Nancy Guthrie missing case: Savannah Guthrie says her fame might have prompted someone to target her mother

In her first interview since her 84-year-old mother disappeared, Savannah Guthrie, the co-host of NBC's "Today" show, suggested that her mother, Nancy Guthrie, may have been targeted because of her public profile.

Speaking to NBC, Guthrie described the emotional toll on her family. She said, "I don’t know that it’s because she’s my mom and somebody thought, ‘Oh, that girl— that lady has money. We can … make a quick buck.’ I mean, that would make sense," and added, "But we don’t know. Which is too much to bear, to think that I brought this to her bedside. That it’s because of me.”

Her comments come nearly two months after Nancy Guthrie went missing from her home near Tucson, Arizona. The 84-year-old was last seen on 31 January at around 9:45 pm after having dinner with her daughter, Annie Guthrie. A missing persons complaint was filed the following day when she failed to join a church service virtually on 1 February.

Savannah Guthrie’s mother kidnapped for ransom?

Elaborating further, Guthrie said that once the family realised they had no information about Nancy Guthrie’s whereabouts, they feared something serious had occurred. She noted that her role as a highly recognisable television figure may have been a factor in her mother’s disappearance.

She also recalled that her brother was the first to recognise the gravity of the situation, believing early on that it could be a case of kidnapping for ransom.

Two ransom notes legitimate

Guthrie said several notes had been received in connection with the case, though most appeared to be fake, and she had not personally gone through them. She added that anyone sending false ransom messages should reflect on the harm caused to a grieving family. However, she maintained that the two notes the family responded to are believed to be genuine.

Savannah Guthrie on family members' involvement

Addressing speculation about possible involvement by a family member, Guthrie said such claims only deepen the family’s distress. In the days following Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance, unverified allegations circulated online suggesting that Tommaso Cioni, her son-in-law, may have been involved.

Rejecting those claims, Guthrie said that no one cared for her mother more than Annie and Tommaso. Authorities in Arizona have since cleared all members of the Guthrie family of suspicion. Chris Nanos, the Pima County Sheriff, also stated that the family should be regarded solely as victims and has no connection to the disappearance.

Nancy Guthrie missing case

Nancy Guthrie, 84, has now been missing since 1 February, with no breakthrough in the case. Investigators have continued their efforts, but there has been little progress so far. One of the few developments came when the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) released an image captured by her doorbell camera. The footage showed a masked individual carrying a backpack and appearing to tamper with the camera.

As the investigation began to lose momentum, the Guthrie family increased the reward for information leading to Nancy Guthrie’s recovery to as much as one million dollars, in addition to the amount already announced by the FBI. In recent weeks, several theories have emerged, ranging from a burglary gone wrong to the possible involvement of multiple individuals. However, authorities have not confirmed any of these possibilities and are still working to establish a clear motive behind her disappearance.