NBC journalist Savannah Guthrie became visibly emotional on air Tuesday as new details in the January disappearance of her mother, Nancy Guthrie, were unveiled.
The “Today” co-anchor made a brief appearance toward the end of a segment that revealed the contents of a ransom note sent to local media outlets in Arizona not long after her mother’s disappearance.
“This is unusual and unprecedented, to say the least, to be sitting here. I don’t have any comment on this story, and I’m not involved in our coverage, but I can’t pretend I’m not here,” she said, wiping away tears. “So since I am, I wanted to just take the opportunity to ask people ― really, to beg people ― to come forward. Somebody knows something.”
She went on to note: “We are in agony. We cannot be at peace … this is a moment to tell you that we need your help. We’re begging for your help, and I’m not going to miss that opportunity.”
Watch Savannah Guthrie’s June 23 “Today” appearance below.
Nancy Guthrie, 84, was reported missing on Feb. 1, having last been seen about 9:50 p.m. the previous night after being dropped off at her Tucson-area home following dinner with relatives.
In the days immediately following her disappearance, several ransom notes were sent to the media as well as members of the Guthrie family that investigators deemed credible. One such note demanded a reported $6 million in cryptocurrency for Nancy Guthrie’s return.
On Monday, ABC News and other outlets reported on the contents of the second note, citing sources who said Nancy Guthrie had died not long after being kidnapped. The writer also suggested Nancy Guthrie’s death was unintentional and that she is “buried with nature now.”
Though Savannah Guthrie and her family members are offering $1 million in reward for their mother’s recovery, no suspects have been identified to date. The most significant lead remains surveillance images and video showing a masked individual carrying what appears to be a gun on the front steps of Nancy Guthrie’s home on the night of her alleged abduction.
During her “Today” appearance Tuesday, Savannah Guthrie urged viewers with even scant information to “do the right thing for us, for our family, for our children” by coming forward.
“You can tell us. It can be anonymous,” she said. “We love our mom, and we’ll never stop looking for her, never.”