Savannah Guthrie visits ‘Today’ studio amid mom Nancy’s disappearance
After more than a month off the air, Savannah Guthrie returned to NBC’s studios in New York on Thursday, but not in her usual capacity.
Instead of helping “Today” viewers start their day, the longtime morning news anchor paid an off-camera visit to the NBC family during the kidnapping of her 84-year-old mother, Nancy Guthrie, in Arizona. Guthrie, a “Today” show staple, spent some time at the NBC studios to thank his colleagues, an NBC spokesman said in a statement.
“While he plans to return to the broadcast program, he currently remains focused on supporting his family and helping bring Nancy home,” the statement said.
“Today” is hosted by Jenna Bush Hager and Sheinelle Jones spoke About her reunion with Guthrie during the show’s fourth hour on Thursday, the former noted that “Savannah is coming back home.”
“He said he intends to return to the show, even though it seems like the hardest thing to do,” Bush Hager tearfully told the audience. “This is also her home and where she feels loved. She is beyond loved here.”
Bush Hager described how nice it felt to “hug and comfort” Guthrie, while Jones said he was proud of Guthrie and supported Nancy as she searched for Guthrie. Jones also praised the younger Guthrie for his strength.
“I see that we’re in this storm and we can’t get out of the storm, but even in the middle of the storm there’s a light somewhere,” Jones added, “and I think for him to come here and be with us, for us to be able to embrace him, I think that’s a step.”
“Anytime you step up for me, I celebrate it,” added Jones, who was unable to appear on “Today” last year due to the death of her husband, Uche Ojeh.
The abduction of Nancy Guthrie from her home on February 1 thrust Savannah Guthrie and her family into the national spotlight. Following her mother’s disappearance, Savannah Guthrie, in addition to her duties on the “Today” show, also withdrew from NBC’s coverage of the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milan-Cortina.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department launched its investigation into the elder Guthrie’s disappearance last month and insisted Thursday that the investigation is still in full force and contains some solid leads. The ministry announced that there was a special team from the homicide unit working with the FBI on the incident. Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos told NBC News that he and his team believe Nancy Guthrie is still alive and are pursuing thousands of leads.
Drops of blood of an 84-year-old grandmother were found on the threshold of her house. Her suspected kidnapper stole the Nest camera from the front door on Feb. 1, but not before catching the ski-masked, gun-toting, backpack-wearing man trying to cover the lens with his gloved hand while lurking on the porch. More than a dozen gloves have since been seized in the surrounding community. However, the glove that authorities said matched the glove worn by the person in the video turned out to be unrelated and belonged to an employee at a nearby restaurant.
No DNA matches were found with anyone who logged into the CODIS federal database.
Ransom notes arrived after the kidnapping on February 1, but none contained evidence that Guthrie was alive. When it became clear that the investigation had run out of leads, locals were detained and quickly released.
Thousands of additional tips have flooded into the Pima County Sheriff’s Department since last week when Savannah Guthrie announced a $1 million reward for information leading to the return of her mother.
Nanos said his department is reviewing video from homes in the area that appears to show a car driving during the abduction, but at this point, neither vehicle has been linked to the crime.
During Thursday’s broadcast, Bush Hager told viewers their support for Guthrie and his family hasn’t gone unnoticed by the longtime host. He also recalled that Guthrie never viewed his faith as a last resort in times of trouble.
“‘God has always been my first resort,'” Bush Hager recalled Guthrie saying, adding that his colleague was “one of the most precious things in our lives.”
“We’re going to bring him back here,” Jones said.
Times writers Richard Winton and Matthew Ormseth contributed to this report.
