Savannah Guthrie begs mother's kidnappers to 'do the right thing' in new video six months after abduction
Six months after Nancy Guthrie was taken from her Arizona home, the Today host released a personal video on Instagram directly addressing her mother's abductors, urging them to come forward with information.
A mother's disappearance
Nancy Guthrie, 84, was last seen on the night of January 31 at her home in Tucson, Arizona. She failed to attend her usual Sunday church service the next morning, prompting family concern. The Pima County Sheriff's Department responded and found evidence suggesting forced entry, treating the case as a presumed kidnapping. The FBI quickly joined the investigation. Over the following weeks, a reward escalated from $100,000 to $200,000 to $1 million by February 24. Despite an outpouring of public interest and more than 13,000 tips, authorities have not located Nancy or made any arrests.
Investigation timeline
- Nancy Guthrie disappears from her Tucson home overnight.
- Presumed kidnapping declared; FBI joins the search.
- FBI releases footage of masked person of interest from damaged Ring doorbell cam.
- Reward increased to $1 million.
- Savannah Guthrie returns to co-hosting Today after leave.
- Guthrie posts new Instagram video directly addressing kidnappers.
Savannah's new call to action
On Monday, July 27, Savannah Guthrie broke a months-long public silence, posting a video to Instagram directly addressing her mother's kidnappers for the first time since April. She had returned to her co-hosting duties on NBC's Today show on April 6, following an extended leave. In the new video, she described the family's ongoing torment.
It has been months since our mom was taken from us. Our family is in agony. We are in a nightmare that will not end. Nothing about our situation has changed. We have done our part, and we will never stop looking for her. We will always ache for her and feel that hole in our hearts.
Guthrie then turned to the abductors, delivering a direct and personal appeal.
The world can be a cruel and unforgiving place, and I know that you have tried to do things the right way. 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. Help us bring this situation to an end. For all of us, no matter where we've been and what we've done, I believe there is always a way home. Please make the right choice.
The weight of six months
The new plea comes just days before the six-month anniversary of the disappearance. In earlier videos, Guthrie had expressed a grim acceptance of the possibility that her mother might be dead. "She may already be gone. She may have already gone home to the lord that she loves and is dancing in heaven," she said on February 24. Yet she has never stopped asking for information, emphasizing that the family simply needs to know what happened to Nancy. The $1 million reward remains in effect, and the FBI continues to appeal for tips.
