The Pima County Sheriff’s Department has issued an alert after Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of Today show co-host Savannah Guthrie, was reported missing from her home near Tucson. Officials say she was last seen Saturday night and that investigators believe she was taken by force; the residence has been treated as a crime scene.
Sheriff Chris Nanos said detectives are working to establish basic facts — what Nancy Guthrie was wearing, whether she was moved in a vehicle and how many people may have been involved. Investigators collected evidence from the home, including fingerprints, DNA and camera images, and submitted those items to labs. So far, DNA results have not identified any suspects. Authorities are also investigating the unexplained removal of a security camera from the front of the property. When asked about a ransom demand, Nanos said detectives are “following all leads.”
The active search began Sunday after a member of Guthrie’s church reported her absence and family members called 911. Relatives had dropped the woman off at her home around 9:30–9:45 p.m. Saturday. Investigators found Nancy Guthrie’s wallet, cellphone and vehicle still at the residence.
Search-and-rescue teams, local volunteers, drones and aircraft were deployed, and federal partners including Border Patrol canine units assisted. As the investigation shifted toward a possible criminal abduction, authorities broadened their inquiry to include electronic sources.
The FBI is providing analytical and technical support, Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jon Edwards said. That assistance has included downloading and analyzing cellphones, obtaining cell-tower records, conducting interviews and offering other investigative resources.
Nancy Guthrie lives alone in the Catalina Foothills area 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 dangerous if missed for more than 24 hours. Nanos stressed that Guthrie is mentally sharp and said the disappearance is not believed to be related to dementia.
Neighbors described the neighborhood as one with many older and retired residents, desert landscaping and significant distance between homes, with thick patches of cholla cactus. Investigators have been canvassing the area and asking residents to check doorbell cameras and other footage for possible sightings.
Authorities have not determined whether Nancy Guthrie was specifically targeted or whether her daughter’s public profile is connected to the disappearance. President Trump called the situation “a terrible thing,” said he planned to speak with Savannah Guthrie and voiced support for increasing federal resources on the case.
Savannah Guthrie has paused her work commitments and will not travel to cover the 2026 Winter Olympics, choosing instead to be with her family. In an Instagram post she asked for prayers for her mother, calling Nancy “a woman of deep conviction, a good and faithful servant,” and wrote, “we need you.” Nancy Guthrie is survived by three children — Annie, Charles Camron and Savannah — and her husband, Charles, died in 1988.
Sheriff Nanos said Savannah Guthrie has been in contact with investigators. Authorities and the family continue to appeal to the public for any information that could help locate Nancy Guthrie as the inquiry proceeds.