Savannah Guthrie and her family are speaking out following the disappearance of her 84-year-old mom, Nancy Guthrie.
“On behalf of our family we want to thank all of you for the prayers for our beloved mom, Nancy. We feel them and we continue to believe that she feels them too,” Savannah, 54, began a Wednesday, February 4, Instagram video while sitting alongside sister Annie and brother Camron Guthrie. “Our mom is a kind, faithful, loyal, fiercely loving woman of goodness and light. She is funny, spunky and clever. She has grandchildren who adore her and crowd around her and cover he with kisses. She loves fun and adventure. She is a devoted friend. She is full of kindness and knowledge. Talk to her and you’ll see.”
Annie then began to speak, noting that the “light” is missing from her and her siblings’ lives without their mom. “Nancy is our mother, we are her children. She is our beacon,” she shared. “She holds fast to joy and all of life’s circumstances. She chooses joy day after day despite having already passed through great trials of pain and grief. We are always going to be merely human. Just normal human people who need our mom. Mama, if you’re listening we need you to come home. We miss you.”
Savannah added that Nancy is the family’s “heart and home” before pointing out that she is 84 years old and “her health” and “her heart” are “fragile” as she lives in “constant pain” and needs “medicine to survive.”
Savannah then addressed the alleged ransom note that was sent to TMZ and other news outlets earlier this week.
“We too have heard the reports about a ransom letter in the media,” she said. “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. 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.”
She concluded, “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. 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 hte day that we hold you in our arms again. We love you mom.”
Camron lastly chimed in with his sisters, saying, “We love you mom. Stay strong.
The post was captioned, “Bring her home.”
Nancy was reported missing in Arizona on Sunday, February 1, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department confirmed. She was last seen on Saturday, January 31. She is described as 5-foot-5 and 150 pounds with brown hair and blue eyes.
In a statement to NBC News on Monday, February 2, the Guthrie family said, “We can confirm this is a missing persons case, and the family is working closely with local law enforcement.”
Nancy is believed to have gone missing from her home outside Tucson. Local police suspect she may have been taken.
“Something unusual at that house occurred that made us go, ‘Wow, something’s wrong here. Something doesn’t fit,’” Pima Country Sheriff Chris Nanos exclusively shared with Us Weekly on Monday. “We’re gonna pull all the stops and go at all angles. We really do hope it’s a search-and-rescue mission and we find her and she’s safe and sound. But it would be unjust if we didn’t look at what’s in front of us and go, ‘We need to act.’”
“This is an 84-year-old lady who is safe in her own home asleep, and she is taken,” Nanos added. “And that should never happen.”
Savannah was absent from the Monday edition of the Today show on NBC as news broke of her mother’s disappearance. Sheinelle Jones filled in for her alongside Craig Melvin. The duo opened the show with a statement from Savannah.
“On behalf of our family, I want to thank everyone for the thoughts, prayers and messages of support. Right now, our focus remains on the safe return of our dear mom,” the statement read. “We thank law enforcement for their hard work on this case and encourage anyone with information to contact the Pima County Sheriff’s Department at 520-351-4900.”
On Monday night, Savannah shared an emotional Instagram post asking followers to send prayers as the search continued for Nancy.
“We believe in prayer. We believe in voices raised in unison, in love, in hope. We believe in goodness. We believe in humanity. Above all, we believe in Him,” Savannah wrote via Instagram on Monday, February 2, alongside a “Please Pray” graphic. “Thank you for lifting your prayers with ours for our beloved mom, our dearest Nancy, a woman of deep conviction, a good and faithful servant. Raise your prayers with us and believe with us that she will be lifted by them in this very moment.”
The Today show cohost shared a Bible verse as well, writing, “We need you. ‘He will keep in perfect peace those whose hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord.’ A verse of Isaiah for all time for all of us.”
“Bring her home,” Savannah concluded her post.
“Non stop prayers — love you my girl xo,” Savannah’s former Today cohost Hoda Kotb commented on the post.
Journalist Katie Couric commented, “Sending love to you Savannah and your entire family. Holding all of you in our hearts and keeping the faith that your mom will be with you again soon. ❤️”
The sheriff’s department shared earlier on Wednesday that they have not identified a suspect or motive despite an unverified report claiming Savannah’s brother-in-law and Annie’s husband, Tommaso Cioni, was considered a potential suspect.
“At this point, investigators have not identified a suspect or person of interest in this case. Detectives continue to speak with anyone who may have had contact with Mrs. Guthrie,” read a statement from the police department. “Detectives are working closely with the Guthrie family. While we appreciate the public’s concern, the sharing of unverified accusations or false information is irresponsible and does not assist the investigation. No suspect or person of interest has been identified at this time.”
