Savannah Guthrie speaks out following ransom note on mom’s possible death – National
Savannah Guthrie said her family remains “in agony” as the search for her 84-year-old mother, Nancy Guthrie, continues.
She spoke out about her mother’s disappearance on the Today show Tuesday after reports that the second ransom note previously sent to a media outlet claimed that her mother was dead.
NBC News shared the details about the ransom note on Monday and Savannah told her Today show co-hosts that she didn’t “have any comment on the story.”
“This morning, NBC News is reporting new information about one of the notes sent to multiple media outlets,” Today show host Craig Melvin said.
“There is still no major update or break in the case,” Today show correspondent Liz Kreutz added.
Melvin turned to Savannah and said, “The bravery and courage with which you have done this job every day since that happened, nothing short of remarkable.”
“I love you guys, and I love this place,” Savannah said, as she began to wipe away tears. “This is unusual and unprecedented — to say the least — to be sitting here.”
Savannah explained that she is not involved in NBC News’ coverage of her mother’s abduction.
“But I can’t pretend I’m not here. And so since I am, I wanted to just take the opportunity to ask people, really to beg people, to come forward. Somebody knows something,” she said.
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“This is a new story that today is on your radar, but this is the life that my sister lives, that I live, that my brother lives, that our extended families live, that our children live every day. And we are in agony and we cannot be at peace.”
She said that no matter how much she tries to “come out here every day and to smile and find that joy,” this is the moment she needs viewers to know that “we need your help.”
“We’re begging for your help. And I’m not going to miss that opportunity,” she said.
“So please, if you’re watching, no matter how small the reward is there,” Savannah added, referencing the US$1-million reward she previously offered for any information on her mother’s disappearance.
Savannah said tips can remain anonymous and urged the public to “please do the right thing.”
“We love our mom. We will never stop looking for her,” she added.
The ransom note related to the disappearance of Guthrie said the 84-year-old had died, CNN and other news organizations are reporting, citing law enforcement sources.
Some media outlets had previously reported receiving ransom notes tied to the case in the days after Guthrie’s disappearance in early February from her home in the foothills just outside Tucson.
CNN reported Monday that one of the notes revealed that Guthrie was dead — and those who kidnapped her did not mean to kill her, but she died shortly after her disappearance.
CNN said it knew the contents of one such note, and that a Tucson TV station had received two notes.
The outlet agreed to hold off on sharing the contents of the notes publicly so any future communications with the kidnapper or kidnappers could be authenticated, CNN reported.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department declined to comment on the note’s contents.
Earlier this month, volunteers in Mexico began searching for Guthrie after an anonymous caller alleged that Guthrie’s remains could be found near a stream in Mariposa, which is located west of Nogales and near the Arizona border.
The leader of a group that works to locate missing people in Mexico, called Buscando Corazones Nogales, told El Imparcial that they received an anonymous call “telling us that the woman’s remains were in the Mariposa area in a grave over a stream, and this time we came to explore this stream that we failed to explore in the first intervention.”
Ramona Guadalupe Ayala Ortiz, head of Buscando Corazones Nogales, said the group previously searched the area from April to May and discovered more than 25 unmarked graves containing the remains of at least 32 individuals in the area.
The head of Buscando Corazones Nogales said the search for Guthrie came up empty but they would continue future search operations in the area to find her.
Authorities believe Guthrie was taken against her will after they found blood near the doorstep of her home in the foothills outside Tucson, Ariz., in February. The FBI later released surveillance videos showing a masked man on the porch that night.
Anyone with information about Guthrie’s disappearance is asked to contact 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324)
— with files from The Associated Press
© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
