The Pima County Sheriff’s Department in Arizona issued an alert after Nancy Guthrie, mother of Today show co-host Savannah Guthrie, went missing from her home near Tucson. Authorities say she was last seen Saturday night and believe she was taken by force, calling the residence a crime scene.
Sheriff Chris Nanos said investigators are working to determine key details — what Guthrie was wearing, whether she was taken in a vehicle and how many suspects may have been involved. He said evidence from the home, including fingerprints, DNA and camera images, has been submitted to labs; DNA testing so far shows “nothing to indicate any suspects.” The department is also looking into why a security camera is missing from the front of Guthrie’s house. When asked about a ransom, Nanos said only that investigators are “following all leads.”
A search began Sunday after someone from Guthrie’s church reported her absence and relatives called 911. Family members had dropped the 84-year-old at her home around 9:30–9:45 p.m. Saturday. Investigators found her wallet, cell phone and vehicle still at the residence. Search-and-rescue teams, volunteers, drones and airborne assets were deployed; federal partners including Border Patrol canine units assisted. As the case shifted toward a suspected crime, investigators expanded work to electronic sources.
The FBI is providing analytical and technical assistance, Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jon Edwards said, including downloading and analyzing cellphones, obtaining cell-tower records, conducting interviews and offering investigative support.
Nancy Guthrie lives alone in the Catalina Foothills north of downtown Tucson, near East Skyline Drive and North Campbell Avenue. Sheriff Nanos said she has age-related mobility issues and “isn’t able to walk 50 yards unassisted,” and that she takes daily medication that could be fatal if not taken within 24 hours. He emphasized that Guthrie is mentally sharp: “Nancy Guthrie is of great sound mind. This is not a dementia-related” case.
Neighbors describe a community of many older and retired residents with desert landscaping and significant privacy between homes, thick with cholla cactus. Investigators are canvassing the area and asking residents to check doorbell cameras and other footage for possible sightings.
Authorities have not determined whether Guthrie was specifically targeted or whether her daughter’s prominence is connected to the disappearance. Asked about the case, President Trump called it “a terrible thing,” said he planned to call Savannah Guthrie and supported increasing federal agents on the investigation.
Savannah Guthrie has paused work — she will not cover the 2026 Winter Olympics — to be with her family. In an Instagram post she asked supporters to “raise your prayers with us” for her mother, calling Nancy “a woman of deep conviction, a good and faithful servant,” and added, “we need you.” Nancy Guthrie has three children — Annie, Charles Camron and Savannah — and her husband, Charles, died in 1988. Sheriff Nanos said Savannah has been in touch with investigators and that the family’s, and the community’s, hearts are with them as the inquiry continues.