Savannah Guthrie's mother, kidnapped in February, may be dead, journalist says

Savannah Guthrie, the host of NBC's "Today" show, expressed her deep anguish Tuesday as a note from her mother's kidnappers suggested the 84-year-old may have died shortly after her abduction in February.

Guthrie pleaded for anyone with information about her mother, Nancy Guthrie, to come forward. "I just wanted to take this opportunity... to beg people to come forward, somebody knows something," she said on NBC. "This is a current event today that is on your radar, but this is the life my sister, my brother, my extended families, our children are living every day, and we are in agony, we cannot be at peace," she added, appealing for public help.

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I just wanted to take this opportunity... to beg people to come forward, somebody knows something.

The plea follows reports from several U.S. media outlets that one of two notes sent to the family in the weeks after the kidnapping indicated Nancy Guthrie had died. The FBI deemed both notes credible. The first demanded millions of dollars in bitcoin for her safe return, while the second stated she was deceased. CNN reported the second note suggested the kidnappers did not intend to kill Nancy Guthrie.

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This is a current event today that is on your radar, but this is the life my sister, my brother, my extended families, our children are living every day, and we are in agony, we cannot be at peace.

The octogenarian suffered from heart problems. Her abduction in early February in Tucson, Arizona, sparked a media frenzy in the U.S. The FBI released images of a masked, armed individual near Nancy Guthrie's home, but the suspect was not identified, and the investigation stalled.

President Donald Trump reiterated Tuesday that he was following the case. "I hope they find her," he told reporters. "This family has been through hell." Guthrie had previously offered $1 million for information leading to her mother's recovery, and the FBI offered $100,000.

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I hope they find her. This family has been through hell.

"We are begging you to help us," Guthrie insisted Tuesday, reminding viewers of the dedicated hotline for the case. "Please, if you are watching, no matter how insignificant it may seem to you... the reward exists. You can tell us, it can be anonymous," she added. "We love our mom, and we will never stop..."

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We are begging you to help us. Please, if you are watching, no matter how insignificant it may seem to you... the reward exists. You can tell us, it can be anonymous.