"Today" show host Savannah Guthrie shared an emotional video pleading with the public to help locate her missing mother. Savannah announced a $1 million reward for information about her kidnapped mother, Nancy Guthrie, while admitting for the first time—after weeks of desperate searching—that she fears her mother may not be alive.
"We need to know where she is, we need her to come home," the host said in a video posted to her Instagram account on Tuesday. She said the family is still holding on to the belief that Nancy could return home, with her sister Annie saying their search continues by "blowing on the embers of hope."
Hopes Fading
"We also know that she may be lost, she may already be gone. She may have already gone home to the lord that she loves," Savannah Guthrie said through her tears. The journalist said that if Nancy, 84, is dead, the family would come to terms with it — but they are still desperately seeking answers and a sense of closure.
"But we need to know where she is. We need her to come home. For that reason, we are offering a family reward of up to $1 million for any information that leads us to her recovery," Guthrie said.
She made a direct, emotional appeal to Nancy's kidnapper and to anyone who might know where she is, urging them to speak up and saying: "If you've been waiting and you haven't been sure, let this be your sign to please come forward."
"Tell what you know and help us bring our beloved mom home so that we can either celebrate a glorious, miraculous homecoming or celebrate the beautiful, brave, noble and courageous life that she has lived. Please be the light in the dark."
The Guthrie family, while recognizing that countless other families are living through the same nightmare, has donated $500,000 to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Savannah Guthrie shared on Tuesday.
She praised the organization for its tireless efforts and for "helping families who are coping with loss and actively looking for those who are lost."
"We are hoping that the attention that has been given to our mom and our family will extend to all the families like ours, who are in need, and need prayers and need support," Guthrie said.
Questions Arise on Handling of Case
Her emotional announcement of a $1 million reward is being viewed by critics inside the Pima County Sheriff's Department as a reflection of her growing frustration with how the case has been handled. Those critics, including detractors of Sheriff Chris Nanos, believe the investigation should now be taken over by the FBI.
Nancy was last seen at her home just outside Tucson on January 31 and was reported missing the next day. Investigators believe she was taken against her will — whether through kidnapping, abduction, or another form of force.
Droplets of her blood were found on the front porch, but beyond that, authorities have shared very few details publicly. No arrests have been made, and there have been no confirmed leads so far.
On Friday, the sheriff's department said it is "not ruling out the possibility that more than one person may be involved."
Investigators later released footage showing an unidentified person standing at Nancy's front door in the early morning hours of February 1.
Sources told ABC that investigators believe the suspect may have visited Nancy's home before the abduction, pointing to images that show the person at her door without the backpack and gun seen in other footage.
