Savannah Guthrie's Brother's Response To Missing Mom, Reacts
by Stephanie SoteriouBuzzFeedBuzzFeed StaffI’m an innately nosey and chronically online celebrity and pop culture journalist, with my specialist areas including deep-diving lyrics and calling out Terrible Men™.
On Feb. 1, Today host Savannah Guthrie’s 84-year-old mom, Nancy Guthrie, was reported missing. Nancy had been out to dinner with her daughter Annie the night before, and her family was contacted by concerned friends when she failed to show up for church on the Sunday morning.
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Law enforcement was immediately contacted to check Nancy’s home in Arizona, with Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos, assessing that Nancy had been kidnapped.
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The Los Angeles Times reported that investigators had found blood and signs of forced entry at her home, and that her wallet, cellphone, and car were still inside the property. The sheriff stated that he was not aware of any previous threats to Nancy, and said that she has no cognitive problems and is “very alert” and of “very sound mind,” but struggles with mobility and does take a medication that puts her at risk if she does not take it every day.
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On Feb. 3, celebrity gossip outlet TMZ reported that it had received an alleged ransom note “demanding payment for the release of Nancy Guthrie,” with the publication stating that the note “demands a specific substantial amount of Bitcoin… The amount is in the millions, and the note demands the cryptocurrency be sent to a specific Bitcoin address.”
TMZ / Via tmz.com
“TMZ has verified the Bitcoin address is real,” they added. “There is a deadline connected to the alleged ransom… and an element of ‘or else’…. We forwarded the alleged ransom demand to the Pima County Sheriff.”
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And the next day, Savannah and her siblings, Annie and Camron, posted an emotional Instagram video telling people about their mom, sending her messages of love and support, and urging the alleged kidnappers to provide them with a sign of life.
Instagram @savannahguthrie / Via instagram.com
“The light is missing from our lives,” Annie said as Savannah sobbed. “Nancy is our mother. We are her children. She is our beacon; she holds fast to joy in all of life's circumstances. She chooses joy day after day, despite having already passed through great trials of pain and grief. We are always going to be merely human, just normal human people, who need our mom. Momma, momma, if you're listening: We need you to come home, we miss you.”
Instagram @savannahguthrie / Via instagram.com
“Our mom is our heart and our home,” Savannah added. “She is 84 years old; her health, her heart is fragile. She lives in constant pain; she's without any medicine — she needs it to survive. She needs it not to suffer.”
Instagram @savannahguthrie / Via instagram.com
The star then addressed the TMZ ransom note, saying: “We too have heard the reports about a ransom letter in the media. As a family, we are doing everything that we can. We are ready to talk, however, we live in a world where voices and images are easily manipulated. We need to know, without a doubt, that she is alive and that you have her. We want to hear from you, and we are ready to listen.”
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Instagram @savannahguthrie / Via instagram.com
“Please reach out to us, mommy. If you are hearing this, you are a strong woman, you are God's precious daughter,” she went on. “We believe and know that even in this valley, He is with you. Everyone is looking for you, mommy, everywhere. We will not rest, your children will not rest until we are together again. We speak to you every moment, and we pray without ceasing, and we rejoice in advance for the day that we hold you in our arms again. We love you.”
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Instagram @savannahguthrie / Via instagram.com
Unfortunately, almost two months later, there have been no major developments in this case, with Nancy still missing. Last week, Savannah sat down with Today for her first interview since her mom’s disappearance, and she was understandably incredibly emotional as she reflected on the past few weeks.
NBC / Via youtube.com
But there is one part of this interview that has caused a particular stir on social media, with many being left horrified by Savannah’s brother’s response to her fearing that what had happened to their mom was her fault.
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Breaking down in tears, she recalled: “[I asked my brother] ‘Do you think it’s because of me?’ He said: ‘Well, I’m sorry, sweetie, but yeah, maybe.’ But I knew that. I hope not. I mean, we still don’t know. Honestly, we don’t know anything. So I don’t know that it’s because she’s my mom, and somebody thought: ‘Oh, that lady has money, we can make a quick buck.’ I mean, that would make sense, but we don’t know... To think that I brought this to her bedside, that it’s because of me... And I just