Nancy Guthrie's daughter, Savannah Guthrie, was reportedly left 'livid' in late March after veteran broadcaster Ashleigh Banfield publicly described Savannah's brother-in-law as a 'prime suspect' in Nancy's disappearance — despite police later stating that no member of the Guthrie family was a suspect.
Nancy Guthrie, 78, was reported missing in early February, prompting an intensive search in Pima County, Arizona, and significant media attention given her daughter's high-profile role as co-anchor of NBC's 'Today' show. Within days, what began as a missing persons investigation had been complicated by commentary from outside the official probe, with Banfield, then a NewsNation reporter, saying on air that law enforcement sources had identified Nancy's son-in-law, Tommaso Cioni, as a key focus. The sheriff later moved to formally contradict that claim, but the damage to the family's sense of privacy has been difficult to undo.
