Annie Guthrie and Tommaso Cioni would depend on Nancy Guthrie from time to time, a friend has revealed, as the search continues for the 84-year-old. Guthrie was reported missing by her family on February 1, and authorities believe she was taken from her home the night before.
While there have been no suspects in the case thus far, a lot of speculation has been directed towards daughter Annie, and son-in-law, Tommaso. The two of them live close to Guthrie’s Catalina Foothills home in Tucson, Arizona. The octogenarian also had dinner with Annie the night she’s believed to have been taken. After dinner, Tommaso reportedly dropped her home in the car, making the two of them among the last people to see her before the disappearance.
Former NewsNation journalist Ashleigh Banfield had also reported that Tommaso might be a suspect in the case, sparking more interest in the son-in-law. However, a long time has elapsed since then, and not only did the Pima County Sheriff’s Department junk these claims, but Sheriff Chris Nanos himself announced that none of the Guthrie family members are suspects.
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Amid the speculations surrounding Annie and Tommaso, the former’s sister and TODAY show host Savannah Guthrie also went to bat for them. She noted that they both loved Guthrie and slammed the rumors they were being subjected to. An ex-FBI official, Jennifer Coffindaffer, who’s been sharing her insights on the case, also noted that Annie and Tommaso were likely to be Guthrie’s primary help-givers, since they lived the closest. Notably, Savannah flew in from New York after the kidnapping and brother Camron also came to Tucson, indicating he’s not always close by for assistance.
However, help hasn’t just been a one-way street as Guthrie’s friend Mary Ann Blevins revealed. The 86-year-old woman has been a longtime friend of Guthrie’s and is also a fellow book club member. Page Six reported her conversation on February 4, days after Guthrie was reported missing.
How Nancy Guthrie helped Annie and Tommaso
Blevins noted that Guthrie loved spending time with her grandkids. “[Nancy’s] daughter lives here and has a young boy that she sometimes picks up at school or watches,” she said, referring to Annie.
Thus, Guthrie would help her daughter and son-in-law out by picking up their child and watching over him while the parents might have been busy. This would save on having to keep a babysitter for those specific times. Notably, Tommaso is a teacher and Annie is a poet and jeweler. As working parents, they might have needed to step out of the house at times, which is when Guthrie is likely to have stepped in to help with the kids, as per Blevins’ explanation.
That aside, Guthrie’s friend had spoken glowingly of her. “Anybody that knows her and met her loves her,” Blevins had said, adding, “I don’t think she has any enemies, and that’s why this whole thing is very scary.”
