American TV host announces $1 million reward for information on missing mother
The NBC channel host tearfully announced the reward in an Instagram video message posted on Tuesday morning.
Savannah Guthrie and her mother Nancy. Photo: Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty Image
American TV host Savannah Guthrie announced that her family is offering a $1 million reward for information that helps find her mother, Nancy, who disappeared on the night of February 1, writes BBC.
At the same time, media outlets are publishing new footage of an unknown person in a mask near the 84-year-old woman's home, although the exact time these materials were recorded has not been officially established.
Family and investigators believe the woman was kidnapped by unknown individuals from her home in Tucson, Arizona.
The NBC channel host tearfully announced the reward in an Instagram video message posted on Tuesday morning.
"We still believe in miracles, we still believe she can come home — hope against all odds," the host said. "We also know that we may have already lost her, that she may have gone to the Lord she loves."
"Please, if you hear this message, if you've been waiting and weren't sure, let this be a sign for you — reach out. Tell us what you know and help us bring our beloved mother home so we can either celebrate a wonderful, incredible return, or honor the wonderful, brave, courageous, and noble life she lived," Savannah Guthrie continued.
Until today, the reward was $200,000 — $100,000 offered by the FBI, and another $100,000 by the Tucson Crime Stoppers organization.
In the published video, Guthrie also announced that the family is donating $500,000 to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
On Tuesday, investigators also had reason to believe that the suspect in Nancy Guthrie's kidnapping approached her front door before her disappearance, CBS News reported — the American partner of the BBC. ABC channel first reported this detail.
Prior to this, the FBI had published video footage from a Nest doorbell camera showing a person in a mask with a backpack near Nancy Guthrie's door on the night of her disappearance.
Now CBS News has shown images that apparently depict a man in a mask, but this time without a backpack. This footage was apparently taken earlier than the previous video from the FBI, but exactly when is unknown.
The Pima County Sheriff's Department, which is investigating Nancy Guthrie's disappearance, stated in a post on X that the new video footage lacks a date or timestamp. Therefore, any assumptions that these frames were taken on different days are purely speculative, the sheriff's department added.
This is a new image that the FBI provided to the press. Here, a backpack is not visible on the suspect's shoulders, as in other footage, but it is too early to claim that these shots were taken at different times.
Guthrie's disappearance was reported around noon on February 1 after she did not appear for church service.
The Pima County Sheriff's Department believes she was "abducted from her home against her will, possibly in the middle of the night."
After her disappearance, emails demanding ransom were sent to the media — for the "safe" return of the elderly woman. On February 9, the deadline set by the alleged kidnappers for the ransom payment expired, and since then, the perpetrators have not made contact.
Law enforcement agencies are still unable to identify the suspect or person of interest in the investigation.
Nancy Guthrie has difficulty moving, has a pacemaker, and needs daily medication for a heart condition, authorities said.
Loved ones last saw the elderly mother of the TV host on the evening of January 31.
The FBI reported that a team of crisis experts, investigators, and other specialists is working around the clock to find Nancy Guthrie. The agency also sent additional personnel to Tucson.
What happened the night Nancy Guthrie disappeared?
Guthrie was last seen on the evening of January 31 at her home in the prestigious Catalina Foothills area, located 10 km northeast of Tucson. The elderly woman's relatives drove her home around 9:30 PM local time after a family dinner.
According to investigators, on the night of February 1 (around 01:47 AM local time), the smart doorbell camera at her home was disconnected and removed.
At 02:12 AM, a camera near the house recorded some movement, however, according to the sheriff, it could have been an animal.
At 02:28 AM, Guthrie's pacemaker was disconnected from a special application on her phone.
On the morning of February 1, parishioners of the church she regularly attended noticed that Nancy Guthrie did not come to Sunday service and reported it to her family.
After the family called 911, a search was launched involving volunteers and border patrol officers. The search continued in this composition until the morning of February 2.
Police reported that blood traces were found on the porch of Nancy Guthrie's house, and tests confirmed it was her blood.
A glove, similar to the one on the hand of the unknown person captured by the Nest camera, was later found near the house. The FBI analyzed the DNA found on this glove, but no matches were found in the database.
According to Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos, there is a high risk that Nancy Guthrie's health condition could significantly worsen without medication.
Who is Savannah Guthrie?
54-year-old Savannah Guthrie is an American television host. Since 2012, she has hosted the "Today" program on NBC News. She was also one of the main anchors for election coverage. Earlier, Guthrie worked as an NBC News correspondent at the White House.
She was born in Australia, but in early childhood her family moved to Arizona, where she spent most of her upbringing.
Guthrie, who publicly maintains a neutral stance on political issues, has interviewed former U.S. Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden, as well as the current President Donald Trump.
She earned a law degree from Georgetown University and a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Arizona.
She is a recipient of prestigious journalism awards – the Edward R. Murrow Award and several News Emmy Awards. She received one of them for an interview with Trump, which she conducted a month before the 2020 elections.
Due to the dramatic events her family has faced in recent weeks, Savannah Guthrie has withdrawn from participating in the coverage of the 2026 Winter Olympic Games.
"We sympathize with her and the entire Guthrie family as the search for their mother continues," a TV channel representative said.
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