TUCSON, Ariz. — A longtime friend of missing 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie has publicly asked the public and online communities to give her daughter Annie and son-in-law Tommaso Cioni privacy, revealing that the couple has returned to town and their son is back in school, nearly eight months after Nancy's disappearance.

Nancy Guthrie, the mother of "Today" show co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, was reported missing from her home in Tucson's Catalina Foothills neighborhood on February 1. She is believed to have had dinner with Annie the evening before her disappearance and was reportedly dropped off at her own home by Tommaso following that dinner, making the couple among the last people known to have seen her.

Lauren Serpa, a close friend of Nancy Guthrie, shared the update about Annie and Tommaso in a Facebook post, confirming the couple's return and asking the public to respect their privacy. "As everybody knows, Annie and Tommaso are back in town, and their son is back in school. I am requesting everybody to please leave them alone," Serpa wrote. She went on to describe the toll the past several months have taken on the couple. "This has been a long six months for them. They deserve to lead a normal life without always being........

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