY EPSTEIN'S ACCOMPLICE: I therefore invoke my right to silence under the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

I invoke my Fifth Amendment right to silence.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Lawmakers on the committee are accusing Maxwell of trying to buy her clemency by refusing to testify.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) REP. JAMES WALKINSHAW (D-VA): What we did not get were any substantive answers to the questions that were asked that would advance our investigation, to help us learn who were the other men involved in these crimes, to help us learn who were the others who knew about these crimes.

REP. JAMES COMER (R-KY), HOUSE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN: Her attorney said, Maxwell didn't say, her attorney said that she would answer questions if she were granted clemency by the President Trump.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Meantime, Congressman Thomas Massie saw unredacted versions of the Epstein files on Monday. He says he was able to identify at least six men whose names were redacted when they shouldn't be. Massie did not rule out revealing those names, but is giving the Justice Department a chance to do it first.

Britain's King Charles says he's, quote, "ready to support police as they investigate a report about the former Prince Andrew for suspected misconduct in public office." The new report accuses Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor of sharing confidential information with Geoffrey Epstein during his time as U.K. trade envoy. It's the latest of multiple scandals in the U.K. since the last release of documents by the U.S. Justice Department.

And Max Foster has more from London.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MAX FOSTER, CNN LONDON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): King Charles signaling his readiness to cooperate with U.K. police in any investigation into his brother Andrew. The Epstein crisis now engulfing the Palace and the U.K. Parliament.

U.K. police are, quote, "assessing reports" that former Prince Andrew shared confidential information with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Emails suggest that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, in his previous role as trade envoy, sent Epstein reports in 2010 containing briefings on official government visits to Asia and investment opportunities.

Prince William breaking his silence on the Epstein affair. Ahead of a visit to Saudi Arabia, a palace spokesperson saying the Prince and Princess of Wales' thoughts remain focused on the victims.

King Charles reiterated the same sentiment in a later statement, saying "If they're approached by Thames Valley police, we stand ready to support them as you'd expect. As was previously stated, their Majesty's thoughts and sympathies have been and remain with the victims of any and all forms of abuse."

Andrew was stripped of his royal titles in order to leave his royal residence last year due to his ties to the late sex offender Epstein.

[03:05:06] This photo showed Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor with Epstein's former girlfriend and convicted child sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell and Epstein survivor Virginia Giuffre, who accused Andrew of sexually assaulting her when she was just 17. He settled a civil lawsuit by Dufresne out of court in 2022. Giuffre died by suicide last April.

On January 30th, the latest tranche of Epstein documents had three undated photos showing Andrew kneeling over what appears to be a woman or girl whose face has been redacted, lying fully clothed and supine on the floor. Andrew's previously denied any wrongdoing.

KEIR STARMER, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: He lied about that.

FOSTER (voice-over): U.K. Premier Keir Starmer facing his own storm over his decision to appoint Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the U.S. in 2024, despite knowing about his ties to the late child sex trafficker. Documents reveal that Mandelson too shared confidential information with Epstein.

STARMER: To learn that there was a cabinet minister leaking sensitive information at the height of the response to the 2008 crash is beyond infuriating. And I am as angry as the public and any member of this house. Mandelson betrayed our country, our parliament and my party.

FOSTER (voice-over): Mandelson resigned from the ruling Labor Party and the House of Lords and is under police investigation. Calls for Starmer to step down have grown following the resignations of his top two aides, including his long-serving chief-of-staff, who stepped down on Sunday.

ANAS SARWAR, LABOR PARTY: That's why the distraction needs to end and the leadership in Downing Street has to change.

FOSTER (voice-over): The more we see of the Epstein files, the deeper it plunges the British establishment into crisis.

Max Foster, CNN London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: A vigil is forming near the mailbox of Nancy Guthrie's home, where authorities believe the elderly woman was abducted just over a week ago.

A second reported ransom deadline has come and gone as the search for the 84-year-old grandmother continues. The alleged note threatened Guthrie's life if her family did not pay $6 million in bitcoin by Monday afternoon. Over the weekend, the Guthrie family said they would pay the ransom as they begged for Nancy's safe return.

It's unclear, though, if any financial transaction has occurred. Investigators returned to Guthrie's home on Sunday, but still have not publicly identified a suspect linked to her disappearance. Nancy's daughter, "Today Show" host Savannah Guthrie, says the family is now at an hour of desperation. CNN's Ed Lavendera is in Tucson with more on her latest plea to the public.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SAVANNAH GUTHRIE, DAUGHTER OF NANCY GUTHRIE: We believe our mom is still out there.

ED LAVANDERA, CNN SR. U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Savannah Guthrie, sitting alone, makes a direct appeal to the public for help in the search for her missing mother, Nancy Guthrie, nine days after she was taken in the middle of the night from her home in Tucson, Arizona.

S. GUTHRIE: We need your help. Law enforcement is working tirelessly around the clock trying to bring her home, trying to find her. She was taken and we don't know where.

LAVANDERA (voice-over): It's been three days since the alleged kidnapper sent a second ransom note to a local T.V. station after demanding $6 million. The latest note did not include a deadline.

The FBI and the local sheriff's department have searched Nancy's neighborhood day and night, scouring her home, her rooftop, even an underground septic tank near her property.

Searches by air and ground of the nearby foothills and desert instill Nancy's no closer to coming home. Savannah and her family are reaching out again, this time for more than prayers, asking people to look for their mother wherever they can.

S. GUTHRIE: No matter where you are, even if you're far from Tucson, if you see anything, you hear anything, if there's anything at all that seems strange to you, that you report to law enforcement.

LAVANDERA (voice-over): Expressing gratitude in this horrific moment as she appeals to everyone concerned about her mother's fate.

S. GUTHRIE: Thank you so much for all of the prayers because we believe that somehow, someway she is feeling these prayers and that God is lifting her even in this moment and in this darkest place.

LAVANDERA (voice-over): This is the fourth video the family has posted to social media, including two from all three of Nancy's children and one video just from her son. Previous posts were aimed at the kidnappers.

CAMERON GUTHRIE, SON OF NANCY GUTHRIE: First, we have to know that you have our mom. We want to talk to you and we are waiting for contact.

LAVANDERA (voice-over): And even directly to their mom.

S. GUTHRIE: Everyone is looking for you, mommy, everywhere. We will not rest.

[03:10:09] LAVANDERA (voice-over): On Saturday, the siblings again reached out to the potential kidnappers offering payment.

S. GUTHRIE: We beg you now to return our mother to us so that we can celebrate with her. This is the only way we will have peace. This is very valuable to us and we will pay.

LAVANDERA (voice-over): With each message, another glimpse into this nightmare that Nancy Guthrie's family is facing, seemingly with no end in sight.

S. GUTHRIE: We are at an hour of desperation. And we need your help.

LAVANDERA: Monday night, the FBI released a new statement to CNN saying, quote, "the FBI is not aware of any continued communication between the Guthrie family and suspected kidnappers, nor have we identified a suspect or persons of interest." And this also continues as the FBI is continuing to urge people to call in any tips, any clues, anything that might help them find Nancy Guthrie.

Ed Lavandera, CNN, Tucson, Arizona.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Joining me now is Troy Hillman, a retired homicide sergeant with the Phoenix Police Department. He's also a cold case advocate and author of the book "Chasing Down the Zombie Hunter." I appreciate you joining us.

TROY HILLMAN, RETIRED HOMICIDE SERGEANT, PHOENIX POLICE DEPARTMENT: Thank you, Rosemary.

CHURCH: So you've investigated numerous crimes in the past that have attracted considerable media attention, including the zombie hunter cold case, which ended in the arrest in the early 1990s of the serial killer at the center of that case. Now, as the search continues for Nancy Guthrie, what impact do you think the intense media coverage is having on finding the 84 year old mother of "Today Show" host, Savannah Guthrie?

HILLMAN: I think it's a balance. I think the media is very important in terms of getting the community involved and it's generating leads and tips that was important in our canal murders investigation of the zombie hunter. A lead was massive, it was just buried in the files.

So something is going to be if it hasn't already, because we don't know everything that the investigators know, then that's by design. So something will somebody will see something or report something that will eventually push an outcome on this case, because right now it just seems like we're in a gigantic holding pattern.

CHURCH: Yes, that's how it looks, because it has been more than a week since Nancy Guthrie is believed to have been abducted from her home. Yet investigators appear to have no suspect and no apparent leads indicating where Nancy may have been taken. When you look at what's been made public so far, and as you say, we

only have that to go by the family video messages and, of course, the alleged ransom notes. What stands out to you and what questions are you asking right now?

HILLMAN: Well, the fact that they've gone back several times to different houses or locations to me indicates that information has come in and that they're triaging that and trying to figure out what's going on with that. You know, there's so many facets to this investigation. I kind of would describe it as a beehive of activity.

You've got people looking at the forensic evidence. You're more tangible physical evidence. You've got digital evidence. You're just looking at all the leads and filtering and sifting through those.

So there's just and then the ransom notes. So there's so many facets to this investigation. It is massive and there's a massive amount of manpower assigned to it.

CHURCH: And when you see the investigators come back to Nancy Guthrie's house, what do you think they're actually looking for? What does that indicate to you?

HILLMAN: You know, it's hard to say. And initially on the search of the house, depending on what they were thinking, it should have been a very thorough top to bottom everything kind of search.

And that may have not been done based on the focus of that investigation at the time. They were -- and there could be information that comes back. Who knows, you know, from the ransom note and or a tip from a community member that basically indicates they need to go back and take a better look at, say, the septic tank or the roof or her vehicle or again, there's just so many things that we don't know.

It's hard to say, but you can kind of look at some information came away and they're going to look further into it.

CHURCH: And you have worked on numerous cold cases. Have you ever seen a case like this? It's so cold that there are no leads, apparently.

I mean, as you say, we have to go by what we're being told. But it does seem that they have nothing.

[03:15:05]

HILLMAN: You know, it does seem odd because typically you would either find the victim either deceased at this point or you'd see a little more based on what I know, a little more forcefulness on the hand of a captor in terms of the ransom.

So, you know, it's just hard to say. It's just so it is bizarre. It's one of the most bizarre investigations that I've ever read about or heard about or I'm not really involved with it other than opining on it, I guess.

CHURCH: And of course, as we discussed at the top of this interview, this has had a lot of attention from the media on the other side of the coin. If the abducted person had not been known to the public or links to the public and had not received the added resources offered by the U.S. President and, of course, extensive help from the public themselves, how might this have been different? Do you think it would have been different?

HILLMAN: You know, I think that this was an all hands on deck, it was an extremely high profile investigation. You know, I think officers and investigators are trained to go about their job the same way, regardless of how high profile it is.

And certainly the high profile kind of adds a little bit of pressure and, you know, that kind of thing and public scrutiny. But they're going to do the same thing that they would on any missing persons investigation and try to figure out exactly where that person is and get them back home and safe.

CHURCH: Troy Hillman, I want to thank you so much for talking with us. I really appreciate it.

HILLMAN: Thank you very much. I appreciate you having me on.

Well, the U.S. and Iran are working on plans for their next round of indirect nuclear talks. Just ahead, we will hear from Iran's president on the progress so far.

Plus, Israel is taking steps to exert even more control over the occupied West Bank. How the international community is reacting. That's next.

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[03:20:00]

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CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone.

The U.S. military has struck another alleged drug trafficking boat in the eastern Pacific. U.S. Southern Command says two people were killed and one survived Monday's strike, claiming the vessel was operated by a quote "designated terrorist organization." At least 121 people have been killed in U.S. strikes on suspected drug boats since September in what's become known as Operation Southern Spear. But so far, the Trump administration has offered little public evidence that those killed were affiliated with cartels or that the boats being targeted were carrying drugs.

Iran's foreign minister says the first round of indirect nuclear talks with the U.S. is a good start, but he emphasized the need to address longstanding distrust of American intentions and objectives. Diplomats from Washington and Tehran negotiated via a mediator from Oman on Friday. A top Iranian official is working to set up the next round of indirect talks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) MASOUD PEZESHKIAN, IRANIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): The new round of nuclear negotiations, which has begun in Oman with the assistance and support of our friends, presents a very good opportunity to resolve this issue in a fair, logical, equitable and mutually acceptable manner. We are seeking to secure our rights on the basis of the nonproliferation treaty, including on the issue of enrichment and the lifting of unjust sanctions.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: The U.S. wants Iran to give up all plans to develop a nuclear weapon. If not, President Trump has threatened military action.

The United Nations chief, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and the UAE are condemning Israel's latest moves to widen its powers in the occupied West Bank. Israel's security cabinet has approved measures to expand settlements in the West Bank, which are considered illegal under international law. The measures also expand Israel's enforcement powers in areas designated to fall under Palestinian administrative control.

U.N. officials say this will hinder the peace process.

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STEPHAN DUJARRIC, UNITED NATIONS SPOKESPERSON: The secretary general warns that the current trajectory on the ground, including this decision, is eroding the prospects for a two-state solution.

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CHURCH: This comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump are expected to meet in Washington on Wednesday.

The latest from the Winter Olympics just ahead, including the first statement from injured skier Lindsay Vonn about a devastating weekend crash. We'll have that and more in just a moment.

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CHURCH: Welcome back to "CNN Newsroom," I'm Rosemary Church. I want to check today's top stories for you.

A second reported ransom deadline in Nancy Guthrie's disappearance has now passed. Her daughter, "Today Show" host Savannah Guthrie, made a new plea on Monday asking the public for any information in this case. The FBI says they don't know of any new communication between the Guthrie family and the possible captors, and no suspect has been publicly identified.

Washington lawmakers now have limited access to unredacted versions of the Epstein files. House Republican Thomas Massie says he identified at least six men whose names have been redacted when they shouldn't have been. Now, he and other lawmakers are demanding answers from the Justice Department over the matter.

U.S. skier Lindsay Vonn is speaking out for the first time since a devastating crash at the Winter Olympics. She says she has no regrets over her decision to compete.

[03:30:05]

Vonn was skiing Sunday in the downhill race with a ruptured ACL. She said in a social media post that her ACL and past injuries had nothing to do with the crash.

All right, let's go to CNN's Amanda Davies. She is following all the developments and joins us now with more from Milan. Great to see you, Amanda.

So that was, of course, a heartfelt message from Lindsay Vonn. What more did she have to say?

(TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES)

All right. I can't hear her, I'm assuming you can't hear her either. So we're going to take a short break.

But first, cutting flights to Cuba. How airlines are coping with the U.S. oil blockade and the impact on the island itself. We will have a report from Havana, but we will also try to reconnect with Amanda. Do stay with us.

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[03:35:00]

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And we are back now with CNN's Amanda Davies with all the Olympic developments from Milan. Amanda, we were talking about Lindsay Vonn's heartfelt message. Let's pick up on what all she said in that statement.

AMANDA DAVIES, CNN WORLD SPORT: Yes, Rosemary, I'm hoping you are able to hear me. I know we've been having a few technical difficulties.

And Lindsay Vonn's Olympic Games may be over, but she's still very much in people's thoughts and a whole lot of interest in how she's doing. And that statement that she issued on Monday night, very much in keeping with the tone and the attitude used throughout the last couple of years, filled with determination and such a strength to get back to the top of her games.

Everybody, ski fans or not, seemed to have had a view on whether or not she should have been in that starting gate on Sunday, particularly after rupturing that ACL on her left leg. But frankly, who are we to tell an Olympic champion with over 20 years of competition under her belt what she should or should not be doing?

But in that statement, Vonn says she has absolutely no regrets. She talks about the feeling at the top of the run. Knowing the fact that she had a chance to win and felt that that was victory in itself, giving everything she'd come through to make it back from a six year retirement.

And of course, that knee replacement surgery on her other knee, she says in her statement, insists the crash had absolutely nothing to do with her ACL, but that the broken leg that she suffered will take multiple surgeries to fix it properly. She hasn't addressed whether or not she'll race again. And we already knew that this was going to be her last Olympic downhill race at her fifth Olympic Games.

But she signed off with a message for others saying, I hope if you take anything from my journey, it is that you all have the courage to dare greatly. Life is too short not to take chances on yourself, because the only failure in life is not trying.

And that really is the kind of mantra that she has lived by throughout her career and also one that her U.S. teammate Michaela Schifrin is set to be channeling for everything she has won and her record breaking feats on the World Cup circuit. There's a real sense--

(TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES)

CHURCH: All right, we are having those audio problems again, so we'll have to leave Amanda Davies there in Milan. We got the bulk of her report and want to thank her so very much.

And we'll take a look at the business headlines now.

South Korean lawmakers are trying to quickly pass new legislation to avoid a U.S. tariff hike. The Trump administration has threatened to raise tariffs on South Korea's exports from 15 to 25 percent if it doesn't follow through on its $350 billion worth of investment commitments. A special committee is being urged to pass the legislation by month's end.

Eddie Bauer has filed for bankruptcy. The popular outdoor sportswear chain says it plans to sell about 200 stores across the U.S. and Canada due to declining sales and supply chain challenges. The brand's troubles escalated following the Trump administration's tariff policies and inflation.

Lyft just launched new rideshare features for teenagers. The company says it will only match teen passengers with drivers who meet the highest standards, including background checks, safe driving records and positive feedback history. And parents will be able to track their teen's location live.

The Pentagon says U.S. military forces have boarded a sanctioned oil tanker in the Indian Ocean. A tracking organization reports the ship departed from the Venezuelan coast last month after the ouster of President Nicolas Maduro. But the Pentagon did not say whether the ship is connected to Venezuela. [03:40:05]

Data transmitted from the tanker shows it is not currently carrying crude oil. According to tracking data, the ship's radio transponder has been turned off for months, a tactic commonly used by smugglers to hide their location.

The U.S. blockade on oil to Cuba is dealing a huge blow to that country's tourism industry. CNN's Patrick Oppmann is in Havana with all the details.

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PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: As more and more time goes by and oil shipments don't arrive to Cuba, stop by the Trump administration's insistence that countries are no longer able to send the government, the Cuban government, any kind of oil, saying that Cuba represents a threat to the United States.

We are seeing the impacts more and more here. There are less cars on the road. Now we're hearing that airlines are cutting flights to Cuba because there's not any jet fuel for them here to be able to refuel and bring the passengers back home.

So this is, of course, the impact. There'll be less tourists coming here. It really becomes a chain reaction for the already struggling Cuban economy.

Mexico is sending aid, tons, hundreds of tons of food, but they're not at this point sending any oil under U.S. pressure to not do that. The Kremlin has said that Cuba is now facing a crisis. The government here, essentially their ally, their old ally, is in deep trouble as what they call a U.S. chokehold continues on and on.

We know the U.S. and Cuba are exchanging messages. They are holding talks. Remains to be seen, though, if any deal can be struck, because the U.S. is really insisting on regime change.

The government leave power open up to multi-party elections that political prisoners here are afraid and a lot of other steps that the Cuban government up until now has been unwilling to agree to.

Patrick Oppmann, CNN, Havana.

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CHURCH: Researchers have good news for coffee and tea lovers around the world, a new study has found that you don't have to cut out your morning caffeine fix to protect your brain against dementia. In fact, people who drink two to three cups of coffee or one to two cups of tea a day may see a boost in cognitive health in the long term. Very good news for all of us.

Copenhagen may have found the cure for the dark and dreary Nordic winter nights.

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Runners took off through the oldest part of the Danish capital on Sunday. The run supports two charities, Make-A-Wish Denmark and Copenhagen Front Runners, the event is part of the annual Copenhagen Light Festival, which puts a spotlight on Danish art and design. The festival kicked off on January 30th and will run for the next two weeks.

I want to thank you so much for your company, I'm Rosemary Church. Have yourselves a wonderful day. "World Sport" is coming up next.

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