Savannah Guthrie feared her mother may have been targeted because of her fame
Savannah Guthrie feared her mother may have been targeted because of her fame
Savannah Guthrie has spoken openly about the anguish she feels after her mother, Nancy Guthrie, went missing from her home near Tucson, Arizona. In her first interview since the incident, she shared her dread over the possibility that her mother’s disappearance was linked to her own high profile as a co-anchor on the “TODAY” show.
“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,’” Savannah Guthrie told Hoda Kotb. “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.”
Nancy Guthrie, 84, was last seen the night before she vanished, around 9:45 p.m., after having dinner at her daughter Annie Guthrie’s residence. She was reported missing on Feb. 1 following her absence from a virtual church service at a friend’s home. Authorities noted that the doors to her home were left ajar, and blood was found on the front doorstep. The Ring camera had also been pulled from its mount.
Initially, the Guthrie family assumed Nancy might have had a medical emergency. However, the evidence quickly pointed toward something more sinister. “The back doors were propped open, you know, and that didn’t make sense,” Savannah explained. “We thought maybe they came and there was a stretcher and they took her out the back. But her phone was there and her purse was there and all her things.”
Savannah’s brother, described by her as “brilliant” with a military background, was the first to suspect a kidnapping. “Even on the phone when I called him, he knew,” she recalled. “He said, ‘I think she’s been kidnapped for ransom.’ And I said, ‘What? Well, why? What?’”
The family’s fears deepened when they learned Nancy had not simply wandered off. “From the very early moments, Annie and Tommy were saying, ‘This isn’t — this isn’t that case where someone just disappears,’” Savannah said. “She can’t wander off. She lives with tremendous pain and has a bad back. On a good day, she could walk to the mailbox, but most days not.”
Investigations are ongoing, with state and federal agencies joining the search. So far, the probe has included land surveys, neighbor video footage, and reported ransom notes. Savannah believes two of the notes are genuine, though she acknowledged many others may have been fabricated.
Weeks into the ordeal, the Guthrie family posted a heartfelt video on Instagram, pleading with anyone who might have taken Nancy to share information. They also offered a $1 million reward for her safe return. “Recording those videos has been surreal,” Savannah admitted. “How is it possible that a situation like this could happen to someone like me?”
Savannah’s emotional journey continues as she grapples with the unanswered questions surrounding her mother’s fate. The case has captivated the nation, with every detail fueling speculation and hope.
