In one of her books, Savannah Guthrie reminisces about a unique childhood tradition orchestrated by her cousin, involving a playful “kidnapping” game, with her mother, Nancy Guthrie, joining in on the fun.
In the book titled “Mostly What God Does,” published in February 2024, Savannah Guthrie shares this family ritual where her cousin would enact a “kidnapping” of her and her sister from their Tucson, Arizona home. This yearly adventure included a trip to Phoenix, during which their mother would receive a playful phone call.
“Once every summer, Cousin Teri would stage a ‘kidnapping’ of my sister and me,” Guthrie writes. “The cousins would visit our Tucson home for a few days, and on the morning of their departure, Teri would stealthily wake us before dawn. We’d sneak out, climbing into her old station wagon and heading north. The desert sky would be awash with vibrant oranges and pinks as the sun began to rise.”
“On the way to Phoenix, Teri would stop, allowing Annie and me to call home from a pay phone. We’d exclaim, ‘Mom! Cousin Teri kidnapped us to take us to her house!’ Our mother would play along, expressing mock surprise and lamenting how much she’d miss us, promising to come fetch us in a few days,” she continues.
An undated photograph showing Nancy Guthrie and Savannah Guthrie was released by NBC in light of the ongoing search for the 84-year-old mother of the “Today” show host. (Courtesy of NBC)
There is no evidence linking the anecdote to the current investigation into Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance. According to Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos, family members and their spouses have been ruled out as suspects in the case.
Investigators continue to search for Nancy Guthrie as she has been missing for over two weeks. Guthrie was forcibly taken from her Tucson, Arizona, home in the early morning hours of Feb. 1, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos previously said.
Nanos told Fox News on Tuesday that DNA recovered from Nancy Guthrie’s home, as well as a glove that was found near her house, wasn’t a match for records found in the FBI database known as the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS).
A growing vigil in the morning light under cloudy skies is seen at Nancy Guthrie’s home on Feb. 13, 2026, in Tucson, Arizona. (Ty ONeil/AP Photo)
An FBI official told Fox News Digital that investigative genetic genealogy is underway as investigators try to identify a suspect. Investigative genetic genealogy, known as IGG, is a technique used by the FBI that “combines DNA analysis from crime scenes with searching publicly available commercial genealogy databases and old-fashioned genealogy research,” retired FBI special agent Jason Pack told Fox News Digital.
A member of the Pima County sheriff’s office remains outside of Nancy Guthrie’s home, Feb. 9, 2026 in Tucson. (Ty ONeil/AP Photo)
The New York Times reported on Wednesday that the FBI contacted Mexican authorities to investigate a “purchase” that was allegedly related to the Nancy Guthrie case. The official said the “purchase” has “already been ruled out” by the FBI.
Investigators told both ABC News and NBC News that they don’t believe Nancy Guthrie was taken across the U.S. and Mexico border after she was abducted from her Tucson home.
