Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of “Today” co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, has been missing since authorities said she was taken against her will, with investigators urging whoever has her to release her because of concerns that she could die without daily medication. Pima County Sheriff’s Department officials said Nancy Guthrie was last seen around 9:30 p.m. Saturday at her home in the Tucson area, where she lived alone.
Officials said the family reported her missing around noon Sunday and that investigators are looking at whether she was taken overnight. Sheriff Chris Nanos said authorities do not believe she left on her own and that Nancy Guthrie was of sound mind, adding that the case is not related to dementia or her ability to understand what was happening.
Nanos said a family member received a call from someone at church saying Nancy Guthrie was not there, prompting the family to search for her at her home and then call 911. He said officials learned that Nancy Guthrie needs her daily medication, and he urged the person or people who have her to free her quickly, warning that the absence of medication could turn fatal.
At a Monday news conference, Nanos said search efforts included drones and search dogs. He said search and rescue teams were supported by volunteers and Border Patrol, and he said the homicide team was also involved—adding that it is not standard for the homicide unit to be brought in for such cases.
Nanos said officials had not ruled out foul play and described the case as one that “stood out” based on what was reported at the scene and what investigators found while looking at the scene. By Monday morning, he said search crews had worked hard but were pulled back, and he said investigators “don’t see this as a search mission so much as it is a crime scene.”
Even after search crews were pulled back, a sheriff’s helicopter flew over the desert Monday afternoon near Guthrie’s home in the Catalina Foothills area on the northern edge of Tucson. Nanos said the brick home has a gravel driveway and a yard with prickly pear and saguaro cactus.
Savannah Guthrie issued a statement Monday after NBC’s “Today” reported on the disappearance of her mother. In the statement, Guthrie said, “On behalf of our family, I want to thank everyone for the thoughts, prayers and messages of support,” and she added that “our focus remains on the safe return of our dear Nancy.”
In Tucson, where Guthrie grew up and previously worked, Nanos said Savannah Guthrie is in Arizona. He described her background as including graduating from the University of Arizona and working previously as a reporter and anchor at KVOA-TV in Tucson.
Authorities said the FBI has offered to help, and the sheriff’s spokesperson, Angelica Carrillo, said the department is investigating.