Savannah Guthrie's Brother-in-Law Tommaso Cioni Deserves an Apology After Being 'Dragged Through the Mud for No Reason' in Missing Mom's Case: Source

Tommaso Cioni, the husband of Savannah Guthrie's sister, Annie, has officially been cleared as a suspect in the case of his missing mother-in-law.

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos shared in a statement on Monday, February 16, that the whole Guthrie family has been ruled out in their ongoing investigation into Nancy's alleged kidnapping.

Now, insiders who spoke to journalist Rob Shuter say the family believes an apology is in order, as the Italian-born science teacher's name has been "dragged through the mud for absolutely no reason."

One source said of the accusations, "If you questioned him publicly, you should clear him publicly," adding that "legal action looms."

Another insider noted of the mess, "People took proximity and turned it into conspiracy...That’s not journalism. That’s dangerous."

The speculation surrounding Tommaso started with a report by veteran journalist Ashleigh Banfield just days after Nancy was reporting missing on Sunday, February 1.

As OK! previously reported, during the Tuesday, February 3, episode of Ashleigh’s podcast "Drop Dead Serious," she claimed, "My law enforcement source tells me that Tommaso Cioni is the prime suspect in this case."

Her allegations were subsequently denied, with authorities confirming they do not have a prime suspect, though they clarified that relatives hadn't been ruled out.

The former NewsNation anchor later doubled down on her reporting in an appearance on Dan Abrams’ podcast on Thursday, February 12, telling the host, "My source every day since [Nancy's disappearance] has stood by that."

Ashleigh's claims — along with the fact that Tommaso was reported to be one of the last people to see Nancy alive on the night of January 31 — lead countless online sleuths to theorize that he orchestrated the abduction of the 84-year-old retiree.

Megyn Kelly chimed in on the speculation last week, telling viewers of her show: "The reason they are going back to Annie and Tommaso's house all the time, I think, is they're wondering if they had anything to do with it."

It's unclear why investigators were searching their home at the time.

It's been over two weeks since Nancy vanished from her Tucson, Ariz., area home, and friends of Savannah, 54, are reportedly "so worried" about the Today star.

Last week, the FBI released surveillance footage of a masked suspect captured on Nancy's doorbell camera from the night she went missing.

Detectives subsequently revealed that a glove matching the one the suspect wore was discovered near the grandma's home.