Today host Craig Melvin appears visibly emotional as he shares Savannah Guthrie’s desperate plea for her abducted mother Nancy’s return
Today Show host Craig Melvin was visibly emotional this morning as she shared Savannah Guthrie’s desperate plea for the return of her abducted mother Nancy.
Melvin, on the Today Show Thursday, presented a video message from Guthrie and her siblings in which they directly pleaded with their mother’s abductor to let her come home.
‘Most days, of course, Savannah greets you right here from this desk, but this morning, our dear friend has a very different message,’ he said.
‘Savannah, alongside her siblings Annie and Camron, releasing a video statement on Instagram and sending direct messages to their mom and whoever may have abducted her.’
Nancy, 84, was last seen by her family at her house near Tucson, Arizona, on Saturday night and was reported missing the following afternoon, with authorities believing she was taken from her home against her will.
During the video, Savannah said: ‘On behalf of our family, we want to thank all of you for the prayers for our beloved mum, Nancy. We feel them and we continue to believe that she feels them too.’
Today opened with Nancy’s disappearance Thursday for a fourth day in a row, but Guthrie was not at the anchor’s desk.
NBC Sports said Tuesday that she will not be covering the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics ‘as she focuses on being with her family during this difficult time.’
Today Show host Craig Melvin was visibly emotional this morning as she shared Savannah Guthrie’s desperate plea for the return of her abducted mother Nancy
Savannah Guthrie poses alongside her mother Nancy Guthrie during a production break whilst hosting NBC’s Today Show live from Australia at Sydney Opera House on May 4, 2015 in Sydney, Australia
The Today show host appeared emotional during the recording, with her voice cracking as she looked in the camera and addressed the alleged kidnappers.
She said: ‘She is 84 years old, her health, her heart is fragile. She lives in constant pain. She is without any medicine. She needs it to survive. She needs it not to suffer.’
She went on to describe her mother as a ‘kind, faithful, loyal, fiercely loving woman of goodness and light’, and said she was funny, spunky and clever.
Guthrie was at times emotional during the recording, with her voice cracking. She smiled and looked into the camera when addressing her mother directly, saying that the family was praying for her and that people were looking for her.
‘Mommy, if you are hearing this, you are a strong woman. You are God´s precious daughter,’ she said.
Guthrie described her mother as a ‘kind, faithful, loyal, fiercely loving woman of goodness and light’ and said she was funny, spunky and clever.
‘Talk to her and you’ll see,’ she said.
Guthrie was flanked by her sister Annie and her brother Camron who both also spoke. Annie called their mother their beacon and said they need her.
‘Mamma, If you’re listening, we need you to come home. We miss you,’ Annie Guthrie said.
Law enforcement officers are present outside the home of Nancy Guthrie, the mother of Today host Savannah Guthrie, near Tucson, Ariz., Monday, Feb. 2, 2026
Nancy has limited mobility, and officials do not believe she left on her own. A sheriff’s dispatcher talking to deputies during a search Sunday indicated that she has high blood pressure, a pacemaker and heart issues.
There were also signs of forced entry at the home in the Catalina Foothills neighborhood, a dispatcher said.
Multiple media organizations reported receiving purported ransom notes Tuesday that they handed over to investigators. The Pima County sheriff’s department had said it was taking the notes and other tips seriously but declined to comment further.
This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.
