Authorities are searching for the 84-year-old mother of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie after they say she was taken from her home in Tucson, Arizona, over the weekend.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said Nancy Guthrie, who was last seen, must be found as soon as possible because she could die without medication.
The sheriff held a news conference Tuesday urging the public to come forward with tips but did not reveal new details about the investigation. Nanos said officers thoroughly searched Nancy Guthrie’s home and returned it to the family.
He declined to say whether Guthrie’s disappearance was random or targeted or describe the evidence found in her home.
There were signs of a forced entry into Nancy Guthrie’s home, according to a person familiar with the matter. The person was not authorized to publicly discuss details of the case and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. Investigators also found specific evidence at the home that a nighttime abduction occurred, the person said.
Here is information about the case:
Nancy Guthrie reported missing for not attending church
Nancy Guthrie was last seen Saturday night living alone in her affluent Catalina Foothills home. She was reported missing Sunday. Nanos said someone at the church called the family and said Guthrie was not there, leading the family to search her home and then call 911.
Initially, search crews used drones and police dogs, with support from volunteers and Border Patrol, Nanos said. But by Monday morning, he said search crews were withdrawn.
“We do not believe this was a search mission but a crime scene,” the sheriff said.
People familiar with the matter said there were signs of forced entry and some personal belongings, including Guthrie’s cell phone, wallet and car, were still in the home. Investigators are reviewing surveillance video from nearby homes and information from area license plate cameras and analyzing data from local cellphone towers, the person said. The motive remains a mystery. Investigators do not believe the kidnapping was part of a robbery, burglary or kidnapping-for-ransom plot, the person said.
“We hope so,” Nanos said Tuesday when asked if officials were looking for her survival.
As part of the investigation, DNA samples were collected and submitted for analysis. “We have recovered some items, but there is no indication of any suspects,” the sheriff said.
Savannah Guthrie asks for prayers to help bring her mom home
Savannah Guthrie has been in Arizona this week but hasn’t been at the anchor’s desk. In a social media post late Monday, she asked supporters to “please pray with us and believe with us that she will be encouraged by them in this moment. Take her home.”
Savannah Guthrie grew up in Tucson, the youngest of three siblings, after her father died of a heart attack when she was 16. She graduated from the University of Arizona and previously worked as a reporter and anchor at KVOA-TV in Tucson. She joined “Today” in 2011 and became a co-host the following year.
Nancy Guthrie reunites with family after husband’s death
Before the woman disappeared, viewers were introduced to Nancy Guthrie through her daughter’s show. Savannah Guthrie credits her mother with keeping their family together after her father’s death.
“When my dad passed away, our family held on to each other and cherished life because it was so shocking. We had always been a family of five, but we were just trying to figure out how to be a family of four,” she said on the Today show in 2017.
Late last year, Savannah Guthrie appeared in a story about her hometown and was asked what made the family want to put down roots in Tucson in the 1970s.
“It’s great. The air, the quality of life,” Nancy Guthrie said. “It’s laid back and gentle.”
