Savannah Guthrie cannot help but blame herself for the kidnapping of her own mother.
On Thursday, the 54-year-old journalist sat down for her first interview since Nancy Guthrie disappeared last month with Hoda Kotb for The Today Show to discuss the tragedy. Savannah shared that it started like a normal weekend for her and her family, but then she received a phone call from her sister, Annie Guthrie, who delivered the worst possible news: their 84-year-old mom was missing.
At first, she and her family thought Nancy had a medical episode in the middle of the night and called an ambulance. They quickly called all the hospitals in the area, but none had any record of her. And Savannah said her brother Camron Guthrie, a former fighter pilot in the military who also worked in intelligence, knew this wasn’t a case of her wandering off in the middle of the night. According to the anchor, Nancy had a back problem that prevented her from walking to the mailbox most days. All signs — the doors propped open, blood on the front doorstep, and the ring camera yanked off — pointed to the worst happening. Camron believed their mom had been kidnapped for ransom.
Related: Police Issue Important WARNING Amid Nancy Guthrie Case!
When Camron told Savannah that during a phone conversation, she was in disbelief and then a heartbreaking thought crossed her mind. Breaking down in tears, she recalled:
“I said, ‘Do you think it’s because of me?’ And he said, ‘I’m sorry, sweetie, but yeah, maybe.’ But I knew that. I hope not. I mean, we still don’t know. Honestly, we don’t know anything. We don’t know anything. So I don’t know that it’s because she’s my mom and somebody thought, ‘Oh, that girl, that lady has money, we can make a quick buck.’ I mean, that would make sense, but we don’t know.”
However, Savannah thinks that is “probably” the case, “which is too much to bear” for her, and she apologized directly to her mom and family:
“To think that I brought this to her bedside, that it’s because of me. And I just have to say, I’m so sorry, mommy. I am so sorry. I’m sorry to my sister and my brother and my kids and my nephew and Tommy, my brother-in-law. I’m just like, I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry. If it is me, I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry.”
It breaks our heart that Savannah feels so much guilt. She is not to blame here. The person or persons who kidnapped an innocent woman are.
As of right now, no suspect(s) have been identified by authorities. There were reports that Savannah’s brother-in-law, Tommaso Cioni, could be a “prime suspect” in the never-ending case. Others speculated Annie, his wife, also could have been involved since she was the last person to see Nancy before she disappeared without a trace. The entire Guthrie family, including all spouses, has been ruled out as suspects, per Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos.
Amid the investigation, the FBI released footage of a person in a mask outside of Nancy’s home in Arizona who appeared to have a gun. Seeing that video, understandably, horrified Savannah. She told Hoda:
“I mean, it’s just absolutely terrifying. It’s just totally terrifying. I can’t imagine that that is who she saw standing over her bed. I can’t — it’s too much.”
Savannah thanked the investigators and tech companies for being “able to find that video,” especially so people can stop the “cruel” speculation that her family had something to do with Nancy’s kidnapping:
“So I hope at least with people of good heart and compassion stop the irresponsible and cruel speculation that had started to swirl. I’m glad that people saw what came to our door.”
When asked about the “cruel speculation” that Nancy’s kidnapper could be a family member, Savannah replied:
“It’s unbearable and it piles pain upon pain. There are no words. There are no words. I don’t understand, I’ll never understand. And no one took better care of my mom than my sister and my brother-in-law. No one protected my mom more than my brother. We love her and she is our shining light. She is our matriarch. She’s all we have.”
Unfortunately, Savannah and her family weren’t able to deal with this situation in peace. She said people were following her and her family, who weren’t “respectful,” and they had to move to different houses several times until they found a safe place. Awful. Those days, according to Savannah, “are a blur,” adding:
“Crying and praying.”
Our thoughts remain with Savannah and her family. We hope they get answers soon. Watch the full interview (below):
Savannah Guthrie and her family are offering up to $1 million for information that leads to the recovery of Nancy Guthrie. NOTE: The family reward of up to $1 million will be paid only for recovery of Nancy Guthrie, consistent with FBI criteria for payment of its reward in this case: https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/kidnap/nancy-guthrie.
Authorities have encouraged anyone with information or tips to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI, 88-CRIME or tips.fbi.gov. You can also contact the Pima County Sheriff’s office by calling 520-351-4900 or submitting a tip HERE.
[Image via TODAY/YouTube, Savannah Guthrie/Instagram]
