Nancy Guthrie Update: Savannah 'Livid' After Reporter Names Brother-In-Law As Suspect

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.

Nancy Guthrie Case Pulled Into Speculation Storm

According to Rob Shuter's Naughty But Nice Substack, Savannah, 54, had been trying to keep the search for her mother from becoming a media spectacle. One unnamed source told the outlet she had wanted 'to handle this with dignity,' only to discover that 'someone she knows is being labelled a suspect on national TV.' The same source described the experience as 'devastating' for the broadcaster. Another person cited said Savannah 'felt completely blindsided' by Banfield's remarks, a reaction that tracks with the timing, given that the commentary came just two days after Nancy was reported missing.

The controversy stems from a 4 February episode of Banfield's YouTube series Drop Dead Serious, where the veteran reporter linked developments in the Arizona investigation to Savannah's extended family. 'They have towed Annie Guthrie's car,' Banfield told viewers, referring to Nancy's other daughter, Annie. 'There is some connection to Annie Guthrie's car and Nancy Guthrie's son-in-law.'

She went further, saying: 'My law enforcement sources tell me that Tommaso Cioni is the prime suspect in this case. Again, my law enforcement source tells me that Nancy Guthrie's son-in-law, married to Annie Guthrie, Savannah's sister, is maybe, maybe a prime suspect.'

Sheriff Clears Guthrie Family in Nancy Guthrie Probe

On 16 February, nearly two weeks after Banfield's broadcast, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos issued a statement through the sheriff's office X account that appeared designed to draw a line under the speculation around Nancy Guthrie's relatives.

'To be clear[...] the Guthrie family – to include all siblings and spouses – has been cleared as possible suspects in this case,' Nanos said. 'The family has been nothing but cooperative and gracious and are victims in this.' He continued: 'To suggest otherwise is not only wrong, it is cruel. The Guthrie family are victims plain and simple[...] please, I'm begging you the media to honor your profession and report with some sense of compassion and professionalism.'

Coming from the official leading the investigation, that language was unusually direct. The sheriff did not name Banfield, but the rebuke was widely understood as a direct response to coverage that had named family members as suspects.

'Some Wounds Are Just Too Deep'

People around Savannah Guthrie say that is precisely what has cut the deepest. A third source quoted by Naughty But Nice said the 'Today' host was 'heartbroken' when she realised Banfield, 58, had portrayed her brother-in-law as a 'prime suspect' so early in the search for Nancy. Another added: 'There's too much hurt. Some wounds are just too deep. Savannah will never forgive her. Never.'

Banfield has not, as of this writing, publicly responded to those characterisations of Savannah's feelings, nor has she detailed the nature of the 'law enforcement sources' she referenced. Without that explanation, there is a gulf between the certainty with which she spoke and the certainty with which the sheriff later contradicted her.

For now, the public record is clear. The Pima County Sheriff's Office says the Guthrie family, including Cioni, are victims and not suspects. Any claim to the contrary has not been confirmed and should be taken with a grain of salt.