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Expert Says Savannah Guthrie ‘Already Processing Loss’ as Search for Mom Nancy Continues

Savannah Guthrie’s interview sparks concern as expert says her language may reveal early grief while the search for her missing mother continues.

By Tracey Ashlee
Nancy Guthrie has been missing for over two months, and it may be taking a toll on her daughter, Savannah Guthrie. An expert weighed in and said that the Today co-anchor may be showing signs of "anticipatory grief, states the Daily Express US. Nancy disappeared from her home after having lunch with her family in late January. Many people are following her sudden disappearance as they try to piece together how an 84-year-old who could only walk to the mailbox on a good day could have gone missing so suddenly. And as investigators uncover clues, like the missing surveillance equipment and blood outside her home, the mystery deepens about what could have happened to her. Savannah appeared on a recent interview on Today and talked about the moment when her family realized that something was wrong. “We thought that she must have had some kind of medical episode in the night because the back doors were propped open,” she said. Savannah continued, “But her phone was there, and her purse was there, so it just didn’t make any sense.”

One expert wasn't only listening to what she was saying, but the words she used to describe her experience. Dr. Kelly Gonderman, who is a licensed clinical psychologist, pointed to a subtle but revealing detail. She said that  Savannah occasionally referred to her mother in the past tense and was "already processing" her mother's disappearance.

“She was in tremendous pain; her back was very bad,” Savannah said during the interview, describing her mother’s health before she went missing. 

Gonderman said that by using the past tense to describe her mother's disappearance, Savannah's mind was processing the possibility of losing her mom. Even though there is no confirmation about Nancy's status, her mind is preparing for the possibility. 

“When someone shifts to past tense while speaking about a person who is still officially missing, it rarely happens consciously,” she explained. “Language reflects the internal model we've already constructed, even when we haven't articulated it out loud.” Gonderman added.

She called this "anticipatory grief," which is a term describing when someone starts to prepare for a loss emotionally when there has been uncertainty for a long time. Gonderman said that this doesn't mean that Savannah knows what happened to her mother, but it is rather a trauma response that happens when someone has been waiting for answers. It is a mechanism her brain has employed so that she can emotionally cope with Nancy's disappearance. She said that "sustained uncertainty at that level of fear eventually forces the mind to begin grieving in order to survive it."

Nancy was last seen entering her home at about 9:48, the footage shows. Surveillance data shows that her pacemaker signal had been disabled and her doorbell camera was also triggered in the early hours of the morning.

When Nancy's family arrived the next day, they found some disturbing clues. Savannah said, "We thought that she must have had some kind of medical episode in the night because the back doors were propped open. But her phone was there, and her purse was there, so it just didn't make any sense. Annie [Savannah's sister] had already called all of the hospitals. It was just chaos and disbelief."

There was no signs of a forced struggle, but there was blood outside her door. And although law enforcement has been following multiple leads, there has been no reported breakthroughs in the missing Nancy Guthrie case. Savannah is due to return to Today soon. 

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