Savannah Guthrie Says Mom Nancy’s Disappearance Is ‘Nightmare’ as She Calls for Public Help: ‘Hour of Desperation’
“Today” anchor Savannah Guthrie He has appealed to the public to help find his missing mother, Nancydescribing the 84-year-old’s disappearance as a “nightmare” and admitting he is in “an hour of despair” as his grandmother’s reported deadline approaches.
In a new video posted to her Instagram account on Monday, Savannah, 54, thanked her fans and followers for all their thoughts and prayers, before asking for more help to track down her missing mother.
“We are in an hour of despair,” he said. “We believe that our mother is still out. She was taken, we don’t know where.”
He continued: “Law enforcement is working hard day and night, trying to bring him home, trying to find him. He was taken, we don’t know where, and we need your help.
“I’m just coming to ask you, not just for your prayers, but wherever you are, even if you’re far from Tucson, if you see anything, hear anything, if anything at all seems strange to you, to report it to law enforcement.”
He posted the video and another plea to the community, writing in the caption: “Please bring him home. We need you. He needs you. All of you.”
Marking the first video Savannah has posted alone since her mother’s disappearance, she previously shared several clips alongside her siblings, Annie again Cameronand his brother’s solo video.
Anyone with information about the Nancy Guthrie case should call 1-800-CALL-FBI or visit https://tips.fbi.gov/home.
Hours before the latest clip was shared, Savannah and her siblings told their mother Nancy’s alleged abductors that they would “pay” a reported $6 million ransom for her safe return — as police ramp up their search for the 84-year-old man, who disappeared from his Arizona home more than a week ago.
Savannah appeared in another heartbreaking social media video on Saturday night where she and her sibling, Annie and Cameron, issued a plea to anyone involved in Nancy’s disappearance, urging them to get in touch and return her mother to them.
“We received your message and we understand it,” said Savannah referring to a ransom note that was sent to several news outlets last week, in which Nancy’s alleged kidnappers demanded a reported $6 million to be sent to them in Bitcoin.
“We are asking you now to bring my mother back to us so that we can be happy with her. That is the only way we will have peace. This is precious to us and we will pay.”
The message came hours before the Pima County Sheriff’s Department confirmed to the media on Sunday that it “has not identified any suspects, persons of interest, or vehicles connected to this case,” while confirming that the Guthrie family has requested that police continue to monitor Nancy’s home going forward.
Since Savanah is always absent from the “Today” show, her former manager, Hoda Kotbhe returned to the studio to fill in for his friend, he told Craig Melvin that he is “happy” to be able to “show up” to his spiritual family when it matters most.
“You know what, Craig, we always talk about our family show. We’re family,” Kotb said on Monday’s episode. “I’m part of the family, and I’m happy to be with you because we talk to each other.”
While authorities have revealed little detail about the contents of the alleged ransom notes sent to several news outlets, reports say one message, sent to local Tucson station KGUN 9, had a deadline of 5 p.m. Monday—demanding that $6 million be sent before that time.
A video posted by KGUN 9 about the ransom note has since been removed.
Law enforcement sources told NBC News that the latest video posted by Savannah was in direct response to this latest note, which comes days after similar—but not yet confirmed—messages were sent to Arizona news station KOLD and national entertainment outlet TMZ.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department and local FBI agents involved in the investigation have not held an official press conference since Feb. 5, and stated that they will not hold another press conference unless they have an important update to share about Nancy’s case.
However, photos and videos taken from Nancy’s home on Feb. 6. showed investigators conducting a search on the roof of her house—while the police were seen visiting the home of Annie and her husband, Tommaso Cioni in what the sheriff’s department said was a routine step in their investigation.
Police reportedly removed a car and camera from Nancy’s property, according to Page Six.
A septic tank was also seen in the area being searched, according to Fox 10 Phoenix.
Nancy was last seen around 9:45 pm on Jan. 31, when he was left by family members after dinner. The official timeline shared by authorities suggests that she disappeared from her home around 2:00 a.m. on February 1.
Saturday, President Donald Trump gave an update to the media aboard Air Force One, telling reporters he understood investigators had found “very strong” leads and was confident “we may have some answers coming soon.”
“A lot has happened in the last few hours. A lot has happened in terms of that terrible situation,” he added, per TMZ.
During Monday’s “Today” broadcast, Savannah’s hosts and friends, Melvin, Kotb, and Carson Dalyissued their own appeal to viewers for their patience in continuing to air the story, noting that the show’s crew is trying to “navigate into uncharted territory.”
“Our ‘today’ family continues to navigate uncharted territory, balancing updates on the search for Savannah’s mother with all the other news of the day, as we often do,” Melvin explained. “But we know things are far from normal right now, so folks, we’re asking for your grace as we continue to do this.”
Kotb noted that, while Savannah—and the rest of her family—continue to be on the front lines, they know they’re on screens to do a “job” and are working on the best ways to do it.
“I mean, the most important thing in all of this is, Savannah and her family are the best for us. Besides, there’s work to be done,” she said.
“And we will do our best,” said Daly. “It’s never easy to do our jobs, and we do it for him and for you, the viewers.”
Kotb, 61, was supposed to head to Milan, Italy, to cover the Winter Olympics on NBC, along with Savannah, but backed out of that commitment after Nancy was reported missing.
The mother of two officially resigned as anchor of “Today” in January 2025, noting at the time that she wanted to prioritize spending more time with her children.
What is the full timeline of Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance?
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos he noted during a press conference Thursday that, although the timing is close, his team has gathered a lot of evidence that points to Nancy’s movements—and the time of her abduction.
Nancy, 84, was reported missing around 12:00 pm on February 1, about 14 hours after being dropped off at a family dinner. When he failed to attend his regular Sunday service, church members informed his family, who found his home empty.
SATURDAY, JAN. 31
5:32 p.mNancy goes to Annie’s house in an Uber “to eat dinner and play games with the family.”
9:48 p.mThe garage door opened at Nancy’s house when she was left by her daughter.
9:50 p.mThe garage door closes, indicating that Nancy is inside the home.
SUNDAY, FEB. 1
1:47 a.mThe security camera on Nancy’s doorbell is disconnected.
2:12 a.mMotion is detected on a home security camera. No recordings of this are available yet.
2:28 a.mNancy’s pacemaker app shows that the device has been disconnected from her phone.
11:56 a.mNancy’s family goes to her house to check on her and finds the place empty.
12:03 p.mThe family calls 911 to report Nancy missing.
12:14 p.mThe police arrived at Nancy’s house.
Although no footage was available from the cameras, Nanos noted that security camera alerts lead them to believe that a person or people may have been inside Nancy’s home between 2:12 a.m., when movement was detected, and 2:28 a.m., when the pacemaker stopped syncing with her Apple devices.
Have authorities identified any suspects or persons of interest in the Nancy Guthrie case?
On Sunday, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department confirmed that it had not identified any suspects, prime suspects, or persons of interest in connection with Nancy’s disappearance.
In the past days, Nanos had warned the public and the media not to make any allegations or claims about potential suspects until the authorities officially name the person.
“No one has been excluded” from the investigation, he revealed. “We don’t have enough to say.”
During a press conference on Thursday, a special agent of the FBI Heath Jankehe revealed that his agency is offering a reward of up to $50,000 to anyone who provides information leading to Nancy’s recovery and/or the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in her disappearance.
He urged anyone who may have been involved to “do the right thing” and return Nancy to her family.
“For anyone who may be affected, do the right thing,” he said. “This is an 84-year-old grandmother who needs important medication for her health. She still has time to do the right thing before this situation gets worse.
“Please come home Nancy.”
Nanos confirmed that his Department is aware of the medications Nancy is taking, adding that his investigators have contacted, and will continue to contact, local pharmacies and hospitals that can help provide updates on her physical illness.
