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Guthrie Family Begs for Mother's Return: "We Will Pay"; Report: Guthrie Ransom Note Demands $6M, Deadline Today at 5P.M.; Members of Congress Viewing Unredacted Epstein Files; Today: Opening Statements in Trial Against Meta, YouTube; Social Media Giants in Court Over Youth Addiction Claims; Trial Begins for Father of Apalachee High School Shooting Suspect; One Person Shot at Maryland High School. Aired 3-3:30p ET

Aired February 09, 2026 - 15:00   ET

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

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MIKE MACDONALD, SEAHAWKS HEAD COACH: You know, it's, like, hard to have expectations and I think what we did --l did a great job was to say, look, we had a vision of what we want to -- want -- what we want to create, and we just went to work. And there's some things that didn't go our way sometimes, and we had a lot of support to help us. And you learn along the way, you just keep growing, get around the right people, and this is the type of stuff you can do. So, it's -- it's pretty awesome.

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ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Eleven years ago, Malcolm Butler just ripped the hearts out of the entire city of Seattle with that interception to win Super Bowl XLIX. But those tears, now a distant memory as the party is on in Seattle as they celebrate their second Super Bowl title.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: Nancy Guthrie's family pleading for her return nine days after she was taken from her home. Her daughter, Savannah, says her return is the only way that her family will have peace. But a possible deadline looms over the investigation.

And pleading the Fifth, Jeffrey Epstein's accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell, refusing to answer questions from a House committee at a deposition as lawmakers now get the chance to see the unredacted Epstein files.

And arguments begin in a landmark social media trial as Meta and Google's YouTube face claims their platforms deliberately addict and harm children. We're following these major developing stories and many more all coming in right here to CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

Anxious moments right now in Arizona where the family of Nancy Guthrie is waiting for any signs that their mother will be returned safely. She was taken from her home nine days ago. CNN's Jake Tapper is outside the Pima County, Arizona Sheriff's Office.

Jake, where do things stand right now? JAKE TAPPER, CNN CHIEF WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Well, right now, the

clock is ticking down for the deadline that was given in that first ransom note. There were two ransom notes. And according to the first one that went to a local CNN affiliate, KGUN, among others, the deadline was given for 5 P.M. today. It wasn't clear whether that was 5 P.M. Mountain Time here in Arizona or 5 P.M. East Coast Time. And then, that -- that was for $6 million for the return of Nancy Guthrie.

As we all know, over the weekend, Savannah, along with her brother Camron and her -- and her sister, Annie, delivered another plea. This is the third plea to the kidnappers. This one was released on -- on Saturday. And she used language that was interesting. And a lot of people are reading into it. Some of the -- some of the terms she said -- some of the sentences she said, quote, "We beg you now," this is a message to the kidnappers, "we beg you now to return our mother so that we can celebrate with her. This is the only way we will have peace." Savannah also saying in that video message, in that social media message, "We will pay."

A lot of people reading a lot of things into that. And certainly, we hope that some of the interpretations are wrong, but there -- there is a lot of questions about the different tone and the different words being used here. It's -- it no longer asking for her to be returned safely, just asking for her to be returned.

The -- obviously, the search and the investigation are entering their second week. And there are lots of interesting developments over the weekend. We should note, of course, that Nancy Guthrie, 84 years old, not a lot of mobility. Her mind was sharp as a tack, her family says.

Savannah noting last week in one of those messages, quote, "her heart is fragile. She's in constant pain." And the sheriff of Pima County noting that she relies on heart medication, or I should say relies on medication, that if she doesn't have it every day, it -- it could prove fatal. So, that's where we are as of this minute.

KEILAR: And what stands out to you, Jake, from what has happened here in the last few days?

TAPPER: There are a few things that happened over the last few days that -- that were noteworthy. Obviously, the investigation continues. There was, on Saturday night, police went to the home of -- of Savannah's sister, Annie and her husband. And there were photographs taken and -- and material that they left with. So, I think the -- some questions there, they're following up on leads, et cetera. But what would they be leaving that home with?

Also, on Sunday, law enforcement went to the home of Nancy Guthrie. And they could be seen searching a -- a septic tank outside the home. So, I think one of the questions, of course, is what -- what exactly were they looking for in that septic tank.

Obviously, we are all hoping and praying for the best that Nancy Guthrie is returned to her loving children, Savannah, and Camron and -- and Annie, and all their spouses.

[15:05:07]

It is a -- it is a -- a dark time for the Guthrie family and for people here in Tucson who are all hoping for the best. But -- but, obviously, this -- this has gone on way too long.

KEILAR: Yes. It -- it really has. Um, Jake, thank you so much for the latest there from Pima County, Arizona.

Let's turn now to CNN Chief Law Enforcement and Intelligence Analyst John Miller.

It has gone on too long, John. We're nine days into this. What are some of the key takeaways for you from the message that we heard from the Guthrie family over the weekend?

JOHN MILLER, CNN CHIEF LAW ENFORCEMENT AND INTELLIGENCE ANALYST: Well, the -- the message was short. It was carefully worded. It was not a sweeping message. It was a tactical message. You know, it started off with, "We got your message and we understand." So, it indicates they received the communication by the person claiming to be the kidnapper and that they know what they have to do.

Now, as Jake said, because of the way it was worded, a lot of people are reading into that. That's uncertainty. But what we also understand is there are no press conferences scheduled. The sheriff had said, we won't be calling any more press conferences to update things unless we actually have something to say. Quiet from the family since the last video release.

So, that generally tells us either they are in communication, and that's why everything's gone dark, or they are waiting to be as that deadline approaches tonight.

Now, on deadlines, you know, in the kidnap business, in the hostage business, one of the things you do at deadlines, particularly if someone is demanding money is, it's very common to talk your way through them. Logistics get in the way, other things. But if somebody is doing this for the sole purpose of getting money, they're not going to call the whole thing off because you missed my deadline.

So, I'm not sure how much weight we should put on that, other than it may be the catalyst for another communication.

KEILAR: Yes, that's a very good point. John Miller, thank you so much for your insight there. Boris?

SANCHEZ: Today, for the first time, members of Congress are getting their first look at unredacted versions of the Epstein files. Congressman Jamie Raskin was one of the first to view the files and says the DOJ has provided just a handful of computers to view the millions of documents. CNN's Annie Grayer joins us now.

And Annie, you just spoke to Congressman Raskin after he viewed some of these files unredacted. What is he saying?

ANNIE GRAYER, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: Well, Congressman Raskin's big takeaway was that there were multiple examples of documents where the DOJ had redacted the names of individuals that, according to the law, should not have been redacted. And as we've been reporting since the -- this -- the next release of files that came out, a lot of the victim's personal information was unredacted, which should not have happened, according to the law.

And Raskin said that in viewing the unredacted files in the room behind me, that he saw examples of Donald Trump's name that had been redacted in the latest release. He saw examples of billionaire Les Wexner, the former CEO of Victoria's Secret. His name was redacted in the latest release. Take a listen to how Raskin just framed it to me.

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REP. JAMIE RASKIN (D-MD): Donald Trump's name was redacted in a number of different places, and I saw one conversation between Epstein lawyers and Trump lawyers relating to the 2009 investigation, which had been redacted, and I don't see any particular reason that it should have been.

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GRAYER: So, lawmakers, for the first time today, have the option to view these unredacted files, and they have been coming in and out today for -- to take advantage of this opportunity. They're getting to see with their own eyes what the more than 3 million documents that DOJ has released so far, what it actually looks like.

Raskin said they only have four computers to review all this information, and estimated if he were to come back every single day, it could take as long as potentially seven years to review every bit of information. So, there is a lot of information lawmakers are trying to get through in a very short amount of time, and today was a big day on Capitol Hill on the Epstein investigation for another reason, where today, Ghislaine Maxwell had her closed-door deposition with the Oversight Committee, where she pled the Fifth Amendment against incriminating herself, so it ended very quickly.

Lawmakers were not able to ask any questions of her, but her lawyer did say that she would answer questions if President Donald Trump granted her clemency. Of course, that is an open question. The President has not weighed in on that, but today is just another example of how this oversight investigation, how the Capitol Hill investigation into Jeffrey Epstein is ongoing.

[15:10:01]

There are a lot more threads that lawmakers are still trying to pull, a lot more people they still want to talk to, including former President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton, who the Oversight Committee is expected to depose later this month.

SANCHEZ: Annie Grayer, thank you so much for that update on the story.

Still to come, the latest on the landmark trial against Instagram and YouTube, the social media giants accused of intentionally addicting and harming teenagers.

Plus, the father of the teenager who allegedly killed four people at his Georgia high school is now on trial himself, charged with murder in connection to that shooting.

And later, Jeffrey Epstein's convicted accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell, has a message for President Trump. We'll bring it to you when we come back.

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KEILAR: Jurors are hearing opening statements today in a landmark trial against Instagram's parent company, Meta, and Google's YouTube. A 20-year-old California woman alleges she became addicted to the social media platforms as a child, which led to serious mental health challenges. She and her mother allege the companies intentionally designed their platforms to be addictive. The case marks the first- time social media giants will face a jury over claims their products harm young users. CNN's Clare Duffy is following this trial.

So, Clare, what are the details from today's court proceeding so far?

CLARE DUFFY, CNN BUSINESS WRITER: Yes, Brianna. So, her lawyer, KGM's lawyer, that is how the plaintiff is being referred to in this case, really came out swinging in his opening statement, which we've only heard part of so far, but he referred to these platforms as digital slot machines for young people.

This 20-year-old who's being, again, referred to as KGM or her first name, Kaley, claims that these platforms intentionally designed addictive features like endlessly scrolling feeds and frequent notifications, which led her to develop mental health challenges like anxiety, suicidal thoughts, body dysmorphia. And this all started when she began using Instagram and YouTube as a young child, as young as six and nine years old.

Now, the companies, we also expect to get a sense of how their argument is going to play out during opening statements. They claim that their platforms are not responsible for mental health challenges among young people. And we got the sense during jury selection that these companies are planning to argue that Kaley's mental health challenges really stemmed from a difficult childhood, an abusive father, and not from their platforms.

KEILAR: And what are the companies -- what else are they saying?

DUFFY: So, both Meta and YouTube, again, have rejected this idea that their platforms cause mental health harms. A Meta spokesperson told me: "We strongly disagree with these allegations and are confident the evidence will show our longstanding commitment to supporting young people."

A YouTube spokesperson similarly told me: "Providing young people with a safer, healthier experience has always been core to our work. The allegations in these complaints are simply not true."

And the companies have also pointed to the efforts that they've taken over the years to roll out safety features, things like parental control tools, content restrictions, limits on how long teens can scroll. But the parents that I've spoken to said that they really want these platforms to do more. And that's the kind of thing that we could potentially see come out of this trial, if the platforms lose, we could see both significant monetary damages for this plaintiff and the hundreds of other plaintiffs that have filed similar lawsuits, but also potentially changes that are forced -- forced upon these platforms.

KEILAR: Yes, the stakes here are high, right? Because this isn't the only lawsuit they're facing.

DUFFY: This is what's being called a bellwether trial. It is the first of hundreds of similar cases that is going to trial. And what that means is that the outcome of this trial in Kaley's case could help guide the resolution of those hundreds of other cases. So, really significant stakes here. And I've also heard from parents and safety advocates who for years have been calling for more accountability, more guardrails from these platforms. They really see this as a crucial moment of accountability, a chance to better understand what these companies have known about the risks to their children, the steps that the companies have taken to mitigate those risks, and also crucially to hear from executives of these companies.

Meta CEO, Mark Zuckerberg is expected to testify in the coming weeks, Instagram CEO, Adam Mosseri, and also YouTube CEO, Neal Mohan. So, a really significant moment for the parents who have been following this issue and asking for more help for years, Brianna.

KEILAR: Yes, this is huge. And we thank you for keeping your eye on all of it. Clare Duffy, thank you so much. Really appreciate it.

Up next, jury selection underway in the murder trial against the father of a teenager who allegedly killed four people at a Georgia high school.

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[15:23:44]

SANCHEZ: Jury selection has begun in the case against Colin Gray. He's the father of a teenager who allegedly killed four people at his Georgia high school in September 2024. The victims include two teachers and two students at Apalachee High School. Remember, nine others were injured there as well.

Prosecutors say that Gray gave his son access to a firearm and ammunition despite being warned that the teen would harm or endanger others. He's now being charged with murder, manslaughter, and other charges and has entered a plea of not guilty. CNN's Jean Casarez joins us now.

So, Jean, what happened in court today? JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, a lot. They brought in 36

jurors. They're still going through the first day of jury selection right now. And one question, preliminarily, that was asked all of them, have you heard about this case? Do you know a lot about this case? The majority of them definitely have followed this case.

You know, the defense wanted to change a venue to a completely different location and area in Georgia. And the judge really sort of sided with the prosecution and not the defense, changing the venue in the sense that the jurors are being selected about 27 miles away from the high school where the shooting happened in 2024, but it's the same media environment. It's the same television stations.

[15:25:02]

And so, this is a very important part of this case. And some of the questions that were asked today, do you own a gun? Twenty-four out of the 26 potential jurors do own a gun. Eight of them said that they have experienced a lockdown involving a school in one form or another. Only one of the jurors had purchased a gun for someone under the age of 18. None of them have experienced school shootings.

But when asked the question, do you have strong feelings about gun ownership, 17 of the 36 said they did have strong feelings. And then in regard to whether a parent is responsible for every single thing their child does, 17 of them raised their hand.

So, you can see there's a lot of questions here in order to get that fair jury. But I think the headline today really came outside of the potential jurors' appearance in the courtroom because the prosecution told the judge that if convicted on all 29 charges, he faces a maximum exposure in prison. So, this is prison time of 265 years.

SANCHEZ: Wow.

CASAREZ: We knew it would be a life sentence, but 265 years because there were two students that were killed. There were two -- two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of involuntary manslaughter, because there were two teachers that were killed. And then, there were numerous students that were injured.

And so that amounts child cruelty, and then ultimately that amounts to 29 counts. So, this is a very serious case. It is a novel theory of making a parent responsible for the killings that the child allegedly made because the son, Colt Gray, has not been convicted yet. But it is imposing the criminal sanctions as if the father had pulled the trigger himself.

SANCHEZ: Really a stunning case. We'll see what comes next. Jean Casarez, thank you so much for that.

We do have some breaking news into CNN as well.

Sadly, as we're reporting about one school shooting, we have another one to tell you about. Officials say at least one person has been shot at Thomas S. Wootton High School in Rockville, Maryland. The school about 10 miles northwest of Washington, D.C., and right now we're told the school is on lockdown. These are images from moments ago. Aerials of the campus. Parents are being advised to go to a nearby middle school for reunification. We're going to keep you updated as we get more details on this. But again, the breaking news, one person shot at a high school in Maryland. Stay with CNN. We'll be right back.

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