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The Situation Room

New Camp Mystic Lawsuit; Interview With Rep. April McClain Delaney (D-MD); New Reward in Nancy Guthrie Case. Aired 11-11:30a ET

Aired February 24, 2026 - 11:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

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PAMELA BROWN, CNN HOST: Breaking news: Nancy Guthrie's family is issuing a powerful new plea and a million-dollar reward for information that brings her home, as the search for answers in her disappearance stretches into week three.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: We want to welcome our viewers here in the United States and around the world. I'm Wolf Blitzer with Pamela Brown, and you're in THE SITUATION ROOM.

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

BLITZER: And we begin this hour with a very emotional new plea from Savannah Guthrie, asking again for her mother's return now more than three weeks after she was abducted from her Arizona home in the middle of the night, telling anyone who might be involved to -- quote -- "be the light."

Here's some of the video just released earlier.

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SAVANNAH GUTHRIE, CO-HOST, "THE TODAY SHOW": We need her to come home. For that reason, we are offering a family reward of up to $1 million for any information that leads us to her recovery.

All of the information about this reward and the details is in the caption below. You can call the 1-800 tip line. You can be anonymous if you want. Someone out there knows something that can bring her home. Somebody knows. We are begging you to please come forward now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: And Savannah Guthrie also acknowledged for the first time that her mother may be lost, saying -- quote -- "may have already gone home to the lord that she loves."

What this now is Josh Gill. He is the incident commander for the United Cajun Navy. The group has just been deployed. They are on the ground in Tucson helping volunteers in the search for Nancy Guthrie.

Josh, thank you so much for joining us right in the middle of your busy day.

First of all, where does the search stand right now?

JOSH GILL, INCIDENT COMMANDER, UNITED CAJUN NAVY: Well, good morning, ma'am. It's again a pleasure to be speaking with you.

So, right now, what we're doing is, we're going to meet with law enforcement early this morning. And then what we will do is try and develop a plan further to see how we can assist law enforcement with gathering any information that might help bring some closure to the family.

BROWN: And, as you well know, this has been going on for several weeks now. What new techniques could the Cajun Navy bring to this search that aren't already being used right now?

GILL: Sure. That's a great question, ma'am.

We have got again, as you know, a litany of resources. We like to use technology, dogs, as well as thermal drones, drones with some special capabilities. Again, I think we could really add some benefit and be additional boots on the ground and a force multiplier for law enforcement.

BROWN: How many are in your group right now on the ground?

GILL: So, right now, it's just me. And what I'm doing is, again, doing an initial assessment and then going to reach out to those law enforcement entities to see exactly what's needed and how we can provide additional assistance.

BROWN: And so it's just you right now, but then how does it work from there? Do you bring in others within the group, depending on what that assessment is?

GILL: Yes, ma'am.

Again, we put a lot of our staff and our teams on standby, anywhere from drone teams to, like I said, dog teams with sense-specific capabilities, as well as HRD dogs.

BROWN: As you meet with law enforcement and learn about this, what are your big questions for them?

GILL: The biggest question is, how can we help them? They're absolutely overwhelmed. A lot of tips are coming in. We do have some technology that we're utilizing called Saw it Report it that is on our Web site that people can go into and they can add tips or anything that they think may be of importance to the case or to the search.

Again, we're a force multiplier, boots on the ground, and we want to follow under that law enforcement capability there to make sure that we're providing all the potential resources they need. BROWN: The family is now offering this $1 million reward for

information in the case. Do you think that might be the thing that finally leads someone to come forward?

I know you have had so many experiences in these types of cases and what a difference a reward can make.

GILL: Yes, ma'am, I think that the reward will have some additional information come out.

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But just to let everybody know, we're not here for the reward. Actually, if we were to be, I hate to say lucky enough, but if we were to find any information or to find Ms. Guthrie, we would turn that reward down. It is a significant amount.

And what we would do is probably recommend that it goes to an organization like the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children or other organizations of that sort. So we're not money- driven. We're driven on providing some closure to the family.

BROWN: Right, and Savannah Guthrie herself pledged $500,000 to that organization.

But in terms of the public incentive, what have you seen historically in these cases when a big reward like that is offered and driving the public and offering tips?

GILL: Well, I think that there will be a significant amount of tips that come out. It's unfortunate that it takes money to bring people to bear and bring resources to bear, but, again, I think that there will be some tips coming in the very near future.

BROWN: All right, Josh Gill, thank you so much. Nice to have you on. I know we had you on during the Texas floods too. So best of luck in all of your efforts.

And if anyone has any information that can help investigators, please call the numbers on your screen. The FBI tip line is 1-800-CALL- FBI,and then you see there the Pima County Sheriff's Department, 520- 351-4900 -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Also happening now, President Trump is preparing to deliver his State of the Union address just a few hours from now. The president, who is facing sinking poll numbers, is expected to touch on a number of key topics, including, of course, the U.S. economy.

All of this comes as that new CNN poll finds that only 32 percent of Americans say that the president has had the right priorities. CNN has also learned that a growing number of Democrats plan to skip today's address and instead are choosing to participate in a counterprogram at the U.S. National Mall.

Joining us now to talk about all of this is Congresswoman April McClain Delaney, a Democrat from Maryland.

Good morning, Congresswoman. Thanks very much for coming in.

Why did you decide to skip or boycott the State of the Union address tonight?

REP. APRIL MCCLAIN DELANEY (D-MD): You know, I think it's because we cannot have politics or business as normal in this current climate. This administration has been lawless. And I don't care where you are, what you -- what zip code or circumstance you are in across this country.

Your life is harder, less affordable and you feel less safe at home and abroad. And, in particular, I represent Western Maryland, and I took an oath to uphold the Constitution, to uphold rule of law, but most importantly to serve the state of Maryland.

And I have just seen lawless RIFs, assaults on our government agencies, petty retribution acts from the president against Governor Wes Moore, FEMA aid, and ICE assaults across our state, including a detention warehouse that's going to be built in Washington County, which I'm working lockstep with the state of Maryland and our governor and our attorney general and along with our federal delegation.

BLITZER: Congresswoman, I want to play for you and for our viewers out there what the Democratic minority leader, Hakeem Jeffries, said last night. Listen to this.

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REP. HAKEEM JEFFRIES (D-NY): It's my expectation that members who choose to attend will be there in silent defiance, of course, skeptical of the remarks that the president is going to try to deliver in terms of his spin, but he's not going to be able to spin his way out of the failures that have occurred over the last 400 days or so.

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BLITZER: As you probably remember, last year, Democratic Representative Al Green of Texas was censured, formally censured, for his protest during President Trump's address to Congress.

So what's your message to those Democrats who do decide to attend tonight's speech?

MCCLAIN DELANEY: Listen, I'm wearing white now. I'm going to be with a lot of my Democratic women colleagues today about -- with some Epstein victims.

But I do believe that they're going to sit there and they're going to listen with civility, but they are going to also -- I think our protest is going to be in our silence and also lifting up the issues which are most important.

And I think that's why we are at these -- I and many of -- Chris Van Hollen is with me on the Mall from Maryland to really lift up just the lawless actions that are happening. And let's be real here. Our small businesses and our farmers, 56 percent increase in farm bankruptcies this year because of tariffs and because of our work force.

You look at the food insecurity and our job numbers. So I think looking at the situation of how are we this year, as opposed to last, and the amount of fear across this country, in Maryland, in particular, I am feeling it no matter what your zip code.

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And I am in a purple district. I ran on common sense, common ground. And I often say I have been desperately trying to find it. But this -- I'm not going to sit there and listen to propaganda like you would in Russia.

BLITZER: Your Maryland district is right outside of Washington, D.C. as well.

MCCLAIN DELANEY: That is correct. And I have NIST and NIH, all of our leading research agencies that deal with our U.S. innovation and our national security, and the cuts and RIFs and how I have seen we are less safe today, but also in terms of across the whole state, up into Appalachia.

I'm seeing every single, whether you're a Republican, Democrat, or independent, no matter what your zip code, you are having a hard time. But this lawlessness has got to stop.

BLITZER: Democratic Congressman -- Congresswoman April McClain Delaney, thanks very much for coming in.

MCCLAIN DELANEY: Thank you so much. I really appreciate it, Wolf.

BLITZER: All right, we will continue this conversation down the road, to be sure.

And please join CNN for in-depth coverage and analysis of the State of the Union address. That's later tonight. It starts at 8:00 p.m. Eastern right here on CNN. Or you can watch on the CNN app as well -- Pamela.

BROWN: All right, still ahead, Wolf, in THE SITUATION ROOM: a new lawsuit over the deadly flooding at Camp Mystic that killed 27 girls last summer. I will speak to a parent who says Texas state officials share the blame for his daughter's death and should also be held responsible.

BLITZER: And trapped in paradise, American tourists stranded right now in Mexico after cartel violence erupted across the country. I will speak to a man trying to get back home.

Stay with us. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.

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[11:15:57] BROWN: Happening now: The families of nine campers and counselors who died in the flood disaster at Camp Mystic last summer are suing officials at the Texas Department of State Health Services.

The lawsuit alleges six officials who were involved in the inspection of Texas youth camps licensed Camp Mystic located in -- quote -- "Flash Flood Alley" along the Guadalupe River, even though it did not have an evacuation plan as required by law.

CNN has reached out to both the Texas Department of State Health Services and Camp Mystic for comment, but they did not immediately respond.

Join us now is Blake Bonner, one of the family suing Texas health officials.

Thank you for coming on, Blake. My heart has been with you and your families, the other families impacted ever since the flooding.

You lost your daughter Lila Bonner in the deadly floods. Your attorneys also join us. Richard Warren Mithoff and Paul Yetter are also here to discuss.

But, Blake, I want to start with you. I'm just so sorry about the loss of your beautiful daughter Lila. This is your second lawsuit. The first one was against Camp Mystic. Explain exactly what you're hoping to accomplish with this new one.

BLAKE BONNER, FATHER OF FLOOD VICTIM: Good morning, and thanks for having us on and for the continued coverage. I have said this before, and I will say it again. These losses were 100 percent preventable.

In a very ironic sense, the fact that these parents, myself included, have had to become subject matter experts on not only what happened at the camp that night, but what did not happen at the camp years leading up to the actual emergency and now to learn what the state's role was in all of this and the fact that they rubber-stamped a license for a camp that didn't have an evacuation plan is honestly stranger than fiction and is way more painful.

BROWN: Blake, have you received any direct communications from the Texas health officials you are suing or Camp Mystic itself?

BONNER: I have not. The only direct communication I have had throughout this entire nightmare has been outreach that I have led or that some of the other parents have led.

In the early weeks following the July 4 devastation, I made it a mission to get to the bottom of what happened and what didn't happen. And from there, obviously, a whole number of things spawned, including the Heaven's 27 Camp Safety Act, which we're very proud of.

But that doesn't look past the fact that there were already laws in place. And, as I said, if the loss of our daughters wasn't enough, now having to become subject matter experts and advocating for permanent change and transparency, it's a burden that none of us asked for, but here we are.

BROWN: And I'm going to get to your lawyers in just a second, but just to follow up with you Blake, I know I had interviewed a lawyer for Camp Mystic on this show a while back and he had mentioned that the camp was inviting families to come tour.

Has that invitation been extended to you? Have you been back to the camp?

BONNER: I have not received that invitation. I have obviously seen different things on social media and other places.

And I just want to say, visiting the physical grounds is one thing, but pausing for a moment and acknowledging the fact that there is no dispute that there was no evacuation plan in place that night, before we start talking about opening, before we start talking about licensing, before folks start making summer plans, I think, at a minimum, at least from my conscience's standpoint, the least we could do is ask ourselves what failed, why did it fail and what are we going to do in exchange to make sure that it never occurs again?

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BROWN: Richard, you and Paul are representing the Bonner family. The lieutenant governor of Texas, Dan Patrick, yesterday, urged the Health Department not to issue a license to Camp Mystic for this year. Is this the sort of state action that would go far enough to address your concerns?

PAUL YETTER, ATTORNEY: So, I will start, Pam.

We welcomed the lieutenant governor'S letter yesterday. One of the things that he said that really resonated with us is that this agency that licensed the camp that didn't have an evacuation plan that was required shares the obligation to protect families and campers.

And that is exactly why these families, our clients, are bringing this lawsuit. This tragedy last July 4 was -- as Blake said, was totally preventable, but it wasn't just the operators of the camp that failed these girls. There was a state agency. The state has safety laws. One of the safety requirements is an evacuation plan, so that what happened on July 4 would never happen, and this state agency simply didn't enforce it.

And beyond that, the state agency not only never looked for the evacuation plan. It knew that this camp had the opposite. So it was incredibly inexcusable for the agency to do this, and that's why, on behalf of these families, we brought this lawsuit.

BROWN: And, Paul, just to follow up on that, I will let you say what you like to say, but Mikal Watts, the attorney for Camp Mystic, told "The New York Times," the suit against the agency is without merit, and he says it's nothing worse than power politics at its worst. He added that the camp has spent millions of dollars on new safety technology since the flood, including evacuations. What do you say to his argument, Paul, that the lieutenant governor

shouldn't be weighing in like this without a thorough investigation and without visiting the camp grounds?

YETTER: Well, this is exactly what the lieutenant governor said, is that this camp, with 27 girls having died last summer, is ready to reopen and invite hundreds of new young girls to the camp.

And there's an investigation that the lieutenant governor and the governor and the legislature has called, and it's just starting, and yet the camp wants to ignore that. You can't ignore the fact that these girls died because of the camp's negligence. and this lawsuit is focusing on the agency that allowed the camp to break the law for year after year after year.

BROWN: Richard, how do you view it?

RICHARD WARREN MITHOFF, ATTORNEY: And just to follow up, the lawyer for Camp Mystic wants to talk about everything except what happened on that night.

And what has already been alluded to by both Blake and Paul is that the so-called evacuation plan was a do-not-evacuate plan. A copy has been circulated. The emergency instructions for floods -- quote -- "In case of flood, all campers on Senior Hill" -- that's the older girls -- "must stay in their cabins."

Then secondly, those on the flats, the little girls, the younger girls, the Lilas, what they were told is, those on the flats must also stay in their cabins unless told otherwise by the office. All cabins are constructed on high, safe locations.

All of that was false. All of that would have been easily determined by a genuine inspection by the state officials. The children on that night did what they were told to do. They stayed in the cabin. The counselors did what they were trained to do. They stayed with their children.

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MITHOFF: The counselors and the children, none of them had iPhones or walkie-talkies.

BROWN: Blake, I know this is so hard for you. I know this is so hard for you. I -- my heart just hurts for you. What are you thinking right now? And how would you like to honor your sweet daughter Lila, who you just sent to camp thinking she'd have the best camp experience of her life, right?

BONNER: Absolutely.

And, Pamela, you're right. There are no words. This pain is indescribable. I can only tell you that being here with you today is not where I'd like to be. I'd rather not have any understanding of all of this. And, as I said a moment ago, the pain of not only dealing with this loss, but now having to advocate for future children is more weight than I thought I would ever be able to bear.

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And that's why this continues to be so hard for me and these other families. Our conscience is all we have left. We have already lost a child. Our daughters paid the absolute ultimate price. And as we sit here with the facts that are undisputed, we owe it to ourselves and the future campers, the future children to make sure that there's transparency and that there's accountability, so that this never, ever happens again.

BROWN: Blake Bonner, thank you so much. Lila's life is making a difference right now.

We will be right back.

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