Savannah Speaks: A Dateline Special

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Do you feel ready to do this?

No, I'll never be ready to talk about what's happened.

But I have a lot to say.

Tonight, my emotional conversation with Savannah Guthrie about her mother's disappearance.

I just got where are you?

Where are you?

She taught me to be strong.

She showed me because no one ever learns anything I'm being told.

You only learn by being shown.

She showed us.

Tell me what you thought when you saw those images of the person who took your mother.

I mean, it's just absolutely terrifying and I can't imagine

that that is who she saw standing over her bed.

Someone knows something.

We talk about family, faith, and her future.

So how about coming back?

You know, everyone's wondering.

I can't come back and try to be something that I'm not.

But I can't not come back because it's my family.

When times are hard to want to be with your family.

Good evening, I'm Hota Kotby.

It's the story that has horrified the nation and it hit us so hard here at NBC.

The abduction of Savannah Guthrie's beloved mom Nancy.

As we followed developments in this case, we have marveled at Savannah's strength and her courage.

Well, tonight that courage, it is on full display as she opens up about her raw

and deeply painful journey over these last eight weeks.

This was unlike any interview I've ever done.

It's a conversation both unbearable and yet somehow because of who Savannah is inspirational.

On the weekend, her family's life changed forever.

Savannah was having fun with her kids while her husband, Mike, was away.

Take me back to the day.

Tell me what you were doing and what happened.

I had given Mike for Christmas a boys trip to go play tennis.

And so he had been gone for the weekend.

So I took my kids actually to Carson's and so we could all hang out.

That's our friend and colleague Carson Daly.

We have beautiful, fun night together and then it came home.

And really it just got home at the same time that Mike came home and we were just saying,

hi, put down our stuff and the kids were running around.

And my sister called me and I said, is everything okay?

And she said, no, she said, mom's missing.

And I said, what?

What are you talking about?

She said she's gone.

And she was in a panic.

I was in a panic.

Her sister Annie was at Nancy's house in Tucson, Arizona, along with her husband, Tommy.

Nancy's friends had called them after she did not show up to watch an online church service.

I'm like, call 911.

Yeah, she's like, I did.

We've called them. They're here.

You know, she tried really hard to figure it out before she worried us, you know, before she

called and they were kind of running around the house.

And we thought that she must have had like some kind of medical episode in the night and that

somehow, you know, the paramedics had come because the back doors were propped open.

But her phone was there and her purse was there and all her things.

And it just didn't make any sense.

Annie and Tommy had already called all the hospitals.

But then I'm like, I'm going to call the hospital.

So then I started calling the hospitals and the police were there and talking to her at the

same time and it was just chaos.

You know, that was like two o'clock in the afternoon.

But, you know, I was on a plane at 730 to Phoenix and then two hour drive down to Tucson.

And I probably got to my sister's house at two in the morning and my brother was already there.

She saw Annie and Cam when you got to their house.

Tell me about that moment.

Just disbelief and I gave each other and I think we were on the phone with the sheriff and

trying to really make clear.

This isn't that case that you are used to where someone wanders off.

She can't wander off.

She was in tremendous pain.

Her back was very bad.

On a good day, she could walk down to the mailbox and get the mail, but most days not.

So there was no wander off.

And the doors were popped open.

And there was blood on the front doorster.

And the ring camera had been yanked off.

And so we were saying this is not okay.

Something is very wrong here.

Did you guys talk about what could have happened?

Well, we talked about everything, but it's just it's impossible to believe.

Yeah.

Yeah.

I still don't believe it.

I still many times a day.

Remember, and it's like being punched in the face.

Like, what are you talking about?

My mom.

Where's my mom?

My little mom.

What do you mean someone took her?

Who took my mom?

Who took this?

Who took her from her bed?

It doesn't make sense.

I don't understand.

My brother, you know, he spent his career in the military and worked in intelligence

and so fighter pilot and brilliant.

And he saw very clearly right away what this was.

And even on the phone, when I called him, he knew.

And he said, I think she's been kidnapped for ransom.

And I said, yeah, what?

Well, why what?

And then I mean, it sounds so like how dumb could I be?

But I just I didn't want to believe.

I just said, do you think because of me?

And I said, I'm sorry, sweetie, but yeah, maybe.

But I knew that you did.

I hope not.

But I don't know that it's because she's my mom and somebody thought,

oh, that girl, that lady has money.

We can make a quick buck.

But yeah, that's probably which is too much to bear.

To think that I brought this to her bedside.

That it's because of me.

And I just say, I'm 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, look, just like so sorry, I'm so sorry.

If it is me, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry.

At that point, Nancy Guthrie had been missing for nearly 24 hours,

and as searches got underway, strange clues would begin to emerge.

When we return, Savannah tells me about those disturbing ransom notes.

I think most of them, it's my understanding, are not real.

But I believe the two notes that we received, that we responded to,

you, I tend to believe those are real.

On the morning of February 2nd,

America woke up to the unfathomable news.

Breaking overnight, Nancy Guthrie,

Savannah's 84-year-old mother, now at the center of a missing person's case.

Then, the Pima County Sheriff confirmed what Savannah and her family feared most.

Their mother had been abducted.

We believe now that we do, in fact, have a crime scene, that we do, in fact, have a crime.

And we're asking the communities help.

Two days later, Savannah and her siblings made their first public plea.

Our mom is our heart, and our home.

She is 84-year-old. Her health, her heart, is fragile.

How is it possible that we are having to make a video, speaking to a kidnapper who took an 84-year-old

woman in the dead of night, in her pajamas, with no shoes, without her medicine,

and to beg for mercy?

I remember you said, talk to her.

Talk to her.

That's what you said.

I remember.

She is a devoted friend.

She is full of kindness and knowledge.

Talk to her, and you'll see.

You're lucky to be in her company.

Even at for a moment.

See it.

Investigators put out a timeline.

Nancy had been dropped off at home at about 9.50 p.m. Saturday, January 31.

The next morning, at 2.28 a.m., her pacemaker disconnected from an app on her cell phone,

suggesting that that was around the time she was taken.

In the days that followed, notes demanding payment were sent to media outlets.

We are aware of a ransom letter that was sent to the local media and then to national outlets.

The ransom notes or ransom requests came. A lot of people wondered, are those true?

Did you believe those to be real?

There are a lot of different notes, I think, that came.

I think most of them, it's my understanding, are not real.

You know, a person that would send a fake ransom note really has to look deeply at themselves.

Yeah.

But I believe the two notes that we received, that we responded to,

I tend to believe those are real.

Really?

Which is why we responded.

We received your message and we understand.

We beg you now to return our mother to us so that we can celebrate with her.

No response came, but on day 10, the investigation made a leap forward.

Tonight, the first chilling images shedding light on what happened at Nancy Guthrie's house

the night she was abducted.

Authorities were able to recover footage from Nancy's doorbell camera.

Chilling images of a masked man trying to obscure the lens in his waistband, a gun.

Tell me what you thought when you saw those images of the person who took your mother.

I mean, it's just absolutely terrifying.

And I can't imagine that that is who she saw standing over her bed.

I can't.

Investigators are gleaning every clue from that video that they can.

The backpack is a model sold exclusively at Walmart.

Forensic analysis suggests the man is between five foot nine and five foot ten

with almond-shaped eyes and facial hair.

For the family, the video also put a painful issue to rest.

And I'm glad and grateful.

To the investigators and the technology companies that were able to find that video.

To I hope, at least with people of good heart and compassion, stop.

They are responsible and cruel speculation that had started to swirl.

Let's talk about that for a minute.

I'm glad that people saw what came

to our door.

When you talk about the cruel speculation, the whispers, the innuendo,

that it was somebody in your family, how did you and your siblings even weather that?

It's unbearable and it piles pain upon pain.

I don't understand. I'll never understand.

But we are not looking at those people.

Yeah, yeah. We are looking for the light.

And my family, we are strong for her.

And no one took better care of my mom than my sister and brother-in-law.

And no one protected my mom more than my brother.

Leads poured in after the release of that video, but nothing so far has led to the masked man

or tenancy. The investigation continues with authorities asking neighbors

for home security footage from both the time Nancy disappeared,

to as far back as January 11th, when it's possible a suspicious person appeared near the house.

Something law enforcement and Google are trying to confirm.

They're still working to determine the model of the gun the man was carrying,

as well as attempting to analyze mixed and partial DNA from an unknown source found in the home.

It has now been 55 days since Nancy vanished.

A lot of people were frustrated, I think, with the investigation.

How did your family feel about the way the investigation was conducted?

Well, it's still going, and people have worked tirelessly, tirelessly, and we see that,

but we need answers. We cannot be a piece without knowing we have to know.

And someone knows.

Someone knows. You're focusing on people in Tucson.

Somebody there must have seen or known something and maybe forgot about it or didn't pay

attention to it. Something, right? How can someone vanish without a trace? How?

Someone knows something, even if that's something is someone's been acting strange

for the last seven, eight weeks, even if it's just that. Somebody knows.

When our conversation continues, Savannah shares stories about the woman at the center of it all,

her remarkable mother. She wasn't one of those moms that, oh, my kid can do no wrong,

or everything you do is perfect. Therefore, like, if she believes in you,

you could take that to the bank.

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Can you speak about your mom always in the present tense? Yeah.

I mean, she is present tense to me.

All of us who know Savannah know that her mother Nancy has always been her light and her role model.

About just tell me about your mommy.

Yeah. My mom is she's incredible.

She has that wisdom about her. She's funny and a little mischievous I would say in her humor.

She does what's right. She walks in face but not a fake pious put on face but like a grounded earthy

she fought for it. Face. Where did her faith come from? She grew up in the church and she grew up

Catholic but she really she and my dad really had their own experience which we Baptist would have

called a conversion experience you know when they were married and in their 20s and they had

us three kids and he always used to say God was the sixth member of our family.

And that's true. I mean I was lucky enough to meet Nancy we all were what is the best part of being

her daughter. My mom is so strong and sure and resolute that she also is a truth teller and she

really doesn't stop her fools and you know she wasn't one of those moms that oh my kid can do no

wrong or everything you do is perfect and she therefore like if she believes in you you could

take that to the bank and I used to say she's a noble creature she would just scoff at that

please no I'm not you know but she is and she was and I don't know whether to talk about her

in present tense or past tense I don't know but I know where she is you know she's so God either way

either way do you picture her in heaven do you have an image of what that looks like

yeah I do imagine her she used to say that she imagined that when you passed away that

on your first night in heaven God would take you on a tour just for you and show you the universe

this is how I made this and this is how I made that and she really loved that thought because

she was so curious you know she's she's such a journalist you know she of course was

got her masters in journalism and was going to be a newspaper reporter when she was young but then

met my dad and they had a family and after Savannah's father died suddenly of a heart attack when she

was just 16 her mom taught her the meaning of strength and resilience and I remember my mom saying

in those early days when daddy died like you have to get up and decide and do just decide and do

and she hadn't I'd read that in a book that meant a lot to her and her grief and so I remember

I always remember that so I'm trying to decide and do she showed us how to survive the unimaginable

when she lost my dad she was 46 years old she had three kids she had never worked outside the home

she had to get up she had to find a job she had to mother two teenagers and one young adult just

starting making his way into the world I remember moments in my childhood

and those days after my dad died she was so strong but some mornings

for Don she thought we were still sleeping out here crying at my door

to not be alone in her grief she took care of her mother her brother who had Down syndrome

she invited to come live with us

she worked part-time

to make ends kind of me she stayed strong for us she was resolute

she was real so she taught me

to be strong but she taught me to be true she showed me

because no one ever learns anything by being told you only learned by being shown she showed us

and next I asked Savannah how she's able right now to put the lessons from her mother into practice

how did you navigate that part of your life how were you speaking to your kids

we beg you now to return our mother to us so that we can celebrate with her

in the initial days you and your sister and brother sat together in all the despair you sat

and managed to think of words to say things to convey were you able to do that

in that moment well my siblings are amazing and we are a unit

while Savannah and her siblings have experienced unspeakable anguish since their mother's abduction

their closeness has made them stronger I talked about how brilliant my brother is this is

Cameron Guthrie I'm speaking for the Guthrie family but my sister is equally brilliant and also has

special powers of intuition and faith and language and depth and heart mama if you're listening

we need you to come home I mean the first thing that I posted about it was for people to pray

and it's my sister Annie who said that to me she said Savannah I think you need to ask people to pray

and I haven't posted one thing or said one thing that three of us haven't decided together

you were there you were getting updates from law enforcement but how were you passing the time

what were you doing during the days well we had to move houses many times because

people came and not everyone is respectful unfortunately there was a night we had to leave

in the dark in the desert holding hands me and my sister and brother and I

get into a car waiting for us to because the people outside were closing in so we found a place

that was safe and then then we couldn't really leave too much so those days are a blur yeah

crying and praying one of the images that stayed with me through all of this was you and Annie

and Tomaso walking up and looking at the flowers and at the notes the three of you

arm and arm in that moment connected I thought that was so beautiful and at the same time as I saw

that I thought I wonder if Savannah's going inside and what that must have felt like for you to go

inside of your child at home your mom's house yeah I mean this is the house that we grew up in

it's really the only house I've ever known and remember

so we moved there when I was about four I think it's the house where all of our memories are

good and bad so it's hallowed ground Savannah's sister and brother-in-law lived near the childhood

home they were there every day for my mom they made it possible for her to stay and the house we

grew up in that she loved so much so Annie and Tommy made that possible for her they were close

yes a letter have her space and it's just a way in which this is just

even more excruciating for them and all that they've been through tell me while you were

spending all this time in Tucson your kids were home how did you navigate that part of your life

how were you speaking to your kids what did they know what do they know well

it's so hard with kids because you know you want to protect them yeah this is the longest I ever

was away from my kids I would never go for a trip not for work not for anything it'd be gone so long

and I have so many beautiful friends that came and cared for them and lifted them and

took their minds off things and they all would write me all the time mama any leads

any leads do you hear anything you know any any hope we tried to talk to them

and try to give them a little more certainty then we have

them until at them grieve

are they noticing that you're different your kids I think they do yeah try not to be different but also

not doing them any favors by putting on some facade kids know they'd be more disturbed by

something that felt not real but my kids are my joy and they were my mom's joy a family leaning

on each other getting through one day at a time relying on faith next Savannah tells me how this

ordeal has both solidified and challenged her faith God doesn't tell us not to rust over them

this isn't some cheap faith this is real

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the Guthrie family asked for prayers and the response was overwhelming at St.

Phillips in the Hills Episcopal Church in Tucson more than 400 people attended a

candlelight vigil to pray for Nancy's safe return did you wrestle with your faith throughout

this your resolute and strong like your mama but did you at some point during all of this

have to wrestle with it yes yeah and i'm not done but god doesn't tell us not to wrestle with him

this isn't some cheap faith this is real and god doesn't ask us to be

stoic and my mom taught me that we are in an hour of desperation even for a person immersed in

faith this has been a time of testing for Savannah filled with questions and doubts but once again

she is finding comfort in her mom's example one of my mom's best friend told me that

she had been going through a hard time and she said to my mom Nancy how do you keep your faith

and my mom said to her but where else would i go

and i hold that with me where else would i go but faith is how i will stay connected to my mom

god is how i'm holding hands with my mom it is not easy

and i have cried out where are you where are you we may not get any answer some people don't

Savannah knows her family is not unique in their despair we know there are millions of families

that have suffered with this kind of uncertainty that's why in addition to offering a one million

dollar reward for information about Nancy's disappearance they also made a $500,000 donation

to the national center for missing and exploited children who were we to think

that this broken world wouldn't touch us of course it will and god is the only thing that makes it

bearable my mom could not bear to see this pain for her she would say oh honey don't worry about me

don't worry about me she would she would but she couldn't stand to see us suffer she could not

bear to see our sadness and i won't let sadness win for her

i saw her grief i saw her world shatter i saw it and i saw her get up and i saw her believe

and i saw her love and i saw her smile and i saw her laugh i saw her joy

and i may not do it as well as her but i will do it i will do it for my kids i will

i will not fall apart i will not let whoever did this take my children's mother from them

i will not let them take my joy they will not take my sister's joy they will not take my brother's joy

they will not take our love they will not take our faith

but our anguish is real we need help we need someone to tell the truth

yes i have no anger in my heart i have hope in my heart

i have love but this family needs peace yeah someone needs to do the right thing

we are in agony yeah we are in agony it is unbearable

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

but those thoughts demand to be thought and i will not hide my face

and when we return Savannah tells me what the future might hold for her and her other family

at the today's show i don't know if i can do it

hmm i don't know if all belong anymore but i would like to try

i would like to try

you

you know it was a hard decision for you and i know you told me about this was coming back here

leaving Arizona to come back to New York why was that so difficult that choice

no i looked out the window they are playing that beautiful desert that she looks

where are you oh how could i leave you

when Savannah came back to New York to her husband and children she knew it meant facing her

future she also knew she would draw strength from her second family all of us at the today's show

and nbc one of the enduring images for me was walking into studio one a and seeing you there

speaking to everybody what was it like for you walking back in there

i really wanted to come and see everybody

yeah i just love this beautiful place that we

call home where we get to come and be every day i know how much people have prayed for me and

loved me our thoughts and our prayers are with our dear friend and colleague and her family this morning

she has been braver than i can even imagine she has been so vulnerable i just can't say enough

incredible things about what an amazing spirit she is all the notes and messages that i have received

are just so beautiful i just wanted to be with my family they're my family too

and i wanted to just say that i love them and i felt them and their kindness is carrying me

and that i'll be okay you said something when you were there and you said

i don't know how to come back and i don't know how not to come back that struck me

yeah that's how i feel

to get to be at the today's show and have my dream come true it was better than my dream

it was more than all i could ask or imagine so how about coming back i know everyone's wondering

so it's hard to imagine doing it because it's such a place of joy and lightness and

how i can't come back and try to be something that i'm not

but i can't not come back because it's my family i think it's part of my purpose right now

and i think i can't collapse and i can't fall apart though there are days that i want to

and there are days that i do but i want to get up

i want to smile and when i do it will be real

i will have joy my joy will be my answer and being there is joyful

and when it's not i'll say so and i have been so grateful

to have this family i consider this my family my greater family and when times are hard you

want to be with your family and i want to be with my family and my sister says

being who you are and being as authentic and as real as you are in this moment

is what you should do and it will be a relief

she said some people watch tv and think why are those people so happy all the time

maybe it's a relief to just be who you are

and so i don't know if i can do it

i don't know if i'll belong anymore but i would like to try

i would like to try

well everybody's waiting for you just so you know

well i miss everybody you know yeah and it feels good to be with the people that you love

i plan to do my best and plan to tell the truth i'm not going to be the same

but maybe it's like that all poem more beautiful in the broken places

that you are

we're for me to hug

and we've got some good news to share

savanna will return to the today show on monday april 6th and while we are

so looking forward to that date our hearts are as ever with her in the entire gothry family

a reminder if anybody has information on nancy gothry's case please call the number on your screen

the fbi's tip line 1-800-call-fbi

that's all for now i'm hoda caughtby thanks so much for joining us

you

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