Nancy Grace Doubts Guthrie Family's Involvement in Nancy Guthrie's Disappearance

The former HLN host cites her personal experience and Savannah Guthrie's behavior as reasons to dismiss the family as suspects.

Mar. 15, 2026 at 2:58pm

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Nancy Grace, a former prosecutor and former HLN host, expressed doubt that the family of missing woman Nancy Guthrie is involved in her disappearance. Grace cited her personal experience as the fiancée of a murder victim and the behavior of Nancy Guthrie's daughter, Today co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, as reasons she does not believe the family is responsible.

Why it matters

The disappearance of Nancy Guthrie has garnered significant media attention, with speculation about the potential involvement of her family members. Nancy Grace's comments, as an experienced crime analyst, provide a unique perspective that could influence the public's perception of the case.

The details

Grace told the audience at the Variety True Crime Summit in Austin, Texas, that she does not believe the Guthrie family is responsible for Nancy Guthrie's disappearance. She cited Savannah Guthrie's behavior, such as putting her arm around her brother-in-law Tommaso Cioni, as evidence that Savannah does not believe Cioni is involved in the crime, despite reports that he may be a prime suspect. Grace also mentioned that the smell of carnations has sickened her since the funeral of her fiancé, who was murdered in 1979, and she does not think Savannah could have been putting on any pretense of affection toward Cioni at the memorial for the Guthrie matriarch.

  • On March 15, 2026, Nancy Grace spoke at the Variety True Crime Summit in Austin, Texas.

The players

Nancy Grace

A former prosecutor and former HLN host who has personal experience as the fiancée of a murder victim.

Savannah Guthrie

The co-anchor of the Today show and the daughter of the missing woman, Nancy Guthrie.

Tommaso Cioni

Savannah Guthrie's brother-in-law, who may be a prime suspect in the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie.

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What they’re saying

“For one reason and one reason only, I do not believe the Guthrie family is responsible. Because although it was many years ago that I first met Savannah Guthrie, she is, I'd like to assure you, not a fake TV person. They're horrible. They're so nice on TV, then they're crazy off the air.”

— Nancy Grace, Former prosecutor and former HLN host (Variety True Crime Summit)

“She's real. She is real, just like she is on TV. She's super smart. She's a trained lawyer. … And I just do not believe — I find it impossible to believe that Savannah would do that if she suspected he was involved.”

— Nancy Grace, Former prosecutor and former HLN host (Variety True Crime Summit)

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Tommaso Cioni out on bail.

The takeaway

Nancy Grace's comments provide a unique perspective on the Nancy Guthrie disappearance case, challenging the common assumption that the family is often involved in such crimes. Her personal experience and assessment of Savannah Guthrie's behavior suggest the investigation should look beyond the family for potential suspects.