A visibly upset Savannah Guthrie expressed her anguish over her mother, Nancy Guthrie, possibly being kidnapped from her home in Arizona, likely tied to Savannah’s public persona. “I’m so sorry, Mom. I’m so sorry,” she said, overcome with emotion.
In her first interview since Nancy’s disappearance nearly two months ago, the NBC anchor shared feelings of intense guilt regarding her mother’s situation. Guthrie, in a heartfelt conversation with her former co-host Hoda Kotb that aired on Thursday, said, “I can’t bear to think that I brought this to her bedside…and it’s my fault.”
“I’m so sorry, Mom. I’m so sorry…my sister, my brother, my children, my nephews, my brother-in-law. If it were me, I’d be so sorry,” she added, reflecting on her family’s distress.
“I don’t know if someone assumed because she’s my mom that maybe, ‘Oh, she’s got money, she’s going to make money quickly,’ but it’s a possibility,” she noted.
This interview, split into two parts, marks her first public remarks since her mother went missing on February 1.
Authorities believe a masked individual seen in surveillance footage near Nancy’s front door the night she vanished may have abducted her.
Guthrie recounted receiving a jarring phone call from her sister, Annie, who informed her that their mother was missing from church. Initially, she feared there had been a medical emergency regarding their grandmother.
“My sister called and said, ‘Are you okay?’ And she replied, ‘No, Mommy’s not here,'” Guthrie recalled, as Kotb wiped tears during their emotional discussion.
The family initially speculated that Nancy had been rushed to the hospital for an emergency, especially since the back door was ajar. However, upon finding Nancy’s belongings untouched, including her phone and wallet, they became increasingly concerned.
When they discovered blood on the porch and noted the doorbell camera had been removed, their worst fears materialized, leading them to suspect a kidnapping for ransom.
“It’s absolutely horrifying,” Guthrie remarked about the masked figure caught on camera.
“I can’t even imagine who that could be… I saw her standing on the bed. That’s just too much,” she said.
She mentioned the family believes only two ransom demands they’ve received have some credibility, stating, “There are many notes, most of which I think aren’t real.”
“But we think those two notes we got are genuine,” she added, expressing disdain for those who send fake demands to families in distress.
Updates on Savannah Guthrie’s Missing Mother
In response to the situation, Guthrie and her siblings released emotional video messages on social media pleading for their mother’s safe return and asking for proof that she is still alive.
“It’s surreal,” she expressed about making such a video. “How is it possible that we have to take a video? We’re begging the kidnapper who took an 84-year-old woman in her pajamas, no shoes, in the middle of the night.”
Despite a $1 million reward and heartfelt pleas, progress in the investigation seems to have stalled as the case continues to grip the nation.
As the investigation approaches two months without a suspect identified, both the Pima County Sheriff’s Department and the FBI assured the public that they are still pursuing leads.
Through tears, Guthrie urged anyone with information to come forward, saying, “Someone needs to do the right thing. She needs to come home now.”
As the search enters its 54th day, Guthrie remains optimistic and thinks of her mother in the “present tense.”
“My mom is an amazing person,” she stated, adding, “She has such quiet strength and humor, while being a person of deep faith. She’s just genuine, without any false pretenses.”
The interview aired in a challenging moment for the investigation led by Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos, who has faced criticism regarding his management of earlier cases, including allegations of prematurely treating Nancy’s home as a crime scene and not collaborating adequately with the FBI.
