Savannah Guthrie’s “Today” co-host solemnly shared an update on her mother Nancy Guthrie’s ongoing disappearance Thursday as the New York Police Department surrounded her studio.
Craig Melvin and Shainelle Jones shared with viewers Wednesday night the tearful plea Savannah and her siblings, Annie and Camron Guthrie, made to those who would try to capture their mother.
“We begin this morning with an update on the search for Savannah’s beloved mother, Nancy,” said Jones, who is filling in for Savannah in the 54-year-old’s absence.
Melvin, 46, pointed out, “Of course, most days, Savannah greets you from this desk.”
However, he said, “This morning we received a very different message from a dear friend of ours.”
Jones, 47, said Savannah and her siblings shared “direct messages to their mother and the person who may have kidnapped her” via Instagram.
“I’d like to play that video in its entirety right now,” Melvin said before airing the emotional footage.
Behind Melvin and Jones, members of the New York City Police Department could be seen monitoring NBC’s Studio 1A.
The Sun reported Wednesday that security has been increased at a Manhattan building “out of an abundance of caution” as the frantic search continues for Nancy, who disappeared from her Arizona home over the weekend.
“Things are tense in the studio and NBC has stepped up as a result,” a source told the station. “NBC has partnered with the NYPD to ensure the safety of our staff.”
Jones admitted the day before that she was feeling “rattled” and having “sleep trouble” while reporting on the family crisis of a friend and colleague.
“We’re all shaken up,” she said Tuesday. “We all know we have a job to do. But you know, we’re a family here, and that’s more than what we say.”
Jenna Bush Hager agreed: “[Nancy]is a woman who is deeply loved by everyone here at Today.”
Notably, Savannah withdrew from hosting the Italian Winter Olympics on Friday, and Melvin will remain in the studio with Jones.
He and his colleagues, including former “Today” co-anchor Hoda Kotb, reposted Savannah’s video via social media, imploring followers to “keep praying.”
Savannah’s mother has a variety of health problems, from high blood pressure to heart disease, and is in urgent need of medication.
She was last seen at her home on Saturday evening when her son-in-law, Tommaso Cioni, dropped her off after dinner with his family.
The next morning, Nancy did not show up to church, and there were signs of forced entry and obvious blood stains in her home.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Office said Nancy was apparently taken from her home against her will, “possibly in the middle of the night,” and multiple ransom notes were sent to local news stations.
