Savannah Guthrie begs mother's kidnappers: 'Tell us where to look' six months after disappearance

The disappearance

Nancy Guthrie, 84, was last seen on the evening of 31 January 2026 at her home north of Tucson, Arizona, after having dinner with her older daughter. She failed to arrive at a friend's house the next morning to watch a virtual church service, and her family reported her missing on 1 February. A doorbell camera recorded a masked man, apparently armed with a holstered handgun, at her front door in the early hours of 1 February. Police found traces of her blood near the entrance. The FBI and Pima County Sheriff's Department have treated the case as a kidnapping for ransom.

Ransom demands and investigation

In the days after the disappearance, several ransom notes were sent to news outlets. The first demanded millions of dollars in Bitcoin for her release. A later note, received in late June, claimed that Nancy Guthrie had died shortly after being taken and that her death was not intentional. The FBI has said some of the notes were fake attempts at extortion while other ransom demands could be potentially legitimate and remain under investigation; the agency has not said which or how many. US media, citing unnamed sources, report that two of the notes are treated as credible: the Bitcoin demand and the one claiming she had died. The family offered a $1 million reward for information leading to her return, and the FBI added $100,000.

A direct appeal

On Monday, 27 July, days before the six-month mark, Savannah Guthrie posted a video on Instagram addressing the person or people responsible. She described her family's ongoing anguish and made a direct request.

“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.”

She said the family had "done our part" and would never stop searching. The video did not address whether she believes her mother is still alive, despite the earlier note claiming her death.

Family's ordeal

Savannah Guthrie, 54, took a leave from NBC's "Today" show after the disappearance and returned on 6 April. In a March interview on NBC, she spoke about the ransom demands, saying some were fake but that she and her siblings believed two were real. Nancy Guthrie, who has a pacemaker and requires daily medication, had retired from a communications role at the University of Arizona in 2007. In the new video, Savannah Guthrie said the family is living "a nightmare that will not end." She ended with a broader appeal: "No matter where we've been and what we've done, I believe there is always a way home. Please make the right choice."

What's next

The investigation remains active, with no arrests announced. Authorities have not disclosed a motive. The FBI continues to ask anyone with information to come forward.