Today show hosts began their morning with a resounding call for support and prayers after host Savannah Guthrie’s mother was abducted from her home.
Guthrie’s mother, Nancy, 84, has been missing from her home in Arizona since Saturday. Her family reported her missing the next day, and Guthrie publicly acknowledged her mother’s disappearance on Monday.
Today hosts and Guthrie’s colleagues Sheinelle Jones and Craig Melvin dedicated the beginning of their Tuesday morning show to Guthrie and her mother. Jones called Nancy “a beloved part” of the Today family.
The hosts revealed that Guthrie remains with her family in Arizona as the search for her mother continues.
They also shared Guthrie’s emotional statement, released on social media yesterday. Melville and Jones read their colleague’s plea for support and prayers aloud.
“Thank you for lifting your prayers with ours for our beloved mom, our dearest Nancy, a woman of deep conviction, a good and faithful servant,” Guthrie, 54, wrote on Instagram. Raise your prayers with us and believe with us that she will be lifted by them in this very moment."
“Bring her home,” she concluded.
The hosts then turned to NBC News Correspondent Liz Kreutz and Crime Reporter Tom Winters, who each contributed reporting on the story. Winters dissected the nature of the crime, saying that it’s “very clear” that local law enforcement needs the public’s help in this process.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos told Kreutz that the investigation is “a race against time” and that he hopes the “window hasn’t closed.” Nanos also addressed the potential abductor in a separate interview with NBC, saying, “Just call us. Let her go. Just call us. The family will tell you, there’s no questions asked here.”
Melvin added that it’s “alarming” that Nancy was “taken from her home.”
The Today anchors concluded by encouraging the public to help however they can.
“Again, if you’re watching or listening and if you have any information about this case, we urge you to call the Pima County Sheriff’s office,” said Melvin.
Members of the Guthrie family reported Nancy missing after she failed to appear at church on Sunday, according to the Arizona Department of Public Safety. Nancy’s belongings, including her wallet, cell phone, and vehicle, were still in her home, the department said.
Police sources have said blood has been found in the home of the Today show host’s mother. There were also signs of forced entry.
Guthrie, 54, was set to host an Olympic edition of the Today show and scheduled to travel to Italy on Friday. She has reportedly cancelled those plans amid the ongoing investigation into her mother’s whereabouts. In a statement read by her co-hosts on Monday, Guthrie said, “Right now, our focus remains on the safe return of our dear mom.”
