Savannah Guthrie is marking six months without her beloved mother, Nancy Guthrie, with a deeply personal appeal for the information her family desperately needs.
The Today co-anchor shared a photograph of Nancy on Instagram Saturday, Aug. 1, one day after authorities released two purported ransom notes connected to her disappearance.
Savannah Guthrie Says Her Family’s ‘Hearts Are in Ruins’
“This is our beautiful Mom,” Savannah began her anniversary message. “Six months ago, someone took her out of her bed in the dead of night. We have lived every moment, every breath, and every heartbeat in agony and despair ever since,” she continued.
Savannah said her family has tried to carry on with the strength and optimism Nancy taught them. Behind that effort, however, is a grief that has touched every part of their lives. She wrote that her family spends each day thinking about Nancy and searching for answers.
View this post on Instagram
She added, “Cam and Kristine, Annie and Tommy, Mike and me — we spend every waking moment thinking of her, longing for her, looking for her. There is a hole inside us that can never be filled. There is an ache that cannot be softened. And there is a determination in us that cannot be quenched — to find out what happened to her, so that we can give her the dignity of a proper goodbye — a celebration of her remarkable life that she so deserves.”
The timing of the post carried its own significance. Savannah shared it at 1:47 a.m. in Arizona, the beginning of the window during which investigators believe Nancy was taken from her Tucson home.
Savannah Begs Anyone With Information to Come Forward
NDZ/Star Max/GC Images
Savannah directed part of her message toward people who may recognize the language in the newly released notes or may have noticed troubling changes in someone close to them. “We are begging for help. We are desperate. We need someone to come forward,” she wrote.
She acknowledged that a person with information might feel frightened, conflicted, or reluctant to implicate someone they love. Savannah stressed that tips can be provided anonymously and that a reward remains available. “There is a way out – to tell what you know. You can do so anonymously. The reward is available. There is a way to end this situation and do the right thing,” she said.
Nancy Guthrie Ransom Notes Released After 6 Months
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department released the full contents of two communications on Friday, July 31. The first, sent Feb. 2, demanded $4 million in bitcoin and threatened to raise the amount to $6 million if an initial deadline passed. A second message arrived four days later and claimed Nancy had died soon after being taken. It also alleged that she had been buried outdoors.
Authorities have not verified those claims, Nancy has not been found, and no arrests have been made. The Associated Press reported that investigators released the notes, hoping someone would recognize the writer’s language.
The authenticity of the communications remains contested. Reuters reported July 1 that federal investigators did not believe the notes were genuine, citing an FBI official and another law enforcement source.
Family Will Not Stop Searching for Nancy Guthrie
Nancy, 84, was last seen Jan. 31 after relatives dropped her off at her Tucson home. Investigators believe she was taken early the next morning. Savannah also asked the public to remember that a real family is living through the case. “If you are following this story for entertainment or for profit, you are not on her side – you are part of the harm perpetrated against her,” she wrote.
Despite six months of uncertainty, Savannah said her family remains guided by faith. “We will always be hoping and praying and believing in the best of our world – in spite of circumstance. This is what our faith makes possible,” she wrote. “Please. Bring her home.”
Anyone with information about Nancy’s disappearance is asked to please contact 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or the Pima County Sheriff’s Department at 520-351-4900.
