Savannah Guthrie, 54, delivered an emotional plea for help on Tuesday’s Today show broadcast after a new report revealed that a message sent following her mother’s abduction claimed Nancy Guthrie had died.
Nancy Guthrie, 84, was reported missing on Feb. 1 after she was allegedly kidnapped from her home. NBC News correspondent Liz Kreutz revealed that a message sent to media outlets in the weeks that followed stated that Nancy was dead. According to three people familiar with the matter, the communication did not include a ransom demand or any request for payment in exchange for the return of her body.
Following the report, Guthrie addressed viewers directly from the Today studio on Tuesday morning, where she was joined by co-hosts Craig Melvin, Al Roker, Carson Daly and Jenna Bush Hager. While stressing that she is not involved in the network’s reporting on the case, the longtime NBC anchor said she felt compelled to speak.
“This is unusual and unprecedented, to say the least, to be sitting here,” Guthrie said. “I don’t have any comment on this story, and I’m not involved in our coverage, but I can’t pretend I’m not here.”
Fighting back tears, Guthrie urged anyone with information to come forward, saying her family continues to live in agony with the uncertainty surrounding her mother’s disappearance every day.
“Somebody knows something,” she said. “This is a news story today that is on your radar, but this is the life that my sister lives, that I live, that my brother lives, that our extended families live, that our children live, every day. And we are in agony. We cannot be at peace.”
The 54-year-old journalist said that despite trying to maintain a sense of normalcy while appearing on television each morning, the pain of not knowing what happened to her mother remains overwhelming.
“No matter how much I try to come out here every day and smile and find that joy—and I will, I promise I will - this is a moment to tell you that we need your help,” she said. “We’re begging for your help.”
Guthrie also reminded viewers that her family is offering a $1 million reward for information that could help bring answers in the case. She emphasized that tips can be submitted anonymously.
“Please do the right thing for us, for our family, for our children,” she said. “We love our mom, and we’ll never stop looking for her, ever.”
Craig Melvin praised Guthrie’s decision to appear on the broadcast following the report, calling her “bravery and courage” in returning to work amid the ongoing case “nothing short of remarkable.”
Anyone with information regarding Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance is encouraged to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI.
