The disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of Today show cohost Savannah Guthrie, is being investigated as a possible abduction, authorities say.
Nancy Guthrie was last seen at her home just north of Tucson on Jan. 31 at about 9:30 p.m., according to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department. Her family reported her missing at 11 a.m. on Feb. 1 after she did not show up for church.
At a press conference on Tuesday, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said that after processing her home, investigators believe Nancy Guthrie, who lives alone, was abducted.
“Nancy was taken from her home against her will,” he said. “We don’t know where she is.”
Hours after the press conference, the sheriff’s department acknowledged reports of a possible ransom note regarding Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance on X. “We are taking all tips and leads very seriously. Anything that comes in, goes directly to our detectives who are coordinating with the FBI,” the post said, adding a QR code for any information or tips to be shared.
The FBI is assisting local police in the investigation, providing analytical and technical support.
“We are looking at this from every angle but need your help,” said Jon Edwards, assistant special agent in charge of the FBI field office in Tucson. “Every lead and tip is important.”
According to the Associated Press, investigators “found signs of forced entry” at the home. Nancy Guthrie’s personal belongings, including her cellphone, wallet and car, were left behind.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, the sheriff said she has limited mobility and would not have been able to leave her home on foot. “We know she didn’t just walk out of there,” he said. “She couldn’t walk 50 yards by herself.”
But Nanos also stressed that she has no cognitive issues and is still of “great sound mind,” according to her family.
Law enforcement officers are seen outside the home of Nancy Guthrie on Feb. 2.
(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Annie Guthrie, Savannah’s older sister, was the last person to see Nancy Guthrie before she was reported missing, Nanos told Us Weekly. Annie Guthrie told authorities that the family took Nancy Guthrie home from dinner on Saturday night and did not notice any “red flags” about her mom’s behavior that evening.
The Los Angeles Times reported that blood was found in Nancy Guthrie’s home. Nanos told People magazine that investigators “have taken what we believe is biological DNA-type evidence and we are submitting it to our labs.”
The sheriff said that Nancy Guthrie needs daily medications and that the situation could become life-threatening if she goes without them for more than 24 hours.
“It is a race against time, and I hope that window hasn’t closed,” he told NBC News.
Nanos also issued an open plea to her potential abductor.
“Just call us. Let her go,” he said. “The family will tell you, there’s no questions asked here.”
Nancy and Savannah Guthrie on the “Today” show in 2019.
(Nathan Congleton/NBCUniversal/Getty Images)
In a post on Instagram late Monday night, Savannah Guthrie asked people to continue to pray for her mother’s safe return home.
“Raise your prayers with us and believe with us that she will be lifted by them in this very moment,” she wrote. “We need you.”
A motive for Nancy Guthrie’s possible abduction remains unclear, and authorities don’t know whether she was targeted. When asked by reporters if Savannah Guthrie has received any threats herself, Nanos replied that her security team is in touch with the sheriff’s department and added, “We’re not going to dismiss any angles for sure, but right now immediately, we don’t know of anything like that.”
On a missing persons flier distributed by the sheriff’s department, Nancy Guthire is described as 5 feet 5 inches tall, with brown hair, blue eyes and weighing around 150 lbs. It’s unclear what type of clothing she was wearing when she disappeared.
The sheriff’s department is offering a reward of up to $2,500 for “information leading to the arrest of the person or persons involved in the disappearance.”
On Sunday night, search and rescue ground crews and dog teams scoured the area around Nancy Guthrie’s home on foot, while drones, a helicopter and an airplane searched by air. As of Monday morning, the search and rescue mission has been shut down.
“We don’t see this as a search mission as much as we do a crime scene,” Nanos said.
The sheriff said detectives are depending on technology, such as license plate readers and camera systems, to aid in the search.
Nanos said investigators are asking Guthrie’s neighbors to go through their home camera footage. He also called on the community for help in locating Nancy Guthrie.
“We don’t need another bad, tragic ending,” he said. “We need some help.”
Nancy Guthrie has three adult children: Savannah, Annie and Camron. Her husband, Charles Guthrie, died of a heart attack at age 49, when Savannah Guthrie was 16, leaving Nancy Guthrie to raise their children on her own.
Television crews set up near the house of Nancy Guthrie in Catalina, Ariz., on Feb. 3.
(Jan Sonnenmair via Getty Images)
Savannah Guthrie grew up in Tucson and graduated from University of Arizona in 1993 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. Last week, she returned to the Today show after an extended break following vocal cord surgery.
She has been absent from coanchoring the Today show broadcast this week. Nanos said that she is in Arizona.
The following statement from Guthrie was read during Monday morning’s show: “On behalf of our family, I want to thank everyone for the thoughts, prayers and messages of support. Right now, our focus remains on the safe return of our dear mom. We thank law enforcement for their hard work on this case and encourage anyone with information to contact the Pima County Sheriff’s Department at 520-351-4900.”
The White House issued a similar plea in a post on X.