More than three weeks after the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, her daughter Savannah Guthrie is making a heartfelt appeal to the public — and backing it with a substantial reward. Nancy Guthrie was reported missing after she failed to appear at a friend’s home to watch a livestreamed church service. In the weeks since, the family has posted updates online, at times addressing individuals who sent a ransom note to a local TV station demanding bitcoin.
In an emotional video shared Tuesday, the “Today” co-anchor announced that her family is offering up to $1 million for information that leads to the recovery of her 84-year-old mother, who investigators say was abducted from her Tucson home in the early hours of Feb. 1.
Guthrie said through tears: “It is Day 24 since our mom was taken in the dark of night from her bed, and every hour and minute and second and every long night has been agony since then of worrying about her and fearing for her and aching for her and most of all just missing her.” While the family continues to hold onto hope, she acknowledged the painful uncertainty surrounding the case. “We still believe in a miracle,” she said. “We also know she may be lost. She may be gone.” At one point, Guthrie reflected that her mother may have “already gone home to the Lord that she loves and is dancing in heaven with her mom and her dad and with her beloved brother Pierce and with our daddy. If this is what is to be, then we will accept it. But we need to know where she is.”
The newly announced family reward, combined with a previously offered $100,000 from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, brings the total potential reward to $1.2 million. According to sources familiar with the decision, the family had been prepared to fund the reward earlier but initially followed advice to wait. Investigators have released doorbell camera images showing a masked individual wearing gloves outside Nancy Guthrie’s home and appearing to tamper with a security camera. A glove recovered near the property contained unknown DNA that did not match profiles in a federal database. Authorities are now exploring genetic genealogy as a possible avenue for identifying a suspect. Law enforcement officials have also confirmed that Guthrie’s siblings and their spouses have been cleared.
The Guthries are also seeking to support others facing similar heartbreak, with the family announcing a $500,000 donation to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. “We know there are millions of families that have suffered with this kind of uncertainty,” Guthrie said, expressing hope that the attention surrounding her mother’s disappearance will shine a light on other missing persons cases. As she closed her message, Guthrie made one final plea: “Somebody know. And we are begging you to come forward now. Tell what you know and help us bring our beloved mom home so we can either celebrate the glorious, miraculous homecoming or celebrate the beautiful, brave and courageous and noble life that she has lived. Please be the light in the dark.”
The FBI in Phoenix said in a statement on Tuesday, “If you have firsthand knowledge of Nancy’s whereabouts or any information about where she may be located, please contact the FBI tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324). To help keep the tip line available for actionable investigative law enforcement leads, please submit only serious and detailed fact-based information – no well-wishes or case theories. The tip line is not for personal messages to the Guthrie family.”
Anyone with information is urged to call 911, the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI, or the Pima County Sheriff’s Department at 520-351-4900.
Editorial credit: lev radin / Shutterstock.com
