Savannah Guthrie's Silent Signals: NBC Host Appears 'Threatened' In Emotional Plea Video, Body Language Expert Claims — as Her Speech Suggests 'She Believes Mom Nancy Is Still Alive'
Savannah Guthrie's body language gave off major signs of how she feels 'threatened.'
Feb. 5 2026, Published 7:30 p.m. ET
Savannah Guthrie gives off major hints that she feels "threatened" during her desperate video plea for her missing moma Nancy's return, a top body language expert exclusively tells RadarOnline.com.
Behavior analyst Traci Brown notices right away "how small Savannah is making herself," in the Instagram video released late on Wednesday, February 4. She points out how the Today co-host's "elbows are in, she's almost folded in two. This is for protection, which means she's feeling threatened. Her arm is crossed over her body for added protection, holding her sister's hand for support."
Savannah Guthrie 'Thinks Her Mom Is Still Alive'
Savannah Guthrie sat in a way that made her look 'small' and showed she felt 'threatened.'
Savannah and her sister, Annie, were seen reading off pieces of paper as they delivered messages of hope that their mom is still alive while addressing who may have abducted her.
"The statement is scripted, as it should be. This isn't the time to ad lib," Brown observed.
"She's speaking in the present tense about her mom, which means she thinks she's still alive," she said of Savannah.
As the NBC personality tearfully read her portions, Traci pointed out, "Her sister is barely holding it together," about Annie.
Annie, who was one of the last people to see her mother on January 31, hours before Nancy was abducted from her Tucson, Arizona, home, noticeably didn't have the same openly weeping reaction as her sister.
"Her lips roll in – that's holding back emotion. And her eyes close for extended periods – that's keeping info out," the body language professional observed.
"This is something she doesn't want to see. She has several big breaths, that's to regulate stress."
Brother Cameron Guthrie 'Is In Complete Emotional Overload'
Camron Guthrie sat nearly motionless with his arms crossed for the entire video.
While the sisters did all the speaking, their brother, retired fighter pilot Camron, remained almost motionless throughout the video. He initially looked downward or at his sisters before eventually looking straight into the camera with long blinks.
The Vermont resident only spoke at the very end, firmly stating, "We love you, Mom, stay strong."
"I think the brother is in complete emotional overload," Brown observed. "His limbic system has taken over, and his stress response has gone to 'freeze'...it's choices are fight or flight freeze.
"He only moves once. He's protecting himself with his arms crossed. And if you look really closely, you'll see he closes his eyes for extended periods quite frequently."
"He does not want to see this. He's in complete self-protection. I believe he's chosen not to be scripted to speak," Brown said about Camron.
The family sat together and pleaded for their mother’s safe return.
'These Are People in Real Distress'
While Savannah Guthrie was emotional in the video, her siblings were in 'self protective' modes.
Brown said that although the three siblings showed differing outward signs of anguish, "These are people in real distress."
Annie's husband, Tommaso Cioni, dropped Nancy off at her home around 9:30 p.m. on Saturday after a family dinner and made sure she got safely inside. She was reported missing the following day, after police arrived around noon to find no sign of the former University of Arizona public relations worker and determined the home to be a "crime scene."
There has been no sign of Nancy since then, and very few clues have been released about what happened at the home. However, there was a troubling sign when splatters of her blood were found on the porch near her front doorway more than two days after her disappearance.
Never Miss an
Daily updates from the heart of Hollywood, right to your inbox
By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you’re agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Ransom Deadlines
Savannah Guthrie and her siblings are extremely close to their mother.
In the video, Savannah begged whoever took her mom, "We need to know without a doubt that she's alive and that you have her. We want to hear from you, and we're ready to listen. Please reach out to us."
On Thursday, February 5, the FBI confirmed the existence of a ransom note and told reporters, "Any action taken on a ransom is ultimately decided by the family."
One of the notes set a deadline at 5 p.m. the same day, while there was also a later deadline.
"So we are continuing in a normal kidnapping case," Special Agent in charge Heith Janki said, even though they apparently had not had contact yet with Nancy's captors. "But those are the time frames we're looking at as we move forward."
