Today show host Savannah Guthrie’s family has spoken out amid her mother Nancy Guthrie’s continued disappearance, seemingly addressing their mother’s kidnapper or kidnappers directly.
“We received your message and we understand,” Savannah, 54, said in a new video shared via her Instagram on Saturday, February 7, while flanked by and holding the hands of her siblings. “We beg you now to return our mother to us so that we can celebrate with her. This is the only way we will have peace. This is very valuable to us and we will pay.”
The Today show host captioned the post, “Bring her home.”
Nancy. 84, was reported missing in early February, with local law enforcement officers in Arizona confirming she was last seen on January 31.
“On behalf of our family we want to thank all of you for the prayers for our beloved mom, Nancy,” Savannah said in an Instagram video with siblings Annie Guthrie and Camron Guthrie uploaded on February 4. “We feel them and we continue to believe that she feels them too. Our mom is a kind, faithful, loyal, fiercely loving woman of goodness and light. She is funny, spunky and clever.”
She continued, “She has grandchildren who adore her and crowd around her and cover her with kisses. She loves fun and adventure. She is a devoted friend. She is full of kindness and knowledge.”
At the time, Savannah revealed that her relatives were “ready to talk” about paying the ransom reward in exchange for Nancy’s safe homecoming.
“As a family, we are doing everything that we can. We are ready to talk. However, we live in a world where voices and images are easily manipulated,” Savannah stated. “We need to know without a doubt that she is alive and that you have her. We want to hear from you, and we are ready to listen. Please, reach out to us.”
Savannah concluded the siblings’ video with a heartfelt plea to Nancy directly.
“Mommy, if you are hearing this, you are a strong woman. You are God’s precious daughter, Nancy. We believe and know that even in this valley, He is with you,” the TV journalist said. “Everyone is looking for you, Mommy, everywhere. We will not rest. Your children will not rest until we are together again. We speak to you every moment. And we pray without ceasing, and we rejoice in advance that the day that we hold you in our arms again. We love you, Mom.”
The next day, Savannah’s brother issued a stern message of his own to Nancy’s presumed captor. (There are no current suspects in Nancy’s disappearance, but local police haven’t ruled out the possibility of a kidnapping.)
“Whoever is out there holding our mother, we want to hear from you. We haven’t heard anything directly,” Camron said in a February 5 social media video. “We need you to reach out and we need a way to communicate with you so we can move forward. But first, we have to know if you have our mom. We want to talk to you and we are waiting for contact.”
That same day, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) made one arrest for an “imposter ransom demand.”
“You will get more on that from the FBI and our U.S. Attorney’s office here in Arizona when it becomes available,” FBI Phoenix Special Agent in Charge Heith Janke said in a press conference. “We are continuing in a normal kidnapping case, there would be contact by now trying to discuss that, but those are the time frames we’re looking at as we move forward.”
Nancy shared Savannah, Annie and Camron with her late husband, Charles Guthrie, who died in 1988 after a heart attack at age 49.
