Search Intensifies for Savannah Guthrie’s Mother, Believed Abducted in Arizona
A desperate search is underway in Arizona for Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of Today show host Savannah Guthrie, with authorities now believing she was the victim of an abduction. The Pima County Sheriff’s Department confirmed Tuesday that evidence suggests a forced entry occurred at Guthrie’s home near Tucson over the weekend.
The investigation began Sunday after family members reported Nancy Guthrie missing. According to law enforcement sources cited by the Los Angeles Times, investigators discovered signs of forced entry and evidence of blood at her residence in the Catalina Foothills area, where she was last seen around 9:30 p.m. on Saturday.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos emphasized the urgency of the situation during a Monday press conference, stating that Nancy Guthrie has limited physical mobility and relies on regular, life-saving medication. “It is imperative she is found soon,” he said. Authorities initially believed she may have wandered off, but quickly shifted their focus toward a potential kidnapping.
“At this point, investigators believe she was taken from the home against her will, possibly in the middle of the night,” a sheriff’s office spokesperson, Kevin Adger, stated. Sheriff Nanos reiterated this assessment, clarifying that Guthrie was of sound mind. “This is not dementia-related,” he said. “She’s as sharp as a tack. The family wants everyone to know that this isn’t someone who just wandered off.”
A $2,500 reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest of those involved in her disappearance, according to reports from the Los Angeles Times. Investigators are currently reviewing security footage from the Guthrie home and surrounding neighborhoods. A family member alerted authorities after receiving a call Sunday morning from someone at Guthrie’s church, reporting her absence.
The Sheriff’s Department has established a tipline and is requesting the public submit any relevant images or videos. Nanos stressed the critical need for her medication, stating, “If she’s alive right now her meds are vital – I can’t stress that enough. It’s been better than 24 hours, and the family tells us if she doesn’t have those meds, it can become fatal.”
Initial search efforts, involving drones, search dogs, volunteers, and border patrol agents, have been scaled back. On Monday afternoon, Nanos announced a shift in strategy. “We don’t see this as a search mission so much as it is a crime scene,” he explained. “We saw some things at the home that were concerning to us. We believe now that we do in fact have a crime scene, and we’re asking the community’s help.” The FBI has also offered assistance, according to Pima County spokesperson Angelica Carrillo, as reported by the Associated Press.
Savannah Guthrie, who has co-anchored NBC’s Today show since 2012, has returned to Arizona and canceled planned travel to Milan, Italy, to cover the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics, as reported by Page Six. She has been absent from the Today show for two consecutive days.
On Monday, Guthrie shared a heartfelt message on Instagram, expressing her faith and requesting prayers for her mother. “We believe in prayer,” she wrote. “We believe in voices raised in unison, in love, in hope. We believe in goodness. We believe in humanity. Above all, we believe in Him. Thank you for lifting your prayers with ours for our beloved mom, our dearest Nancy, a woman of deep conviction, a good and faithful servant. Praise your prayers with us and believe with us that she will be lifted by them in this very moment. We need you.”
Guthrie grew up in Tucson and has often spoken about her close relationship with her mother, particularly following the death of her father, Charles, when she was 16. She is a graduate of the University of Arizona and previously worked as a reporter and anchor at KVOA-TV in her hometown. In a 2025 interview, Nancy Guthrie fondly recalled the family’s decision to settle in Tucson in the 1970s, praising the city’s “wonderful” air quality and “laid back and gentle” lifestyle.
As the investigation continues, authorities are urging anyone with information to come forward, hoping for the safe return of Nancy Guthrie.
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