Savannah Guthrie made an emotional appeal on Tuesday’s Today show, calling for renewed help in the search for her missing mother, Nancy.
The Today anchor fought back tears as she encouraged anyone with information to come forward. She became visibly emotional after correspondent Liz Kreutz shared additional details about the case.
On Monday, it emerged that a ransom note sent to the family in February claimed the elderly woman was dead. During the broadcast, the Today team aired a clip that Guthrie and her sibling had posted to Instagram the next day.
‘We beg you now to return our mother to us, so that we can celebrate with her,’ Guthrie said in the video at the time. ‘This is the only way we will have peace. This is very valuable to us, and we will pay.’
The program also showed a clip from Guthrie’s March conversation with former Today co-anchor Hoda Kotb.
In that interview, Guthrie said that although the family had received numerous false claims, she believed the ‘two ransom notes [the family] received and responded to’ in February were genuine.
Kreutz made clear that the latest information did not amount to a significant break in the investigation, prompting Guthrie to respond on air.
‘I love you guys and I love this place, and this is unusual and unprecedented to say the least to be sitting here, but you know, I don’t have any comment on this story, and I’m not involved in our coverage,’ she said, her eyes welling with tears.
Guthrie kept a brave face as she urged people to come forward with information on her misisng mother Nancy, crying at points during the segment on Tuesday
On Monday, it was revealed a ransom note the family received in February claimed the anchor’s mother was dead
‘But I can’t pretend I’m not here.
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‘So, since I am, I just want to take the opportunity to ask people to really to beg people to come forward – somebody knows something.
‘This is a new story today that is on your radar, but this is the life that my sister lives, I live, my brother lives, that our extended families live, that our children live every day,’ Guthrie said.
‘And we are in agony,’ the anchor emphasized, her voice trembling with emotion.
She told viewers that her family ‘cannot be at peace, no matter how much I try to come out here every day and smile and find that joy’ as the investigation stands.
‘And I will, I promise I will,’ Guthrie disclaimed. ‘This is the moment to tell you that we need your help.
‘We’re begging for your help. I’m not going to miss that opportunity,’ she continued.
‘And so please, if you’re watching, no matter how small the reward is there, you can tell us.
Guthrie’s mother was last seen at her home in Tucson, Arizona, on January 31. Savannah stepped away from the show but returned in April
‘It can be anonymous. Please do the right thing for us, for our family, for our children.
‘And we love our mom. We’ll never stop looking for her, never.’
Guthrie’s cohost comforted her as she spoke. The segment ended there.
Nancy was last seen at her home in Tucson, Arizona, on January 31.
This is a breaking news story; please check back for updates.
