Savannah Guthrie Reportedly 'Livid' Over Brother-in-Law Named as Suspect in Mother's Abduction Case
Megyn Kelly has claimed that Savannah Guthrie is "livid" after journalist Ashleigh Banfield identified her brother-in-law, Tommaso Cioni, as a "prime suspect" in the abduction of her mother, Nancy Guthrie. This revelation comes despite the Pima County Sheriff's Office later stating that none of Nancy's family or in-laws were considered suspects in the case.
Banfield's Controversial Report and Family Outrage
Ashleigh Banfield, citing a single law enforcement source, named Cioni as a suspect just two days after Nancy was reported missing from her Tucson, Arizona home on February 1. The Guthrie family was allegedly outraged by this accusation, with insiders at the time suggesting they were pursuing legal action against the NewsNation host.
Kelly, who previously worked with Guthrie at NBC News, disclosed on her podcast last week that the Today co-host remains angry about Banfield's reporting. "I have not been able to confirm that the Guthrie family wants to sue Ashleigh Banfield, but I have confirmed that Savannah is livid about that report and definitely does not suspect her or her brother-in-law," Kelly stated.
She added, "Can you blame her? I mean, of course, she loves her sister, I'm sure she loves her brother-in-law, and I'm sure she genuinely doesn't believe they had anything to do with it."
Legal Protection and Investigative Context
During a discussion on the Megyn Kelly Show with celebrity defense attorney Mark Geragos, the legal implications of Banfield's report were examined. Geragos argued that while the report may have been upsetting to the Guthrie family, it "couldn't be more protected under the law."
"The media is, as long as they are reporting and they have source protection, you're never going to be able to disprove what Ashley Banfield said," Geragos explained. He also noted that in the early stages of an investigation, police typically look into possible familial involvement, stating, "Any judge who's looking at this, any lawyer who's involved, is going to tell you 'of course they're looking at the family members.' It would be malpractice not to -- and that's exactly what Ashley said."
Police Response and Media Criticism
Two days after Banfield's report, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos claimed the department had not identified a suspect in the case. "Nobody's eliminated, but we just really don't have enough to say, 'This is our suspect, this is our guy, we know — or our gal.' We don't know that," Nanos told the Hollywood Reporter.
He criticized Banfield's reporting as "reckless," saying, "It's really kind of reckless to report that someone is a suspect when they could very well be a victim." Nanos urged the media to be "careful" with their reporting, warning that spreading misinformation "could actually be doing some damage to the case."
Despite this, Banfield doubled down on her reporting, with a producer for her podcast asserting that she "stands by her reporting" and "her ironclad source." Kelly acknowledged that Banfield's source was a "senior law enforcement source who had been a source for her for years."
Case Details and Family Involvement
Tommaso Cioni and his wife, Annie Guthrie, were the last people to see Nancy before she vanished. Sheriff Nanos initially refused to rule out Cioni or anyone else as a potential suspect but later confirmed that all members of the Guthrie family have been cleared by investigators.
Nancy Guthrie was last seen at her home on January 31 and reported missing the following day. Authorities believe the 84-year-old was kidnapped, abducted, or taken against her will. Drops of her blood were found on the front porch, and the FBI released surveillance footage on February 10 showing a masked man at her doorstep the night she disappeared. Little other evidence has been made public.
Savannah Guthrie and her siblings have offered a $1 million reward for information leading to Nancy's recovery, but solid leads in the case have been scarce. The family's frustration is compounded by the media scrutiny and allegations against their relatives, highlighting the tension between journalistic reporting and personal privacy in high-profile criminal investigations.
