Who Is Ashleigh Banfield? All About the Journalist Linked to the Nancy Guthrie Case

Ashleigh Banfield is a well-known Canadian-American journalist with more than 30 years of experience in television news. She has recently come into the spotlight after discussing the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, the mother of Savannah Guthrie. Nancy Guthrie, 84, has been missing since January 31, 2026, from her home in Tucson, Arizona.

Ashleigh Banfield was born in Winnipeg, Canada. She studied political science and French at Queen’s University and later completed a journalism fellowship in Los Angeles. She began her career in Canadian media before moving to the United States, where she worked with major networks including MSNBC, CNN, and Court TV. She gained national recognition for her reporting during the September 11 attacks.

Over the years, Banfield became known for covering crime and legal cases. She built a reputation for explaining complex investigations in simple language. She hosted several programs focused on courtroom reporting and true-crime stories. In recent years, she worked with NewsNation before stepping away from the network in January 2026.

Banfield became linked to the Nancy Guthrie case after speaking on her podcast, Drop Dead Serious. During the episode, she said that an unverified source suggested Nancy’s son-in-law, Tommaso Cioni, could be a person of interest. She clearly stated that the information was not confirmed and did not come from law enforcement.

Despite her clarification, the comments spread quickly on social media and drew public attention to Tommaso Cioni. Authorities later confirmed that no suspects have been officially named in the case. The Pima County Sheriff’s Office also asked the public to avoid speculation while the investigation continues.

Tommaso Cioni is married to Annie Guthrie, Nancy’s elder daughter and Savannah Guthrie’s sister. He works as a biology teacher in Tucson. He has not been charged or formally accused in the case.

Ashleigh Banfield has since explained that her remarks were based on unverified information and were not meant to accuse anyone. The case remains under active investigation, and officials say they are continuing their search for Nancy Guthrie.