Savannah Guthrie ‘livid’ at Ashleigh Banfield for naming her brother-in-law Tommaso Cioni as suspect in Nancy Guthrie kidnapping, Megyn Kelly says
Savannah Guthrie is ‘livid’ that journalist Ashleigh Banfield named her brother-in-law Tommaso Cioni as a ‘prime suspect’ in her mother Nancy’s abduction, Megyn Kelly has claimed.
Banfield, citing a single law enforcement source, identified Cioni as a suspect in the case just two days after Nancy was reported missing from her Tucson, Arizona home on February 1. Pima County Sheriff’s Office later said none of Nancy’s family or in-laws were considered suspects.
The Guthries were allegedly outraged by Banfield’s accusation with insiders at the time claiming the family was pursuing legal action against the NewsNation host.
Kelly, who used to work with Guthrie at NBC News, has now revealed that the Today co-host is still angry over Banfield’s reporting.
‘I have not been able to confirm that the Guthrie family wants to sue Ashleigh Banfield, but I have confirmed that Savannah is livid about that report and definitely does not suspect her or her brother-in-law,’ Kelly told her podcast last week.
‘Can you blame her? I mean, of course, she loves her sister, I’m sure she loves her brother-in-law, and I’m sure she genuinely doesn’t believe they had anything to do with it.’
Kelly made the shocking revelation while discussing the Nancy Guthrie case with celebrity defense attorney Mark Geragos.
Geragos, however, claimed that while Banfield’s report may have been upsetting to the Guthrie family, it ‘couldn’t be more protected under the law.’
Savannah Guthrie, seen with her mother Nancy Guthrie, is reportedly ‘livid’ that journalist Ashleigh Banfield named her brother-in-law as a ‘prime suspect’ in her Nancy’s abduction
Tommaso Cioni and his wife Annie Guthrie, pictured together, were the last people to see Nancy before she vanished
Megyn Kelly, who used to work with Savannah Guthrie at NBC News, has now revealed that the Today co-host is still angry over Banfield’s reporting
‘The media is, as long as they are reporting and they have source protection, you’re never going to be able to disprove what Ashleigh Banfield said,’ he explained.
He also pointed out, especially in the early stages of an investigation, police would be looking into possible familial involvement.
‘Any judge who’s looking at this, any lawyer who’s involved, is going to tell you “of course they’re looking at the family members.” It would be malpractice not to — and that’s exactly what Ashleigh said,’ Geragos said.
Cioni and his wife Annie Guthrie were the last people to see Nancy before she vanished.
Two days after Banfield’s report, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos claimed the department had not identified a suspect in the case.
‘Nobody’s eliminated, but we just really don’t have enough to say, “This is our suspect, this is our guy, we know — or our gal.” We don’t know that,’ Nanos told the Hollywood Reporter after Banfield’s report.
He then went on to criticize the journalist, saying: ‘It’s really kind of reckless to report that someone is a suspect when they could very well be a victim.’
Nanos urged the media to be ‘careful’ of what they report, warning that spreading misinformation ‘could actually be doing some damage to the case.’
But Banfield doubled down on her reporting, with a producer for her podcast telling the outlet that she ‘stands by her reporting’ and ‘her ironclad source.’
Banfield (pictured in 2019) identified Cioni as a suspect in the case just two days after Nancy was reported missing, citing a single law enforcement source
Celebrity defense attorney Mark Geragos, who discussed the Guthrie case on the Megyn Kelly Show last week, claimed that Banfield’s reporting is protected under the law
Kelly, in her coverage last week, acknowledged that Banfield’s source was a ‘senior law enforcement source who had been a source for her for years.’
Sheriff Nanos initially refused to rule out Cioni or anyone else as a potential suspect. He subsequently said that all members of the Guthrie family have been cleared by his investigators.
Savannah and her siblings have offered a $1 million reward for information leading to the recovery of Nancy, but solid information in the case has been hard to come by.
Nancy was last seen at her home January 31 and was reported missing the following day. Authorities believe the 84-year-old was kidnapped, abducted or otherwise taken against her will.
Drops of her blood were found on the front porch. The FBI released surveillance footage on February 10 that showed a masked man at Guthrie’s doorstep the night she disappeared. Authorities otherwise have released little evidence publicly.
