Savannah Guthrie has spoken publicly for the first time about her mother Nancy's disappearance, breaking down in tears as she told former co-host Hoda Kotb that she cannot help blaming herself.
In an interview airing in two parts on NBC's "Today", Guthrie recalled asking her brother Camron whether the perpetrator might have been motivated by her money. "Do you think it's because of me?" she asked. He replied: "Well, I'm sorry sweetie, but yeah, maybe." Guthrie said she had come to accept that this was "probably" the case, adding: "Which is too much to bear."
Nancy Guthrie was reported missing on 1 February after she missed her usual Sunday church service. The Pima County Sheriff's Department described the case as a presumed kidnapping after concerning evidence was found at her home in Tucson, Arizona. The FBI later released footage from a destroyed Ring doorbell camera showing a male suspect approaching the front door while armed and wearing a hiking backpack. A reward for information leading to her recovery was increased from $100,000 to $200,000 and then to $1 million on 24 February.
Guthrie told Kotb she was relieved when the footage was made public, as it put an end to conspiracy theories that a family member was involved. She praised her sister, brother-in-law and brother for their care of her mother, describing her as "our shining light" and "our matriarch". She also said she believed the two ransom notes she and her siblings received were genuine.
Describing the family's torment, Guthrie said: "Someone needs to do the right thing. We are in agony. It is unbearable." She added that she wakes every night and imagines her mother's terror. Asked about the investigation, she said it was still ongoing, but stressed: "We need answers. We cannot be at peace without knowing." She also spoke of a moment of faith, saying she heard God tell her: "She's with me."
