“Today” anchor Savannah Guthrie has issued a desperate plea to the public for help in finding her missing mother, Nancy, describing the 84-year-old’s disappearance as a “nightmare” and admitting that they are in an “hour of desperation” as a reported ransom deadline for the grandmother looms.
In a new video posted to her Instagram account on Monday, Savannah, 54, thanked her fans and followers for all of their thoughts and prayers, before asking for more help in tracking down her missing mother.
“We are at an hour of desperation,” she said. “We believe our mom is still out there. She was taken and we don’t know where.”
She continued: “Law enforcement is working tirelessly around the clock, trying to bring her home, trying to find her. She was taken, and we don’t know where, and we need your help.
“I’m coming on just to ask you, not just for your prayers, but no matter where you are, even if you’re far from Tucson, if you see anything, you hear anything, if there’s anything at all that seems strange to you, that you report to law enforcement.”
She posted the video along with another plea to the public, writing in the caption: “Please. Bring her home. We need you. She needs you. All of you.”
In the wake of the video, the FBI issued a statement confirming that its agents are working around the clock to bring Nancy home, saying, according to NBC News: “Additional personnel from FBI field offices across the country continue to deploy to Tucson.
“We are currently operating a 24-hour command post that includes crisis management experts, analytic support, and investigative teams.”
Anyone with any information about Nancy Guthrie’s case should call 1-800-CALL-FBI or visit https://tips.fbi.gov/home.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department then issued an additional statement, noting that investigations at Nancy’s home is expected to “continue tonight and into tomorrow as part of the ongoing process.”
This includes “the expansion of the search and follow-up on new leads,” the spokesperson noted, adding that details from the investigation are not being released in order to “preserve” its “integrity.”
Savannah’s latest clip marks the first video that the mother of two has posted alone since her mom disappeared, having previously shared several clips alongside her siblings, Annie and Cameron, as well as a solo video of her brother.
Hours before the latest clip was shared, Savannah and her siblings told their missing mother Nancy’s alleged kidnappers that they “will pay” a reported $6 million ransom for her safe return—as police ramp up their search for the 84-year-old, who disappeared from her Arizona home more than a week ago.
Savannah appeared in another heartbreaking social media video on Saturday night in which she and her siblings, Annie and Cameron, issued a plea to anyone involved in Nancy’s disappearance, begging them to get in touch and return their mother to them.
“We received your message and we understand,” Savannah says in an apparent reference to a ransom note that was sent to multiple news outlets last week, in which Nancy’s alleged kidnappers demanded a reported $6 million be sent to them in Bitcoin.
“We beg you now to return our mother to us so that we can celebrate with her. This is the only way we will have peace. This is very valuable to us and we will pay.”
The message came hours before the Pima County Sheriff’s Department confirmed to media on Sunday that it has “not identified any suspects, persons of interest, or vehicles connected to this case,” while confirming that the Guthrie family has requested that officers continue to guard Nancy’s home moving forward.
As Savanah remains absent from the “Today” show, her former co-host, Hoda Kotb, returned to the studio to fill in for her friend, telling Craig Melvin that she was “happy” to be able to “show up” for her on-air family when it really matters.
“You know what, Craig, we always talk about our show is a family. We are a family,” Kotb said on Monday’s episode. “I’m part of the family, and I’m happy to be with you because we show up for each other.”
While authorities have revealed little information about the contents of the alleged ransom notes that were sent to multiple news outlets, reports have stated that one message, which was sent to local Tucson organization, KGUN 9, contained a deadline of 5 p.m. on Monday—demanding that $6 million be sent before that time.
A video that was posted by KGUN 9 about the ransom note has since been deleted.
Law enforcement sources told NBC News that the latest video posted by Savannah was in direct response to this latest note, which comes days after similar—but as yet unverified—messages were sent to Arizona news station KOLD and national entertainment outlet TMZ.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department and local FBI agents involved in the investigation have not held an official media briefing since Feb. 5, and have stated that they will not hold another press conference unless they have a significant update to share in Nancy’s case.
However, images and videos taken at Nancy’s home on Feb. 6 showed investigators carrying out a search of her rooftop—while officers were also seen visiting the home of Annie and her husband, Tommaso Cioni in what the sheriff’s department said was a standard step in their investigation.
Officers reportedly removed a vehicle and a camera from Nancy’s property, according to Page Six.
A septic tank on the property was also seen being searched, according to Fox 10 Phoenix.
Nancy was last seen at her home at around 9:45 p.m. on Jan. 31, when she was dropped off at the property by family members following a dinner. An official timeline shared by authorities suggests that she disappeared from her home at around 2:00 a.m. on Feb. 1.
On Saturday, President Donald Trump gave an update to press traveling on-board Air Force One, telling reporters that he understands investigators have found “very strong” clues and is confident “we could have some answers coming up fairly soon.”
“A lot’s taken place in the last couple of hours. A lot of things have happened with regard to that horrible situation,” he added, per TMZ.
During Monday’s “Today” broadcast, Savannah’s co-hosts and friends, Melvin, Kotb, and Carson Daly, issued their own plea to viewers to bear with them in their continued coverage of the case, noting that the show’s team is attempting to “navigate uncharted territory.”
“Our ‘Today’ family continues to navigate uncharted territory, balancing the updates on the search for Savannah’s mom with all the other stories of the day, like we normally do,” Melvin explained. “But we know things are far from normal right now, so folks we are asking for your grace as we continue to do this.”
Kotb noted that, while Savannah—and her entire family—remain their top priority, they know that they are also on screens to do “a job” and are working through the best ways in which to do that.
“I mean, paramount through all of this, Savannah and her family are our top priority. In addition to that, there is also a job to do,” she said.
“And we’re going to do our best,” Daly said. “It’s certainly not easy to do our jobs, and we’re doing that obviously for her and for you too, the viewers.”
Kotb, 61, had been due to travel to Milan, Italy, to cover the Winter Olympics for NBC, along with Savannah, but pulled out of that commitment after Nancy was reported missing.
The mother of two officially stepped down as a “Today” anchor in January 2025, noting at the time that she wanted to prioritize spending more time with her children.
What is the full timeline of Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance?
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos noted during a media briefing on Thursday that, while times are approximate, his team has pieced together several pieces of evidence that indicate Nancy’s movements—and the timeline of her apparent abduction.
Nancy, 84, was reported missing at around 12 p.m. local time on Feb. 1, around 14 hours after she was dropped off at the property following a family dinner. When she failed to turn up at her usual church service on Sunday, members of the congregation alerted her family, who found her home was empty.
SATURDAY, JAN. 31
5:32 p.m. Nancy travels to Annie’s house in an Uber for “dinner and playing games with the family.”
9:48 p.m. A garage door at Nancy’s house opens when she was dropped off at the property by her daughter.
9:50 p.m. The garage door closes, indicating that Nancy was inside the home.
SUNDAY, FEB. 1
1:47 a.m. Nancy’s doorbell security camera is disconnected.
2:12 a.m. Movement is detected on a security camera at the home. No footage of this is currently available.
2:28 a.m. Nancy’s pacemaker app indicates that the device has been disconnected from her phone.
11:56 a.m. Nancy’s family travels to her home to check on her and finds the property empty.
12:03 p.m. The family calls 911 to report Nancy missing.
12:14 p.m. Police officers arrive at Nancy’s home.
While no footage is available from the cameras, Nanos noted that the security camera alerts lead them to believe that a person or persons may have been inside Nancy’s home between 2:12 a.m., when movement was detected, and 2:28 a.m., when her pacemaker stopped syncing with her Apple devices.
Have the authorities identified any suspects or persons of interest in Nancy Guthrie’s case?
On Sunday, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department confirmed that it has not yet identified any suspects, prime suspects, or persons of interest relating to Nancy’s disappearance.
Days earlier, Nanos had cautioned the public and the media against making any accusations or claims about potential suspects until the authorities have officially named someone.
“Nobody is eliminated” from the investigation, he revealed. “We just don’t have enough to say.”
During Thursday’s media briefing, FBI special agent Heith Janke, revealed that his agency is offering a reward of up to $50,000 to anyone who provides information that leads to the recovery of Nancy and/or the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in her disappearance.
He urged anyone who might have been involved to “do the right thing” and bring Nancy back to her family.
“To anyone who may be involved, do the right thing,” he said. “This is an 84-year-old grandma that needs vital medication for her well-being. You still have the time to do the right thing before this becomes a much worse scenario.
“Please return Nancy home.”
Nanos confirmed that his department is aware of the medication that Nancy takes, adding that his detectives have contacted, and will continue to contact, local pharmacies and hospitals that might be able to help provide updates relating to her physical ailments.