Featured Image Credit: The Today Show
Topics: US News, Crime, Police, TV And Film, News
Rhiannon Ingle
Topics: US News, Crime, Police, TV And Film, News
Savannah Guthrie has given her first interview ever since her mother, Nancy, went missing earlier this year (31 January).
The first two parts of the three-part interview aired today (26 March) and saw the 54-year-old Today broadcaster sit down with Hoda Kotb to discuss the distressing ordeal. Part three airs tomorrow (27 March), per Today.
During the interview, Guthrie opened up about what happened when she first found out her 84-year-old mother had disappeared.
"I think my brother, my siblings are so amazing, my brother, he spent his career in the military and worked in intelligence and is a fighter pilot and just brilliant and he saw very clearly right away what this was," she recalled.
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"And even on the phone when I called him, he knew. He said, 'I think she’s been kidnapped for ransom.' And I said, 'What?!'"
Continuing to share that initial conversation with her brother, Camron, Guthrie went on: "It sounds so — how dumb could I be — but I said, 'Do you think because of me?' He said, 'I’m sorry, sweetie, but yeah, maybe'.
"I hope not. I mean, we still don’t know. Honestly, we don’t know anything. We don’t know anything. So I don’t know that it’s because she’s my mom and somebody thought, 'Oh, that lady has money we could make a quick buck'."
Guthrie admitted that such a situation 'would make sense', adding that the thought was 'too much to bear'.
"To think that I brought this to her bedside, that it’s because of me? Can I just say, I’m so sorry, Mommy. I’m sorry to my sister and my brother and my kids and my nephew and Tommy, my brother-in-law. I’m just so sorry. I’m so sorry. If it is me, I’m so sorry," she lamented.
Following the interview, the broadcaster's Today colleagues shared their support with Craig Melvin commiserating: "The fact that our dear friend would blame herself..."
Carson Daly chimed in: "Oh, that was the hardest part."
"That was the hardest part," Melvin agreed. "That she would blame herself for any of this when it was some sicko or sickos out there who would kidnap a woman in the middle of the night."
Elsewhere in the two-part interview, Guthrie issued a desperate message to anyone who may have information on her mother's whereabouts.
"Someone needs to do the right thing," she said through tears in an interview preview clip. "We are in agony. We are in agony. It is unbearable."
The Guthrie family is offering a $1 million reward for her return. The FBI is also offering a $100,000 reward and encouraging anyone with information to call 1-800-CALL-FBI.
Nancy Guthrie took an Uber to her daughter Annie Guthrie’s house for dinner at around 5:32 pm.
She was dropped home by her family a few hours later.
Her garage door opened at approximately 9:48pm and closed at 9:50pm, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said.
“It is that time we assume that Nancy’s home and probably going to bed,” he added.
Nancy’s doorbell camera is disconnected at 1:47am and the software detected movement around 25 minutes later.
At 2:28am, the 84-year-old’s pacemaker app is disconnected from her cellphone.
After Nancy’s friend notified her family that she missed church, they checked on her home at 11:56am and discovered she was missing.
They notified 911 at 12:03pm, and police arrived at 12:15pm.
Sheriff Nanos told CBS News he believed Guthrie was ‘abducted’ in the middle of the night.
“She didn't walk from there. She didn't go willingly,” he added.
Several media outlets reported receiving ‘ransom notes’ which allegedly demanded a large sum of Bitcoin to be sent for Nancy’s release.
Nanos said they were looking into the ‘possible ransom note(s)’ and confirmed the blood found on the porch of Nancy's property was also hers.
Savannah Guthrie and her siblings, Annie and Camron, shared an emotional video on Instagram, pleading for their mother’s return.
“We are ready to talk,” Savannah said. “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.”
The FBI announced a $50,000 reward ‘for information leading to the recovery’ of Nancy.
Camron Guthrie posted another video, saying: “Whoever is out there holding our mother, we want to hear from you.”
Authorities said they were ‘aware of a new message’ which was sent to CBS News' Tucson affiliate KOLD.
The sheriff's department said investigators were ‘conducting follow-up’ at Nancy’s home and ‘surrounding areas’.
Nancy’s children posted a video to social media in which Savannah appeared to address the alleged abductor.
“We received your message, and we understand. We beg you now to return our mother to us so that we can celebrate with her,” she said, before adding: “This is very valuable to us, and we will pay.”
Authorities were seen leaving Annie’s home with a bag after 10:30 pm. As per PEOPLE, one official was reportedly seen wearing blue gloves.
According to FBI Director Kash Patel, they show ‘an armed individual appearing to have tampered with the camera at Nancy Guthrie’s front door the morning of her disappearance’.
Sharing the images on Instagram, Savannah wrote: “We believe she is still alive. Bring her home.”
Authorities announced that they had detained a man for questioning ‘during a traffic stop’; however, he was released the following day.
The FBI said: “The suspect is described as a male, approximately 5’9” - 5’10” tall, with an average build. In the video, he is wearing a black, 25-liter ‘Ozark Trail Hiker Pack’ backpack.”
It also increased the reward to $100,000.
A glove discovered near Nancy’s property appeared to match those worn by the suspect seen on the doorbell camera, the FBI said. It was one of ‘approximately’ 16 collected by authorities.
However, later tests found that it did not have any matches in the national DNA database.
“To be clear … the Guthrie family - to include all siblings and spouses - has been cleared as possible suspects in this case,” Nanos said. “The family has been nothing but cooperative and gracious and are victims in this case.”
In addition to the FBI’s reward, the family announced a personal reward of up to $1 million.
“Somebody knows. We are begging you to please come forward now,” Savannah said.
“Federal prosecutors traditionally work with all levels of law enforcement and have done so throughout this investigation,” said Timothy Courchaine, US Attorney for the District of Arizona.
According to the Associated Press, the Today host was seen placing flowers at the property with her family.
“We feel the love and prayers from our neighbors, from the Tucson community and from around the country,” she penned on Instagram.
"It is unbearable, and to think of what she went through. I wake up every night, in the middle of the night, every night, and in the darkness, I imagine her terror, and it is unthinkable, but those thoughts demand to be thought, and I will not hide my face, but she needs to come home now," Savannah told Today in a preview of the interview ahead of it airing in full.
"We are in agony. It is unbearable. And to think of what she went through.”