Today’s Craig Melvin did not hold back while discussing the person responsible for kidnapping Savannah Guthrie‘s mother, Nancy Guthrie.
During the Thursday, March 26, episode of the Today show, Hoda Kotb was speaking to her fellow cohosts about her emotional interview with Savannah, 54. Kotb, 61, noted that the hardest part was seeing how much Savannah has blamed herself for Nancy’s disappearance.
“You guys know how strong Savannah is,” Kotb said. “I knew she was strong but I didn’t know how much until yesterday.”
Melvin, 46, praised Savannah for how she has weathered the tragic situation, adding, “Of the takeaways there, the fact that our dear friend would blame herself for any of this when it was some sicko or sickos out there who kidnapped a woman in the middle of the night. Only [Savannah] could sit there and do that.”
Savannah Guthrie’s Mom Nancy Is Missing in Arizona: Timeline of the Case
Earlier in the interview, Savannah admitted that she wonders whether her notoriety is the reason her mother was abducted.
“It’s just too much to bear to think that I brought this to her bedside,” she told Kotb. “That it’s because of me. I have to say I’m so sorry, Mommy. I’m so sorry. I’m sorry to my sister and my brother and my kids and my nephew and Tommy, my brother-in-law,” Savannah continued. “I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry. If it is me, I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry.”
Savannah has been trying to spread awareness about her mother’s disappearance since news broke in February that Nancy, 84, was missing. The Pima County Sheriff’s Department has offered updates about how they suspect Nancy was abducted from her home in Tucson, Arizona, after missing a virtual church service.
Amid the investigation, Savannah has been absent from the Today show. She previously shared a statement about stepping away to focus on her family and the search for Nancy, which has lasted nearly two months.
“On behalf of our family, I want to thank everyone for the thoughts, prayers and messages of support,” her February statement read. “Right now, our focus remains on the safe return of our dear mom. We thank law enforcement for their hard work on this case and encourage anyone with information to contact the Pima County Sheriff’s Department.”
Several ransom letters were allegedly received by TMZ and local news outlets in the weeks since Nancy went missing. A demand has also been made from an unknown sender claiming to have information on who took Nancy, offering to identify the suspect in exchange for 1 Bitcoin.
Inside ‘Today’ Host Savannah Guthrie’s Relationship With Mom Nancy
The FBI released photos and video footage of a subject outside of Nancy’s home. Additional details about the individual were revealed as authorities announced a new $100,000 reward for information that could help identify a potential suspect.
“Someone needs to do the right thing. We are in agony,” Savannah told Kotb in a Wednesday, March 25, clip from her interview. “And to think of what she went through. I wake up every night in the middle of the night. Every night. And in the darkness, I imagine her terror. And it is unthinkable.”
Kotb recalled how emotional it was to see Savannah pleading for her mother’s return.
“There is a desperation and also a steeliness about Savannah,” she shared on Today. “She’s hoping that somebody — whoever this person is — will see something and say something.”
While discussing her interview with Savannah, Kotb praised her strength, adding, “I was sort of marveling that she was able to sit there with an outfit on, have a conversation and also have direct thoughts about what she sees going forward. … It’s like no one’s stealing her joy, so you’ll see both sides of that.”
