‘Today’ show host Savannah Guthrie has released a heartfelt video message directed at the people responsible for her mother’s disappearance, describing the ordeal as a never-ending nightmare nearly six months after her mother went missing.
The video, posted Monday, is the latest in a series of public appeals from the journalist regarding 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, who vanished on February 1 from her residence just outside Tucson, Arizona. Savannah Guthrie made clear that her family has no intention of giving up the search.
“The world can be a cruel and unforgiving place, and I know that you have tried to do things the right way,” she said in the video. “So I’m asking you, begging you, to do the right thing now. Make the right choice. Help us find her. Tell us where to look for her. I truly believe it is never too late to do the right thing.”
Investigators believe Nancy Guthrie was kidnapped or otherwise taken against her will on the night of February 1. Blood was discovered near the front doorstep of her home, and the FBI subsequently released surveillance footage capturing a masked individual on the porch that same evening.
In the weeks following her disappearance, volunteer teams and search crews combed the surrounding desert landscape — an area dense with cactuses, bushes, and boulders. More recently, a volunteer group extended the search to areas near the Arizona-Mexico border. While authorities have not disclosed exactly how many ransom demands were received, three news outlets reported getting such notes and handed them over to investigators.
The FBI has dismissed some of those ransom notes as simple extortion attempts, though the agency has said it continues to evaluate others that may be legitimate. Officials have not specified which notes, if any, are considered credible.
Since her mother’s disappearance, Savannah Guthrie has posted repeatedly on social media about the case. Shortly after Nancy Guthrie went missing, Savannah and her siblings acknowledged awareness of media reports about a supposed ransom letter and expressed willingness to communicate with whoever had their mother — but only if given proof she was still alive. Weeks later, the family announced a $1 million reward for any information leading to Nancy Guthrie’s safe recovery. At that point, Savannah Guthrie also acknowledged for the first time the possibility that her mother may not be alive, while still expressing hope that she could be found.
