Nancy Guthrie's Case Update, Savannah Guthrie's Cousin, Teri And Their 'Kidnapping Game' In Focus

Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of Today Show co-anchor, Savannah Guthrie, was allegedly abducted from her Tucson, Arizona, home on the midnight of January 31, 2026 (ET). Through 18 days of investigation, the officials have found several clues, including blood trails, five ransom notes, gloves of a masked intruder of Nancy's house and also a doorcam video of the same person. Amid that, Savannah's cousin, Teri, has come to the spotlight because of a bizarre past incident that has resurfaced, an account of which Savannah also shared in her 2024 book, Mostly What God Does.

Who is Teri, the cousin of Savannah Guthrie and Annie Guthrie?

Teri (last name unknown), is currently the most talked-about relative of the Guthries. Teri is the cousin of Savannah, Annie and Camron Guthrie, and is reportedly quite close to the siblings. The cousins grew up together, visiting each other's houses. According to Savannah's book, Mostly What God Does, Teri lived in Phoenix and drove down to Tucson to meet the Guthries every summer when they were kids. They used to have fun together and play a game that the internet considers bizarre. It was a "kidnapping game", the details of which have been revisited following Nancy Guthrie's real-life abduction.

What was Teri's "kidnapping game" all about, and why is it generating buzz?

Savannah Guthrie's book revealed that their cousins, including Teri, would visit them in Tucson, Arizona, every summer and before leaving, Teri would make Savannah and her sister, Annie, play a "kidnapping game." Teri would wake Savannah and Annie in the pre-dawn darkness and "shush" them as they made their "escape" from their house. The siblings would pile into Teri's station wagon and drive north toward Phoenix as the sun rose. Radio host, Amy Brown talked about the same during a recent episode of The Bobby Bones Show, saying:

"It was called 'Mock Kidnapping'. It was something they did regularly. And her mom would play along. They would go from like Tucson to Phoenix and act like they were kidnapped."

The kidnapping game's next phase was a call to the mock victim's home. During a pit stop at a payphone, Teri would let the girls call their mother, Nancy Guthrie, to jokingly announce, "Mom, cousin Teri kidnapped us to take us to her house!" Nancy would playfully feign shock and keep the joke going, saying she was missing her children a lot. She further promised to "retrieve" the kids in a few days and went to Teri's house to pick them up. Several TikTokers and social media influencers claimed that the kidnapping plot was eerie and unusual to have served as a game for the cousins. They even wondered if such a thought process of Teri led him/her to abduct Nancy Guthrie for real this time.

Before Teri, Nancy Guthrie's son-in-law, Tommaso Cioni, was considered a suspect by the public

The public suspected Nancy Guthrie's son-in-law and Annie Guthrie's husband, Tommaso Cioni, as the abductor. The speculation began after NewsNation journalist, Ashleigh Banfield claimed on her podcast that Tommaso was a "prime suspect," citing an unverified source. Annie Guthrie and her husband, Tommaso Cioni, are under intense online scrutiny as they were the last people to see Nancy before she disappeared from her Tucson home. Tommaso reportedly drove Nancy home after a family dinner on Saturday night, ET, and confirmed she was safely inside at approximately 9:30 p.m.

Sheriff cleared Tommaso Cioni and other immediate family members of Nancy Guthrie as possible suspects

Pima County Sheriff, Chris Nanos officially cleared Tommaso Cioni and all other members of Nancy Guthrie's family as suspects in her disappearance on February 16, 2026 (ET). The sheriff's department released a statement emphasising that they have been 100% cooperative in Nancy's search process and are considered victims in the case. The clearance covers Nancy's children, Savannah, Annie, and Camron Guthrie as well as their respective spouses, including Tommaso Cioni and Michael Feldman.

What are your thoughts on Savannah and Annie Guthrie's cousin, Teri's suspectedink in Nancy Guthrie's kidnapping? Let us know.

Also Read: Is Kayla Noel Day Married But Not To Luke Daley? Rumours Spark Amid Alleged Links With Nancy Guthrie

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