Savannah Guthrie visits ‘TODAY’ studio as she plans to eventually return to show
Savannah Guthrie Visits ‘TODAY’ Studio Amid Ongoing Search for Missing Mother
On Thursday, Savannah Guthrie, a co-anchor of the NBC morning show “TODAY,” returned to the studio to reconnect with her colleagues. This visit marks a brief respite from her current focus on supporting her family and aiding in the search for her 84-year-old mother, Nancy Guthrie, who has been missing for 32 days. The investigation into Nancy’s disappearance remains active, with authorities considering possible kidnapping or abduction as theories.
According to a statement from the show’s team, Guthrie’s visit was not broadcast. She has not appeared on the program since her mother vanished, spending most of her time in Tucson, Arizona, where Nancy last disappeared. Nancy was reported missing on February 1 after failing to arrive at a friend’s home for an online church service. She was last seen the night before around 9:45 p.m., following a dinner at her daughter Annie’s residence.
Colleagues Offer Emotional Support
Jenna Bush Hager, one of the show’s co-hosts, shared her feelings during the broadcast, expressing tears as she spoke about Guthrie’s presence. “She said she intends to return to the show, even though it feels like the hardest thing to do,” Hager explained. “It’s also her home, and she feels so loved here.”
“We’re not out of the storm, but there’s a light somewhere even in the midst of the storm,” said Sheinelle Jones, Hager’s co-host for the third hour of the show. “I think her coming here and just being able to be with us, and for us to be able to hug her, is a step.”
Jones added that she assured Savannah: “Whenever you are ready, we are here.” The emotional scene was captured in photos taken by an Associated Press photographer outside the studio, showing Guthrie wiping tears and embracing her team.
FBI Details Emerging in Investigation
Authorities revealed that doorbell camera footage, recovered by the FBI, depicted an armed and masked man outside the Guthrie home on the morning Nancy disappeared. While the individual has been identified as a suspect, no public name has been released. The suspect is described as between 5 feet 9 inches and 5 feet 10 inches tall, with an average build, and was seen carrying a black, 25-liter Ozark Trail Hiker Pack backpack in the images.
The Guthrie family has offered a $1 million reward for information leading to Nancy’s recovery. On February 24, Savannah stated that while her family believes their mother “can come home,” they also acknowledge the possibility that she “may be lost” or “already be gone.”
Daniel Arkin, a senior reporter at NBC News, is covering the case. The investigation continues, with no major breakthroughs reported yet.
