Savannah Guthrie’s brother-in-law ‘prime suspect’ in mom’s disappearance: Report

A new report has emerged in the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, the mother of “Today” anchor Savannah Guthrie.

Journalist Ashleigh Banfield, a former CNN, MSNBC and NewsNation host, stated on her “Drop Dead Serious” podcast Tuesday night that Savannah’s brother-in-law is a “prime suspect” in the case. She reported that investigators are focusing on the husband of Nancy Guthrie’s other daughter, Annie.

“There is some connection to Annie Guthrie’s car and Nancy Guthrie’s son-in-law, that would be Annie’s husband, Tommaso Cioni, age 50, from Tucson, Arizona, married to Annie P. Guthrie, Savannah’s sister,” Banfield explained. “And, my law enforcement source tells me that Tommaso Cioni is the prime suspect in this case.”

The Pima Sheriff’s Department, however, told KTLA 5 that “at this point, investigators have not identified a suspect or person of interest in this case.”

Nancy Guthrie Disappearance: What we know

“Detectives continue to speak with anyone who may have had contact with Mrs. Guthrie,” said Public Information Officer Angelica Carrillo. “Detectives are working closely with the Guthrie family. While we appreciate the public’s concern, the sharing of unverified accusations or false information is irresponsible and does not assist the investigation. No suspect or person of interest has been identified at this time.”

On Wednesday, Banfield talked to Ryan Gorman of “The Ryan Gorman Show” about her reporting, saying it came from “one of the highest-level sources” she has.

“I know that the sheriff is pushing back today, and they haven’t named, publicly, a person of interest. But that doesn’t mean that within the departments, all of the departments that are working on this, that that’s not who they may be looking at at this time,” she explained.

Today show co-host Savannah Guthrie attends The Hollywood Reporter’s annual Most Powerful People in Media cocktail reception at The Pool on April 11, 2019, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
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On Saturday night, Nancy had dinner with both Annie and Cioni and her son-in-law dropped her off at her Tucson home, where she lived alone, reports The Hollywood Reporter and The New York Times. That’s when the 84-year-old was last seen. When she didn’t attend church on Sunday, a member called a family member of her’s. Her family then searched her home before calling authorities, according to Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos.

“We do believe that Nancy was taken from her home against her will, and that’s where we’re at,” Nanos said during a press conference on Tuesday. He previously said Nancy has “some physical ailments, has some physical challenges, [and] is in need of medication.”

Nanos said Nancy was “sharp as a tack” but did have physical ailments that gave her limited mobility. Investigators believe Guthrie may have been taken in a nighttime kidnapping, as her phone, wallet, and car were still at her home, a person familiar with the investigation told The Associated Press.

This image provided by the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, on Monday, Feb. 2, 2026, shows a missing person alert for Nancy Guthrie. (Pima County Sheriff’s Department via AP)

While Nanos said investigators processed Guthrie’s home — which has since been turned back over to the family — like any other, looking for “blood, DNA, any kind of physical evidence, fingerprints, anything,” he declined to answer questions about whether blood was found.

Over the weekend, reporters with KTLA sister station NewsNation walked up to the door of Nancy’s home to see if anyone was home, and when they did, they found what appeared to be specks of blood near the front door.

The Pima County Sheriff’s Department, in an email to Nexstar before Tuesday’s press conference, said DNA samples had been collected at the scene, but would not confirm the presence of blood evidence. Nanos said that evidence had been submitted to labs.

The outlet reported that a Ring doorbell camera mounted near the entrance was also missing, and Nanos said investigators are examining whether the perpetrator removed it.

While the search for her mother continues, NBC Sports confirmed Savannah would not cover the Olympic Games later this week. The 54-year-old has not appeared on “Today” since her mother’s disappearance. Nanos said she is in Arizona.

In a post to Instagram on Monday, Guthrie called for prayers, asking her followers to “believe with us that she will be lifted by them in this very moment.”

Meanwhile, law enforcement is looking into three ransom notes that have been sent regarding this case.

On Tuesday,  TMZ reported it had received an alleged, unverified note demanding millions in Bitcoin in exchange for the release of Nancy. Separately, anchor Mary Coleman with Tucson television station KOLD said in an X post that the station received what appears to be a ransom note. The Tucson ABC affiliate, KGUN 9, also revealed that they received a ransom note.

The outlets reported that the notes had been sent to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department.