Savannah Guthrie’s 84-year-old mother, Nancy Guthrie, has been missing from her home in Arizona since Saturday night. She was last seen approximately at 9 p.m. local time. After her family reported her missing the next day, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department launched an in-depth investigation to find her.
Chris Nanos, the Pima County Sheriff, initially suspected foul play. It appears that his concerns were not unfounded. In a conversation with CBS, Nanos revealed, “I believe she was abducted, yes. She didn’t walk away from there. She didn’t go willingly.” He further elaborated that when the authorities arrived at her home, the circumstances caused “grave concern.”
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The police cannot completely dismiss the possibility that a crime has already been committed against Nancy and she was taken against her will. While they are still looking for a motive in the case, they “can’t dismiss” that she was simply targeted because of her name, BBC reported.
Sources say that the sheriff’s department is reportedly being helped by the FBI. They have also contacted homicide detectives, which is not a standard procedure in a missing persons case. The authorities have assured that they are “throwing everything” at the case to find Nancy safe and sound. Nancy is described as a “vulnerable” adult with some physical ailments but no reported cognitive issues.
UPDATE: NANCY GUTHRIE https://t.co/sXLnZDm3n6 pic.twitter.com/mGXdn5f651
— Pima County Sheriff’s Department (@PimaSheriff) February 3, 2026
A search party was formed to look for Nancy since Sunday. The searchers were sent home on Monday to get some rest. However, the others looked for her all night long, using drones, helicopters, infrared, and heat sensors. The sheriff’s department also contacted hospitals in the area for any possible updates. The Guthrie family has released a statement through NBC News, saying, “We can confirm this is a missing persons case, and the family is working closely with local law enforcement.”
Savannah, who shares a special and intimate bond with her mother, has yet to speak on the matter. The Today show didn’t air on Monday to give her some space while she is mourning. Her colleague has released a statement on her behalf: “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.”
🚨 BREAKING: The Pima County, AZ Sheriff says he does NOT believe NBC’s Savannah Guthrie’s mother left her house on her own
“We believe we have a crime…”
This is horrifying. I can’t even imagine. Pray for Nancy Guthrie’s safe return 🙏🏻
pic.twitter.com/t8h3IH37CN
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) February 2, 2026
Nanos has confirmed that they are now investigating the case not as a missing persons case but as a possible abduction and homicide. On February 2, Nanos told Tom Llamas of NBC Nightly News, “We believe she was taken out of the home against her will, and that’s how this investigation is moving.”
Nanos said that they are looking at the case from a different angle to find out if someone was stalking or harassing her.
