Bosses at stateside TV show Today have took drastic action to try to protect their staff following the disappearance of presenter Savannah Guthrie’s mum. The NBC show’s presenter’s mother, Nancy, 84, remains missing.
It’s feared the star’s mum has been kidnapped from her home in Arizona. She was last seen at her property on Saturday evening and her disappearance is being investigated as a crime.
It’s claimed the network has decided to increase their security following the incident. And there is a bigger police presence at the New York City studio, with sources saying they are using an “abundance of caution”.
A source told The Sun: “Things are tense at the studio, and as a result, NBC has stepped up security for on-air talent. NBC has partnered with the NYPD to make sure their staff remains safe, out of an abundance of caution.”
On Tuesday, Sheinelle Jones said people are “rattled” behind the scenes as she appeared on Today with Jenna and Sheinelle. “We’re all shaken,” she said.
“We all recognise that we have a job to do. But as you guys know, we’re family around here, and it’s not just something that we say. We’ve all been a little rattled.”
She added “a lot of us had trouble sleeping” after the news. And she said the cast is “worried” for Savannah’s mother. “This morning, I woke up and I was nervous,” she said before touching on Savannah’s emotional social media message.
“I promise you, it gave me this peace,” Sheinelle said. “Leave it up to Savannah to impart and remind us of who we are. If she can have faith in a moment like this and ask for prayers, then we are going to give it to her and be reminded by her.”
Ms Guthrie was last seen at her home near Tucson, Arizona on Saturday night at around 9.30pm local time. According to Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos, there are fears she had been kidnapped based on a “concerning” discovery at her home.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said: “We do in fact have a crime scene. We do in fact have a crime. She did not leave on her own. We know that.”
It’s said the police had responded to a 911 call on Sunday. At around noon, after answering the alert, a search began. A search and rescue team, volunteer dogs, drones and a helicopter were all involved.
Stateside outlet TMZ says it has received a ransom note from Nancy’s abductors. In a video posted to their Twitter/X page, host Harvey Levin told said:: “So we got something in our email that looks like a, is written like, a ransom note for Savannah Guthrie’s mother.”
Co-host Charles Latibeaudiere added: “Specific requests for specific amounts of money, bitcoin.” Harvey then said: “And also they say at the bottom, there are certain things they are saying about what she was wearing and damage to the house.”
