In a deeply emotional video posted to Instagram on Tuesday morning, NBC Today show co-anchor Savannah Guthrie revealed that her family is offering a private reward of up to $1 million for any information that leads to the recovery of her missing mother, Nancy Guthrie. While expressing that they have accepted the possibility she may "already be gone," the family continues to hold out hope for a miracle.
A Family's Agonizing Wait
Savannah Guthrie, fighting back tears, stated that it has now been 24 days since her 84-year-old mother vanished from her Tucson-area home. "Every hour and minute and second, and every long night has been agony since then, of worrying about her, fearing for her, aching for her, and most of all just missing her," she said in the video.
The television journalist acknowledged the painful reality her family faces. "We still believe in a miracle, we still believe that she can come home," Guthrie expressed. "We also know that she may be lost, she may already be gone. She may have already gone home to the lord that she loves and is dancing in heaven with her mom and her dad and with her beloved brother Pierce, and with our daddy. And if this is what is to be, then we will accept it."
The Search for Answers Continues
"But we need to know where she is. We need her to come home," Guthrie emphasized. "For that reason, we are offering a family reward of up to $1 million for any information that leads us to her recovery."
Nancy Guthrie is believed to have been abducted from her home by a masked, armed man on February 1. Video and photographs released by the Federal Bureau of Investigation show a person outside the elderly woman's front door wearing a backpack, ski mask, gloves, and with a handgun visible at their waist. Despite extensive investigation, no arrests have been made and no suspects have been publicly identified.
Conflicting Reports and Official Statements
The announcement of the increased reward comes one day after law enforcement sources told ABC and CBS News that Nancy Guthrie's front door camera captured the suspect outside her home at another, unknown time before her February 1 disappearance. During that alleged earlier visit, the individual appeared wearing similar clothing but without the backpack.
However, the Pima County Sheriff's Department disputed these reports on Monday, stating it is "purely speculative" to claim the suspect visited the home at an earlier date based on those images. "There is no date or time stamp associated with these images," the department clarified regarding photographs showing the individual not wearing the backpack. "Therefore, any suggestion that the photographs were taken on different days is purely speculative."
Additional Efforts and Rewards
The FBI shared news of the Guthrie family's substantial reward on social media on Tuesday, while reminding the public that their own $100,000 reward for information remains active. Savannah Guthrie also revealed that her family has donated $500,000 to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
"Somebody knows something that can bring her home. Somebody knows," Guthrie pleaded in her emotional video message, appealing directly to anyone with information about her mother's whereabouts.
The case continues to be actively investigated by multiple law enforcement agencies as the Guthrie family endures what Savannah describes as "perpetual pain" during this uncertain and heartbreaking time.
