Savannah Guthrie speaks on mom's disappearance – 'I imagine her terror'

Savannah Guthrie is giving her first interview since the disappearance of her mom, Nancy Guthrie.

The "Today" anchor sat down for a one-on-one with her close friend Hoda Kotb, who has taken the helm in her absence from the show. In a snippet from the interview shared Wednesday, March 25, Guthrie shared her agony more than 50 days into the tragedy.

"Someone needs to do the right thing. We are in agony. It is unbearable," Guthrie said, tears streaming down her face. "And to think of what she went through. 
I wake up every night in the middle of the night, every night. And in the darkness,
 I imagine her terror."

Guthrie's resolve was clear, however.

"It is unthinkable. But those thoughts demand to be thought," she added. "And I will not hide my face. But she needs to come home now."

Kotb, who noted more of the interview is set to air Thursday and Friday, recalled both Guthrie's "desperation" and "steeliness" in the sit down.

"I was sort of marveling that she was able to sit there with an outfit on, have a conversation, and also have just direct thoughts about what she sees going forward," Hotb said. "She explains, too ... no one is stealing her joy."

Carson Daly added how hard it has been to watch Savannah Guthrie go through misery. "So gut-wrenching to watch someone you love so much be, still post-50 days of this tragic event, in this tortured limbo state."

Nancy Guthrie, who is in fragile health, has not been seen since Saturday, Jan. 31, with her family reporting she was missing the following morning. She regularly gathered with friends and neighbors to watch church service online, but on Sunday when she did not show up to a friend's home, they called her daughter Annie, who lives nearby, a source close to the family told NBC News.

The Pima County Sheriff's Department has said they believe she was taken from her home against her will.

Law enforcement officials emphasized that the search for the 84-year-old remained an active investigation, although public announcements about new developments have dried up as of late.

Savannah Guthrie has continued to urge fans and the public to reach out to authorities with any relevant information. On Sunday, March 22, the star shared the latest statement from her family, which was previously provided to the Arizona station KVOA-News 4 Tucson. They asked for "renewed attention" to the case and urged the public to consult "camera footage, journal notes, text messages, observations or conversations that in retrospect may hold significance."

"We continue to believe it is Tucsonans, and the greater Southern Arizona community, that hold the key to finding a resolution in this case," the Guthrie family said. "Someone knows something. It's possible a member of this community has information that they do not even realize is significant."

Law enforcement asks anyone with information to contact 1-800-CALL-FBI or tips.fbi.gov, the Pima County Sheriff's Department (520-351-4900) or 88-CRIME.

Contributing: Edward Segarra and Brendan Morrow, USA TODAY