“Today” show host Savannah Guthrie had wanted to offer a $1 million reward for her mom’s safe return on the day she went missing, but investigators shot down the idea, according to inside sources.
An emotional Savannah finally announced a million-dollar family reward for information about Nancy Guthrie’s whereabouts on Tuesday — more than three weeks after the 84-year-old was abducted from her home near Tucson, Arizona.
She had wanted to offer the million on day one, but “all involved in the Investigation” feared it would result in a deluge of bogus tips when investigators already had thousands of tips coming in organically, according to the source.
The FBI had already doubled the reward for information leading to Guthrie from $50,000 to $100,000 as embattled authorities hit one dead end after another.
The Guthrie family has fully cooperated with law enforcement from the start, according to the sheriff’s department — which apparently means letting authorities make the call about the size and nature of the reward.
The $1 million family payout is for information leading to Guthrie’s return only, and doesn’t hinge on an arrest or prosecution.
That said, it carries the same conditions as the FBI payout and will only be paid if the FBI also pays. It also could be split among multiple claimants if more than one person has a valid claim.