Share and Follow
For over ten years, viewers of NBC’s “Today” show have embraced Nancy Guthrie, the cherished mother of Savannah Guthrie, one of the program’s longstanding hosts.
“She’s lived a life of integrity and loyalty,” Savannah Guthrie remarked four years ago while celebrating her mother’s 80th birthday. Her admiration was clear as she praised her mom’s unwavering honesty and faith, describing her as an inspiration and a truth-teller, regardless of whether the truth is easy to hear.
Recently, Savannah Guthrie has turned to the public for support, requesting prayers for her 84-year-old mother’s safe return. Authorities suspect that Nancy Guthrie was taken against her will over the weekend from her home in Tucson, Arizona, where she resides alone.
The investigation, according to a source close to the case, does not point toward this being a robbery or a kidnapping for ransom. The source, who is not authorized to discuss the details publicly, shared this information with the Associated Press under the condition of anonymity.
Authorities don’t believe the abduction was part of a robbery or kidnapping-for-ransom plot, according to a person familiar with the investigation, who was not authorized to publicly discuss details of the case and spoke to the AP on condition of an anonymity.
Her disappearance has shaken NBC’s flagship morning show, where Nancy Guthrie made occasional appearances. She once took part in a cooking demonstration and has shown up on the set to surprise her daughter.
“For all of us who’ve gotten to know her and love her, it is personal,” an emotional Jenna Bush Hager, one of the show’s hosts said during Tuesday’s broadcast.
Savannah Guthrie, who was not at the anchor’s desk Tuesday, has described her mom over the years as adventurous, curious and selfless.
“She has met unthinkable challenges in her life with grit, without self-pity, with determination and always, always with unshakeable faith,” Savannah Guthrie said in 2022.
She credited her mom with holding their family together after her father died of a heart attack at age 49, when Savannah Guthrie — the youngest of three siblings — was just 16.
“When my dad died, our family just hung onto each other for dear life because it was such a shock. We were just trying to figure out how to become a family of four when we’d always been a family of five,” she said on “Today” in 2017.
The loss of her father, a man Savannah Guthrie described as having a big personality and unshakeable integrity, brought the family closer.
Both daughters decided to live at home during college and made sure that their mother wasn’t alone on weekends, Savannah Guthrie said.
“My mom did such a unique and amazing job to create this foundation for us,” Savannah’s older sister Annie said during an appearance on ”Today” nearly a decade ago.
___