Savannah Guthrie Returns to Today After Brief Absence

Savannah Guthrie is set to return to NBC's Today show on October 13 after missing two broadcasts, while her family continues to face the unresolved disappearance of her mother Nancy Guthrie from Tucson, Arizona, according to USA TODAY.

Craig Melvin hosted the October 12 episode with Laura Jarrett and said Guthrie, 54, would be back the following day. USA TODAY reported that representatives for Today did not provide a reason for her absence.

Guthrie previously stepped away from the program for two months after Nancy Guthrie was reported missing from her Tucson home on February 1. The FBI and Pima County Sheriff's Department are investigating the case.

Authorities said Nancy Guthrie was taken against her will, and the FBI released images showing an armed person at her front door appearing to tamper with a camera before her disappearance.

In a June conversation on Today with Jenna Bush Hager, Savannah Guthrie described continuing her work while dealing with her mother's disappearance.

"What's going on? How is she able to do that job? Is she not thinking about it?

Did she forget? No. Never," Savannah Guthrie said.

Guthrie also described the emotional impact of the situation while explaining why she continued appearing on television.

"I cry every morning on the way to work, and I cry every morning on the way home," Savannah Guthrie said.

In July, Guthrie posted an emotional video asking for help in finding her mother. She said the family had received no change in the situation at that time.

"We are in a nightmare that will not end; nothing about our situation has changed," Savannah Guthrie said.

Guthrie added that the search for her mother would continue and that the family remained affected by her disappearance.

"We will never stop looking for her. We will always ache for her and feel that hole in our hearts," Savannah Guthrie said.

Investigators also examined possible ransom notes connected to the case. Jennifer Coffindaffer, a NewsNation law and justice contributor and former FBI agent, said four ransom emails were determined to be fake.

"I am concerned that other people that are following the Nancy Guthrie case, concerned about her, could be lured to make a deposit," Jennifer Coffindaffer said.

Coffindaffer said the messages included an image intended to suggest Nancy Guthrie was alive and in distress, but investigators did not consider the materials legitimate.

"Because they send this picture, it showed a likeness of Nancy shaved with dirt on her face, looking very hurt and with a tear coming down her eye. So they really try to weigh on the emotion and try to convince the person that she's alive, and that they can do something to help," Jennifer Coffindaffer said.

The Pima County Sheriff's Department said investigators were reviewing a new possible ransom note after social media discussion about the material. No suspect has been named and no arrests have been reported.

The FBI and Pima County Sheriff's Department are leading the investigation, and authorities have offered a reward of up to $1 million for information leading to Nancy Guthrie's recovery, according to the reports.