NewsBeat
Savannah Guthrie offers up to $1 million reward for return of her missing mother
A tearful Savannah Guthrie offered up to $1 million for information leading to the recovery of her mother, Nancy Guthrie, who was abducted from her home three weeks ago.
“It is day 24 since our mom was taken in the dark of night from her bed, and every hour and minute and second, and every long night has been agony since then, of worrying about her and fearing about her, aching for her and most of all just missing her,” the Today show host said in a video shared Tuesday morning to her Instagram account.
“We know that millions of you have been praying — so many people — have been praying, of every faith and no faith at all. And we feel those prayers,” she said. “Please keep praying without ceasing.”
“We still believe in a miracle. We still believe she can come home,” she added.
Savannah, 54, acknowledged the possibility that her 84-year-old mom may no longer be alive.
“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,” she said.
“Someone out there knows something that can bring her home,” she added.
Nancy Guthrie disappeared from her home in the Catalina Foothills outside of Tucson, Arizona, in the early hours of February 1. Authorities believe she was taken against her will.
Her disappearance sparked a massive search involving state and federal law enforcement agencies. Authorities said Nancy Guthrie relies on daily medication, and there could be “fatal” consequences if she does not take it.
Police also flagged her health issues upon her disappearance, according to a 911 dispatch audio. “Nancy has high blood pressure, a pacemaker and cardiac issues,” the dispatcher said.
The FBI released doorbell camera images February 10 showing a suspect wearing a ski mask, gloves and backpack standing at Nancy Guthrie’s front door on the morning of her disappearance but no one has been arrested.
Reports this week, from ABC News and CNN, now suggest the suspected kidnapper may have been at her door on another day before the alleged abduction. It was unclear which day the suspect may have been at the home.
In a statement shared with The Independent Monday night, Pima County Sheriff’s Department said: “We are aware that doorbell images released earlier in the investigation depict a suspect in different stages of attire, including with and without a backpack.
“There is no date or time stamp associated with these images. Therefore, any suggestion that the photographs were taken on different days is purely speculative.”
Authorities are still working to analyze evidence from Nancy Guthrie’s home. The sheriff’s department said DNA from a pair of gloves found two miles from the home “did not trigger a match” in the FBI’s national database and “did not match DNA found at the property.”
The new video comes over a week after Savannah Guthrie’s last video begging for her mother’s kidnapper to bring her home. She and her family have also offered to pay for her mother’s safe return, following reports of ransom notes that are yet to be verified by police.
In the previous post, shared February 15, the TV anchor spoke directly to her mother’s suspected kidnapper: “I wanted to say to whoever has her, or knows where she is, that it’s never too late. It is never too late to do the right thing.”
Volunteers have been searching for Nancy Guthrie in the Arizona desert surrounding her home, despite authorities urging them to leave the work to the professionals.
“Per the Sheriff, they were asked to please give investigators the space they need to do their work,” the sheriff’s department said Saturday. “We appreciate their concern, and we all want to find Nancy, but this work is best left to professionals.”