Ashleigh Banfield is standing by her assertion that Savannah Guthrie’s brother-in-law “may be the prime suspect” in the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, despite the local Arizona sheriff publicly rejecting the claim and calling the reporting “reckless.”
In comments to the Status newsletter on Thursday, Banfield said she continues to stand by her reporting, which was based on a single unnamed law enforcement source and aired on her podcast, even as Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has repeatedly denied that investigators have identified any suspects.
“We don’t have anybody here listed as a suspect,” Nanos said during a Thursday press conference, emphasizing that authorities also have no persons of interest in the case.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has repeatedly said there are no suspects and no persons of interest in the case, warning that reporting to the contrary is reckless and potentially harmful.
While Nanos declined to rule anyone out—a standard investigative stance—he cautioned that publicly naming a suspect without evidence could jeopardize the investigation and unfairly harm innocent people.
“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 said.
“And it’s really kind of reckless to report that someone is a suspect when they could very well be a victim.”
Despite those statements, Banfield’s producer told The Hollywood Reporter that she “stands by her reporting” and what the producer described as an “ironclad” source, even as the sheriff reiterated there is no evidence linking the brother-in-law, Tommaso Cioni, to the apparent kidnapping.
Banfield’s claims were briefly promoted by NewsNation in a digital story that was later updated with an editor’s note incorporating the sheriff’s comments following an inquiry. The initial version of the story did include the sheriff’s denial of Banfield’s reporting.
A former NewsNation anchor, Banfield has since appeared on other platforms, including The Megyn Kelly Show and Inside Edition.
Tommaso Cioni, who is married to Savannah Guthrie’s sister Annie, has not been identified by authorities as a suspect or a person of interest
Law enforcement officials have said that investigative steps cited by Banfield, including the towing of a family vehicle, were routine procedures and not signs of suspicion.
The FBI has offered a $50,000 reward as the search continues for the missing 84-year-old mother of TODAY co-host Savannah Guthrie.
The Post has sought comment from Banfield, Savannah Guthrie, and Cioni.
As of Friday, the search for Nancy Guthrie had entered its sixth day, with authorities reporting no suspects or persons of interest identified.
The Guthrie siblings are pictured above. From left to right: Annie Guthrie, Savannah Guthrie, and Camron Guthrie.
The FBI has joined the investigation alongside the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, deploying personnel and technical resources and launching a nationwide publicity effort.
Sheriff Nanos confirmed that blood found on the porch belonged to Nancy Guthrie and that her doorbell camera had been removed, with investigators believing she was taken from her home around 2:30 a.m. Sunday.
Authorities also revealed Thursday that an alleged ransom note demanded millions of dollars in bitcoin ahead of two separate deadlines.
