Investigators in Tucson, Arizona, have found signs of forced entry at the home of Nancy Guthrie, according to a person familiar with the investigation, as the search continues for the 84-year-old woman whom her family says was taken against her will. The person familiar with the case said investigators also found evidence indicating a nighttime kidnapping. Savannah Guthrie, who hosts NBC’s “Today,” asked supporters to pray for her mother and urged them to “believe with us that she will be lifted” and “Bring her home.”
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said investigators do not have credible information indicating the disappearance was targeted, adding that his department and partners are working to assess whether the incident involved any specific motive. Nanos said Guthrie needs daily medication and could die without it, and when asked whether officials were looking for her alive, he said, “We hope we are.” Officials said she is of sound mind.
According to the person familiar with the investigation, several of Nancy Guthrie’s personal items—including her cellphone, wallet and car—remained at the home after she disappeared. The person said investigators were working with that information alongside other evidence to guide the search. Investigators also gathered DNA samples and submitted them for analysis, and Nanos said, “We’ve gotten some back, but nothing to indicate any suspects.”
Investigators said motive remained unclear. The person familiar with the investigation said investigators did not believe at this point that the abduction was part of a robbery, a home invasion or a kidnapping-for-ransom plot. At the same time, the case has drawn attention to possible ransom communications after outlets and a local newsroom said they received documents they believed could be ransom notes.
TMZ reported Tuesday that it received a purported ransom note demanding payment in cryptocurrency and said it turned the note over to investigators. Separately, a journalist with Tucson television station KOLD said in an X post that the station received what appears to be a ransom note, and both outlets said they provided the notes to investigators. The sheriff’s department said it is taking the possible ransom notes and other tips seriously but declined to comment further.
At a news conference Tuesday, the Pima County sheriff and the Tucson FBI chief urged the public to offer tips but revealed few new details about the investigation. Officials said they were reviewing surveillance video from nearby homes and working to analyze data from cellphone towers. Police also were reviewing information from license plate cameras in the area, according to the person familiar with the investigation, who said they were not authorized to discuss details publicly.
Nancy Guthrie was last seen Saturday night at her home in the Tucson area, where she lived alone and was reported missing Sunday. Nanos said someone at her church called a family member to say she was not there, prompting family members to search her home and then call 911. In the hours after she was reported missing, searchers used drones and dogs, with volunteers and Border Patrol assistance, and the homicide team also became involved, Nanos said.
As authorities continued the investigation, NBC said Savannah Guthrie would not appear on “Today” for a second day as she focused on being with her family during the difficult time. “Today” opened Tuesday with the story about Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance, but Guthrie was not at the anchor’s desk. NBC Sports said Guthrie would not be covering the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, citing her decision to focus on family.
Investigators’ focus on the circumstances around Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance comes as the case places a prominent national figure’s family at the center of a local search. President Donald Trump, speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Tuesday afternoon, said he planned to call Savannah Guthrie later on and called the situation “terrible,” adding, “I always got along very good with Savannah.”