In a deeply personal crisis that has captured national attention, NBC News’ “Today” show co-anchor Savannah Guthrie issued a tearful public appeal Wednesday evening for the safe return of her abducted mother. The 54-year-old journalist, flanked by family members, directly addressed the unknown captors of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie in a video posted to her social media channels.
Guthrie’s emotional statement emphasized the urgent need for verification of her mother’s wellbeing, noting that “voices and images are easily manipulated” in the digital age. “We need to know without a doubt that she is alive and that you have her,” she pleaded, visibly distraught. “We want to hear from you and we are ready to listen.”
The situation developed after Nancy Guthrie failed to attend her regular Sunday church service in Pima County, Arizona, prompting concern among family and community members. Local law enforcement officials confirmed they were treating the disappearance as a criminal investigation. “She did not leave on her own, we know that,” Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos stated during a Monday press conference, describing the elder Guthrie’s home as an active “crime scene.”
The case has drawn attention at the highest levels of government, with former President Donald Trump announcing on his Truth Social platform that he had spoken with Savannah Guthrie and was directing “ALL Federal Law Enforcement to be at the family’s, and Local Law Enforcement’s, complete disposal, IMMEDIATELY.” The former president added that authorities were “deploying all resources to get her mother home safely.”
In her appeal, Guthrie highlighted her mother’s fragile medical condition, explaining that Nancy lives with chronic pain and requires medication both for survival and comfort. “She is without any medicine. She needs it to survive, and she needs it not to suffer,” the journalist explained, adding that her family was aware of media reports regarding ransom demands and was working to do “everything that we can” to secure Nancy’s release.
The broadcast personality concluded her message with a direct address to her missing parent: “Mommy, if you are hearing this, you are a strong woman. You are God’s precious daughter, Nancy.” The investigation continues as law enforcement agencies at local, state, and federal levels collaborate to resolve the alarming case.