Savannah Guthrie Likely 'Mirrored the Language' Used in Mom's Ransom Note for First Plea Video to Abductors, Criminologist Explains

Savannah Guthrie's first video to her mom Nancy Guthrie's abductors seemed off to some, but criminologist Dr. Debbie Goodman believes her words were carefully chosen for a reason.

The expert dissected her message while speaking to NewsNation.

In the Today star's first upload — where she sat with brother Camron and sister Annie — she stated, "We received your message and we understand. We beg you now to return our mother to us so we can celebrate with her. This is the only way we will have peace. This is very valuable to us and we will pay."

For Dr. Goodman, the words "celebrate," "value," "peace" and "pay" stood out the most.

"My interpretation is that the family members are actually doing something very important in terms of communication with criminals, and that is, they're are mirroring the language that they may have received in the note," she spilled. "Because there are words that may not be routine or natural in the spoken scale of a conversation."

She said the strategy "can be very effective, as it suggests that one person isn’t above the other, but rather somewhat on equal footing."

"That actually makes the criminal feel a little bit more in control," the criminologist continued. "And when it comes to abductions, these people want control, they want confinement and obviously they use coercion to get what they want."

Despite that, it was reported that Savannah has not made direct contact with the abductors, who allegedly asked for $6 million in Bitcoin for Nancy's safe return. It was also stated that the latest deadline for the funds had passed.

As OK! reported, Nancy, 84, was last seen on the night of Saturday, January 31, and was reported missing the next day when she failed to show up to her friend's home for their routine viewing of a church's live-streamed services.

Authorities believe she was taken from her Tucson, Ariz., home in the early hours of Sunday, February 1. Nancy's Ring doorbell camera was disconnected at around 1:45 a.m. local time, but since she doesn't have the video subscription, no footage was saved. At 2:28 a.m., her pacemaker app disconnected.

Authorities said they're following up on "new leads" every day, but they have yet to identify a suspect or person of interest.

Though there has been no proof of life, Savannah stated in a February 9 video that she thinks her mom is alive.

"We believe that somehow, someway she is feeling these prayers, and that God is lifting her even in this moment, in this darkest place," she expressed of her mother. "We believe that our mom is still out there. We need your help."

Savannah said that even if you live "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. We are at an hour of desperation, and we need your help."