Tommaso Cioni is Savannah Guthrie’s brother-in-law and has drawn public attention after her mother, Nancy Guthrie, disappeared from her Arizona home. Here’s what you need to know.
February 8, 2026 Update: Law Enforcement Activity and Ransom Demand in Nancy Guthrie Search
As the search continues for Nancy Guthrie, the mother of Savannah Guthrie, law enforcement activity has drawn attention to the Tucson home of Savannah’s sister, Annie Guthrie, and her husband, Tommaso Cioni.
Videos circulating on social media show authorities at Annie’s residence, with camera flashes visible as deputies appeared to document the scene. One X user claimed Annie and Tommaso were not home at the time.
Journalist Brian Entin reported on X that deputies remained at the home for several hours while investigating. “Flashes still going off in Annie Guthrie’s home. Definitely taking photos,” Entin wrote. In a later update, he added, “All the deputies have left Annie Guthrie’s house. The last one came out wearing blue gloves. They were inside for about 3 hours.”
Amid the investigation, a local television station reported that individuals claiming to have kidnapped Nancy Guthrie are demanding $6 million in Bitcoin.
“Multiple ransom notes have been sent out to the media, including one that was sent to us,” JJ McKinney of KGUN9 said. “In the letter, the potential kidnappers demanded that the Guthries pay them $6 million before this Monday.”
Savannah later appeared in a joint message alongside her siblings, Annie and Camron Guthrie, pleading publicly for their mother’s return.
“We received your message and we understand,” Savannah said in an Instagram video.
“We beg you now to return our mother to us, so that we can celebrate with her,” she continued, adding that their mother’s return is “very valuable to us” and confirming, “we will pay.”
“This is the only way we will have peace,” Savannah said.
1. Savannah Gurthrie’s Brother-in-Law May Have Been the Last Person to See Nancy Guthrie
Authorities say Cioni could be the final person known to have seen Nancy before she vanished.
According to Pima County Sheriff’s Department Sheriff Chris Nanos, Nancy went to dinner with her daughter and Cioni on Saturday night. Cioni then drove Nancy back to her Catalina Foothills home around 9:30 p.m. local time.
Nanos told The New York Times that Cioni made sure Nancy was “safely” inside before leaving.
Investigators said a doorbell camera disconnected around 1:47 a.m. Sunday. The system detected a person at approximately 2:12 a.m., but no footage exists because the homeowner did not have a subscription. Authorities now believe Nancy may have been taken from her home overnight.
Police confirmed they have not identified any suspects.
“We have not identified a suspect or person of interest in this case,” officials said in a statement shared with TMZ. “Detectives continue to speak with anyone who may have had contact with Mrs. Guthrie.”
2. Tommaso Cioni Is Married to Annie Guthrie, and They Share One Son
Cioni is married to Savannah’s sister, Annie Guthrie, and the couple has one child together. He is of Italian descent and has lived in Arizona since 2006, not far from Nancy’s home.
While the pair keep their relationship mostly private, Annie once publicly praised her husband.
“My husband Tommaso Cioni is my greatest teacher,” she told Women’s Quarterly Conversation in 2013. “He is a great manifester; he writes poetry with his lifestyle.”
Photos on Annie’s social media show the family traveling together, including a trip to Italy in 2021.
3. Tommaso Cioni Works as a Teacher in Tucson
Cioni appears to work as a science teacher in Tucson, Arizona, and has spent more than a decade in education.
According to a profile associated with BASIS Oro Valley, he teaches sixth-grade science and biology.
In a 2015 interview shared by the school, Cioni explained what drives him in the classroom.
“I love the fact that I am able to share my passion for learning with my students,” he said. “Since I teach 6th grade and AP Biology, I love seeing them growing from pre-teens to young adults.”
He also credited his parents as role models, adding, “My dad taught me the love for nature… My mom taught me the love for cooking.”
4. He Describes Himself as a Writer, Musician, and Pasta Maker
In a personal bio read aloud on Ashleigh Banfield’s podcast, Cioni described his interests simply: “I write when I have the chance. I study lizards. I play the electric bass. I make homemade pasta.”
When asked what he would do if he weren’t teaching, Cioni joked he’d be a “rock star,” before adding more seriously that he’d likely become a herpetologist.
5. Savannah Guthrie’s Brother-in-Law Appeared in a Christmas Photo With Nancy Guthrie and the Rest of the Family
Just weeks before her disappearance, Nancy shared a family photo on Facebook taken on Christmas Day 2025.
Cioni stood beside his mother-in-law, holding a black dog, with the entire family wearing matching pajamas.
“Merry Christmas sweet ones,” Nancy wrote in the caption.
Now, as investigators continue searching for answers, that photo stands as one of the last public glimpses of Nancy surrounded by family.
Think it through people! The TMZ ransom note stated if Bitcoin funds were paid the kidnapper will return Nancy back to Tuscon
If son-in-law Thommaso Cioni kidnapped Nancy Guthrie – then he supposedly would drop her back to Tuscon, right?
Then — what would Nancy do? Tell everyone who kidnapped her!
If he is guilty he would have to kill her as otherwise he’s in jail for the rest of his life. Therefore, he can’t be guilty.
If he receives the ransom payment in bitcoin, he just kills her. Just because he gets his ransom, doesn’t mean he has to return her. He could be guilty. Do you really believe criminals play by the rules?
He wouldn’t kidnap her himself. Check his friends from italy. See who has bit coin connections. Check italians the flew in and are still here at several airports. see if anyone rented a white van from an airport close by.
I just think it beggs the question why he did not ‘enter’ her home with her as she walks with a cane and clear her house first before leaving her alone. I think the intruder was already in her home. My brother’s would never leave my mom to walk into her home after ‘dropping’ her off. It’s what you do for your mom and mine passed at 92. Seems weird to me.