Savannah Guthrie’s family knows grief.
She recalled coming home as a teenager in Catalina Foothills and finding her mother and sister praying on the couch. Moments later, she learned her father had died unexpectedly.
“In those days after my dad died, she was so strong,” Guthrie said of her mother. “But some mornings before dawn, when she thought we were still sleeping, I would hear her crying.”
Nearly 40 years later, Guthrie [returned to the same home with her siblings](
to lay flowers at a memorial created by neighbors. This time, the family’s grief centered on their mother, Nancy Guthrie, who has been missing for more than 50 days.
In her first public interview since her mother’s disappearance, Guthrie described the fear and uncertainty her family has faced since Nancy Guthrie was taken from her home. The [interview comes as investigators continue to search](
for a suspect and ask the public for help, with no arrests made and few answers about a possible motive.
In the interview, Guthrie spoke with longtime friend and colleague at NBC’s “Today” show, Hoda Kotb.
Guthrie described her mother as resolute and mischievous in her humor.
“She was amazing.”
“She was noble.”
“She had a quiet strength.”
Nancy Guthrie remained in the home through both prosperous and difficult times, she said.
Guthrie went on to attend University of Arizona and earned her law degree at Georgetown University before her journalism trajectory landed her in an anchor seat at NBC in 2012.
Guthrie’s sister Annie kept roots in the Tucson area as a jewelry designer and poet. Their brother, Camron, spent his career in the military, working in intelligence and as a fighter pilot, Guthrie said.
Investigators in Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance suspect she was taken from her home in the early Sunday morning hours of Feb. 1. In her interview, Guthrie said her mother was taken from the home in her pajamas, without shoes.
Authorities released video and still images of a masked, armed man approaching her doorstep, in hopes that it would generate tips.
“It’s totally terrifying,” she said. “I can’t imagine that that is who she saw standing over her bed. I can’t. That’s too much.”
Officials have not publicly identified a suspect. While investigators suspect an abduction, they have not determined a motive or whether Guthrie was targeted because of her fame.
The day of Nancy’s disappearance, Savannah Guthrie said she had spent the day with her children when her sister Annie called her in a panic. Nancy Guthrie’s wallet, keys and phone were left behind. A back door was open and there was blood near the front door.
“The terror she must have felt is unbearable,” she said.
Early on, her brother suspected a ransom kidnapping, she said.
“Do you think it’s because of me?” she recalled asking him. “He said ‘I’m sorry, sweetie, but yeah, maybe.’”
Investigators ruled out the possibility that Nancy had wandered off. Guthrie said her mother had a back injury and chronic pain, limiting her mobility. On a good day, she was able to get the mail from her mailbox, she said.
Guthrie traveled to Tucson to be with her siblings and stayed for several weeks. The family recorded videos asking for tips and appealing directly to the person responsible.
“How is it possible that we are having to make a video speaking to a kidnapper who took an 84-year-old woman…this little person… and beg for mercy,” she said.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said on Feb. 5 that Nancy Guthrie relies on daily medication that she left behind and has a pacemaker. Authorities continue to classify the case as a missing-person investigation.
Nanos has faced criticism for his handling of the case, including questions about the timing of returning the home to the family before later classifying it as a crime scene.
About half of Nanos’ deputies voted “no confidence” in his leadership, according to the department’s main labor union. The Pima County Board of Supervisors is preparing to question Nanos under oath.
Nanos told Arizona Public Media he intends to comply.
Guthrie has not publicly commented on Nanos’ leadership.
When asked about the handling of the investigation, she said: “It’s still going. People have worked tirelessly.”
Authorities continue to ask for the public's help in identifying the person seen in the surveillance footage and locating Nancy Guthrie.
The family is offering a $1 million reward for any information leading to her return, in addition to a $100,000 FBI reward and $102,500 announced by Pima County Sheriff’s Department.
Guthrie has been absent from her anchor role on “Today” since her mother's disappearance. She returned to New York after about four weeks in Arizona.
“I remember my mom saying in those early days when daddy died, ‘you have to get up and just decide and do,’” Guthrie said. “I’m trying to decide and do.”
