In a new video released Saturday, “Today” show co-host Savannah Guthrie said she and her two siblings are willing to pay for the safe return of their mother, Nancy Guthrie, who authorities believe was abducted from her Tucson, Arizona, home last weekend.
“We received your message and we understand,” Guthrie said in a short video posted to her social media account. “We beg you now to return our mother to us so that we can celebrate with her. This is the only way we will have peace. This is very valuable to us and we will pay.”
The latest video of Guthrie speaking and her siblings, Camron and Annie Guthrie, sitting by her side comes after local and federal authorities said Friday they’re “aware of a new message” regarding their mother’s disappearance. It’s unclear what kind of message it is.
A ransom note that investigators said they’re taking seriously included a deadline of 5 p.m. Thursday, said Heith Janke, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s field office in Phoenix. The note demanded payment in bitcoin, and if a transfer wasn’t made, then a second demand was for next Monday, Janke said.
Savannah Guthrie and her mother Nancy Guthrie are seen during a break in NBC’s “Today” show from Sydney, Australia, on May 4, 2015.
Don Arnold/WireImage/Getty Images
Retired FBI supervisory agent and hostage negotiator Jason Pack said Guthrie’s video message on Saturday showed “extraordinary discipline under unimaginable grief and pressure.”
“In four days, they moved from an emotional plea, to a proof-of-life demand, to a public offer to pay,” Pack said, offering his analysis of Guthrie’s message for the possible abductor or abductors. “Every step was designed to keep the line of communication open and lower every possible barrier to Nancy’s safe return.”
Guthrie’s choice to use the word “celebrate” also stood out, Pack said.
“That’s the language of resolution, not confrontation,” Pack told CBS News. “In any negotiation, you want to offer the other party a way to see this ending positively and peacefully for them too. That’s exactly what the family is doing.”
On Saturday, meanwhile, detectives continued to conduct searches in the surrounding area of Nancy Guthrie’s home in the Catalina Foothills of Tucson.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department said investigators so far have not identified any suspects, persons of interest, or vehicles connected to the case. Two law enforcement sources told CBS News on Saturday that investigators are “developing good information” but that “nothing is imminent.”
The sources said Nancy Guthrie’s car was towed from the home, and that investigators were examining it for possible fingerprints and potential other clues. Investigators also removed a camera from the roof of the home.
The FBI has announced a $50,000 reward for information leading to Nancy Guthrie’s recovery or the arrest and conviction of the people involved in her disappearance.
Anyone with information about Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance is urged to call the Pima County Sheriff’s tip line at 520-351-4900.
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Savannah Guthrie told the potential kidnappers of her mother Nancy Guthrie on Saturday that the family is prepared to pay for her safe return.
“We received your message, and we understand. We beg you now to return our mother to us so that we can celebrate with her,” Guthrie said in the video, flanked by her siblings. “This is the only way we will have peace. This is very valuable to us, and we will pay.”
It was not immediately clear if Guthrie was referring to a new message from someone who might have kidnapped Nancy Guthrie. The Associated Press reached out to the Pima County Sheriff’s department seeking additional details.
The frantic search for the 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie has entered a seventh day. Authorities have not identified any suspects or ruled anyone out, Sheriff Chris Nanos said this week.
Authorities think she was taken against her will from her home just outside Tucson over the weekend. DNA tests showed blood on Guthrie’s front porch was a match to her, Nanos said.
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
“TODAY” co-anchor Savannah Guthrie addressed her mother’s possible kidnapper in a new Instagram video Saturday, saying the family would “pay” for the 84-year-old woman’s safe return.
“We received your message and we understand,” Savannah Guthrie said, seated alongside her brother, Camron, and sister, Annie. “We beg you now to return our mother to us so that we can celebrate with her. This is the only way we will have peace.”
“This is very valuable to us, and we will pay,” Savannah Guthrie said in closing, clutching her siblings’ hands.
Guthrie’s video message did not provide specifics about the message she referenced.
At least three news outlets have received a possible ransom note, and it is not clear if she was referencing those notes or another communication. NBC News has reviewed a copy of the note. No law enforcement agency has so far substantiated the note.
The FBI and Pima County Sheriff’s Department said Friday they were aware of a new message regarding Guthrie, which investigators were inspecting for authenticity. It is not known whether this message was connected to the initial unverified note or sender.
Nancy Guthrie was reported missing from her home north of Tuscson, Arizona, around noon Sunday after she did not show up at church. She was last seen the night before around 9:45 p.m. after having dinner at Annie Guthrie’s home.
The sheriff’s department believes Guthrie was taken “possibly in the middle of the night, and that includes possible kidnapping or abduction.” State and federal law enforcement officials are involved in the investigation, including the FBI.
In a statement Wednesday, the sheriff’s department said investigators have not identified a suspect or a person of interest. Authorities previously said they have no credible information that Guthrie’s possible abduction was a targeted incident.
Investigators believe Guthrie is “still out there” and remain committed to bringing her home safely.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said Friday that the Justice Department is working with local law enforcement to locate the mother of “TODAY” show co-anchor Savannah Guthrie and asked the public to pray for her safe return.
“TODAY” co-anchor Savannah Guthrie addressed her mother’s possible kidnapper in a new Instagram video Saturday, saying the family would “pay” for the 84-year-old woman’s safe return.
“We received your message and we understand,” Savannah Guthrie said, seated alongside her brother, Camron, and sister, Annie. “We beg you now to return our mother to us so that we can celebrate with her. This is the only way we will have peace.”
“This is very valuable to us, and we will pay,” Savannah Guthrie said in closing, clutching her siblings’ hands.
Guthrie’s video message did not provide specifics about the message she referenced.
At least three news outlets have received a possible ransom note, and it is not clear if she was referencing those notes or another communication. NBC News has reviewed a copy of the note. No law enforcement agency has so far substantiated the note.
The FBI and Pima County Sheriff’s Department said Friday they were aware of a new message regarding Guthrie, which investigators were inspecting for authenticity. It is not known whether this message was connected to the initial unverified note or sender.
Two notes were sent to local TV station KOLD. The station’s news director, Jessica Bobula, told NBC News on Saturday that the first message came in to their news tips system on Monday and the second just before noon Friday.
She said neither note provided proof of life, but the first note said Guthrie was fine.
The second note “was certainly not a ransom demand,” Bobula said, noting it did not ask for money, and it differed “in almost every way” from the first. One of the notes did not provide an image of Guthrie but “a description,” she said.
Bobula said the author of the second note appeared to be trying to prove that they were the same sender as the first note.
“There is something in the note that we believe they are trying to use to make sure the investigators know that it is the same people,” Bobula said. “It seems as though they are trying to indicate only the sender of the previous email would know this detail.”
The first note included two deadlines, one for 5 p.m. last Thursday and another for 5 p.m. Monday, and a request for funds.
Asked if the note indicated what might happen if the Monday deadline is missed she said, “They did.” When asked if the note indicated Guthrie could be harmed in some way, Bobula said, “Yes.”
Both notes were sent to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, along with the IP information, she said.
Nancy Guthrie was reported missing from her home north of Tucson, Arizona, around noon Sunday after she did not show up at church. She was last seen the night before around 9:45 p.m. after having dinner at Annie Guthrie’s home.
The sheriff’s department believes Guthrie was taken “possibly in the middle of the night, and that includes possible kidnapping or abduction.” State and federal law enforcement officials are involved in the investigation, including the FBI.
In a statement Wednesday, the sheriff’s department said investigators have not identified a suspect or a person of interest. Authorities previously said they have no credible information that Guthrie’s possible abduction was a targeted incident.
Investigators believe Guthrie is “still out there” and remain committed to bringing her home safely.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said Friday that the Justice Department is working with local law enforcement to locate the mother of “TODAY” show co-anchor Savannah Guthrie and asked the public to pray for her safe return.
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Daniel Arkin, Dana Griffin and Marlene Lenthang | NBC News
Some 2.8 million people tune intoTODAY, NBC’s flagship morning show, every day, and for many, hearing about the latest news updates, affordable fashion trends, upcoming movies, and whatever other hot topics is a longstanding part of their daily routine, and co-anchor Savannah Guthrie isn’t just a newscaster, she’s a familiar presence, something of a friend.
Guthrie, an apple-cheeked 54-year-old who has worked for NBC since 2007 and at TODAY since 2011, is just as likely to appear at the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting or the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade as she is to interview Donald Trump, as she did for a town hall ahead of the 2020 election that won her an Emmy.
When her mother, Nancy Guthrie, was reportedly abducted in Tucson, Arizona last week, a global audience took notice.
Like the Guthrie case, the Lindbergh story was a desperate search for the vulnerable family member of an American household name, front and center in the public consciousness, and a crime that riveted a country.
Charles Lindbergh Jr. disappeared from his crib in Hopewell, New Jersey, on the night of March 1, 1932. His parents, nanny, and several other staff were in the house, and the boy’s bedroom was on the second floor. The crime immediately drew attention because of the baby’s parents: his mother, Anne Morrow Lindbergh, was the first woman to earn a glider pilot license, and was a socialite, the daughter of the U.S. ambassador to Mexico, and a writer. His father, Charles Lindbergh, was one of the most famous people in the world thanks to his 1927 flight from New York to Paris, the first successful solo transatlantic one in history. The morning after his disappearance, the New York Times rushed to remake the paper’s front page, topping four columns in the lead story slot on March 2 with the headline “LINDBERGH BABY KIDNAPPED FROM HOME OF PARENTS ON FARM NEAR PRINCETON; TAKEN FROM HIS CRIB; WIDE SEARCH ON.”
The attention was relentless, and especially bruising for someone like Lindbergh, a Midwesterner by birth who begged for privacy after his Spirit of St. Louis notoriety: For weeks, a garage at Pop Gebhart’s general store, near the Lindbergh house, was the ad hoc headquarters for the hundreds of reporters who flocked to the scene. Tourists gawked at the house. Thousands of Princeton undergraduates took it upon themselves to search the nearby woods, despite official concerns about contaminating potential evidence. An estimated 100,000 total people, official and private, participated in the search in the first 24 hours after the news broke. President Herbert Hoover offered the investigation support from the Secret Service, FBI, the IRS, the US Postal Service, and more. Awareness of the case was such that anyone seen with a small blonde child was looked at twice.
Local and federal authorities said Friday they’re “aware of a new message” regarding the disappearance of “Today” show co-host Savannah Guthrie‘s mom, Nancy Guthrie, as the high-profile search continues.
“Investigators are actively inspecting the information provided in the message for its authenticity,” the Pima County Sheriff’s Department said in a post on social media. The FBI also posted a similar statement on social media. It’s unclear what kind of message it is.
In another social media post, a little after 4 p.m. local time Friday, the sheriff’s department said that investigators were “conducting follow-up” at the home of Nancy Guthrie and “surrounding areas.”
The road in front of the Guthrie home was restricted, the sheriff’s department said, and late last night, what appeared to be a dark-colored SUV was towed from the home.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos spoke with CBS News correspondent Jonathan Vigliotti about the case on Friday, but was guarded about details, including how the abductor may have entered the home or if there were signs of forced entry.
Savannah Guthrie and mother Nancy Guthrie on the “Today” show June 15, 2023.
The sheriff’s department has said no suspect or person of interest has been identified in the case. Authorities are treating her disappearance as a criminal matter.
The FBI also announced a $50,000 reward for information leading to Nancy Guthrie’s recovery or the arrest and conviction of the people involved in her disappearance.
A ransom note that investigators said they’re taking seriously included a deadline of 5 p.m. Thursday, said Heith Janke, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s field office in Phoenix. The note demanded payment in bitcoin, and if a transfer wasn’t made, then a second demand was for next Monday, Janke said.
On Wednesday night, Savannah Guthrie appeared with her brother, Camron Guthrie, and sister, Annie Guthrie, in a video saying they’re “ready to talk” but that they need to know their mother is alive.
“We need to know, without a doubt, that she is alive and that you have her. We want to hear from you, and we are ready to listen. Please, reach out to us,” Savannah Guthrie said.
Camron Guthrie also made an appeal on Thursday on social media for their mom’s return, saying, “Whoever is out there holding our mother, we want to hear from you.”
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — It’s been a week since “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie ‘s mother disappeared from her home in Arizona in what authorities say was a kidnapping.
Investigators have been examining ransom notes and looking for evidence but have not named a suspect. On Friday, officers returned to 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie ‘s home near Tucson and to the surrounding neighborhood to continue their search.
Here’s what to know about the case:
Family members told officials they last saw Guthrie at 9:48 p.m. on Jan. 31 when they dropped her off at home after they ate dinner and played games together. The next day, family learned she didn’t attend church. They reported her missing after they went to check on her.
Guthrie has a pacemaker and needs daily medication. Her family and authorities are worried her health could be deteriorating by the day.
Authorities think Guthrie was taken against her will from her home in an upscale neighborhood that sits on hilly, desert terrain. DNA tests showed blood on Guthrie’s front porch matched hers, the county sheriff has said.
Investigators found her doorbell camera was disconnected early Sunday and that software data recorded movement at the home minutes later. But investigators haven’t been able to recover the footage because Guthrie didn’t have an active subscription to the service.
“I wish technology was as easy as we believe it is, that here’s a picture, here’s your bad guy. But it’s not,” Nanos told the AP on Friday. “There are pieces of information that come to us from these tech groups that say ‘This is what we have and we can’t get anymore.’”
The president of the Catalina Foothills Association, a neighborhood group, thanked residents in a letter for being willing to speak with law enforcement, share camera images and allow their properties to be searched.
At least three media organizations reported receiving purported ransom notes, which they handed over to investigators. Authorities made an arrest after one ransom note turned out to be fake, the sheriff said.
It’s unclear if all of the notes were identical. Heith Janke, the FBI chief in Phoenix, said details included a demand for money with a Thursday evening deadline and a second deadline for Monday if the first one wasn’t met. At least one note mentioned a floodlight at Guthrie’s home and an Apple watch, Janke said.
Investigators said they are taking the notes seriously.
On Friday, KOLD-TV in Tucson said it received a new message, via email, tied to the Guthrie case. The station said it couldn’t disclose its contents. The FBI said it was aware of a new message and was reviewing its authenticity.
Concern about Guthrie’s condition is growing because authorities say she needs daily medicine that’s vital to her health. She has a pacemaker, high blood pressure and heart issues, according to sheriff’s dispatcher audio on broadcastify.com.
Police have not said that they have received any deepfake images of Nancy Guthrie.
Savannah Guthrie described her mother as a “kind, faithful, loyal, fiercely loving woman of goodness and light” and said she was funny, spunky and clever.
“Talk to her and you’ll see,” she said.
She spoke some words directly to her mom, saying she and her siblings wouldn’t rest until they’re all together again.
The FBI has offered a $50,000 reward for information about Guthrie’s whereabouts.
The White House said President Donald Trump called and spoke with Savannah Guthrie on Wednesday. He posted on social media that he was directing federal authorities to help where they can.
On Friday night, he told reporters flying with him to his Florida estate on Air Force One that the investigation was going “very well” and investigators had some strong clues.
Other notorious kidnappings in U.S. history have included the son of singer Frank Sinatra, the granddaughter of newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst and the 9-year-old girl for whom the AMBER Alert was named.
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Could the police have found Savannah Guthrie‘s mom already if these massive errors had not allegedly been made during the crucial early stages of the investigation into her disappearance?
As you know, law enforcement has been desperately searching for Nancy Guthrie ever since she went missing in Arizona on Sunday. Sadly, they have had no luck so far as they have no “solid leads.” And it is getting scarier by the second because the 84-year-old is without her medication, which could be fatal. Authorities also confirmed the blood splatter on her front steps is hers, so she is possibly injured — or worse, we hate to say. The first of the two deadlines in the unverified ransom note has passed, and the family has no way of contacting the alleged kidnapper(s), no matter how hard they try.
It is unimaginable what they are going through right now, and now there are sources who are pointing blame at the way Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has been handling the whole case.
According to Dailymail.com on Friday, multiple insiders alleged Nanos messed up during the critical first 12 hours of the search! For starters, and perhaps most importantly, they claim he did not deploy a vital search-and-rescue aircraft right after Nancy was reported missing by her family on Sunday!
What!?
Sources say there is an aircraft known as Survey 1 equipped with high-resolution thermal imaging cameras that can scan a large area of the desert. Sergeant Aaron Cross, president of the Pima County Sheriff’s Deputies Association, told the outlet it is even “the most valuable law enforcement asset in southern Arizona.” So it is super helpful, especially while trying to search for someone who has vanished, right? But insiders claimed it remained on the tarmac for roughly half the day!
Just to give you a brief timeline…
Nancy was abducted from her home at around 2:00 a.m. on Sunday. She was reported missing shortly before noon when she never showed up at church. The aircraft supposedly didn’t take off right away! It remained grounded for almost half of the day after the report! And insiders claim the delay wasn’t due to mechanical issues or weather problems. No, they allege it all came down to staffing shortages that left the police department without qualified pilots to fly the plane – and they claim Nanos is to blame for the lack of people, too!
Cross, along with county GOP chairwoman Kathleen Winn, explained to Dailymail that the trained aviators who could have flown the aircraft were transferred out of the Air Operations Unit in recent weeks. One person was a 17-year veteran pilot who allegedly got reassigned for disciplinary reasons the week before Nancy disappeared. Another left in November 2025. Nanos reportedly never filled the open positions.
So, Survey 1 could not take off until around 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, long after the critical window for locating a missing person. And Winn thinks that if they had taken off sooner, they might have found Nancy already. She said:
“This left the department without a crew to respond to the search due to short staffing. If they had somebody who could fly that plane, they could have probably found her instantly if she was out in the desert. The most important, crucial hours and minutes right after someone is missing – we’ve lost those.”
OMG…
The department did launch a helicopter while waiting for Survey 1, but it lacks the sensors and thermal imaging technology the other aircraft has. Cops ultimately lost out on a lot of vital time by not having the necessary tools handy. Matt Heinz, a member of the Pima County Board of Supervisors and a physician, added:
“The initial few hours of any kind of search like this are absolutely crucial. So, not having every asset at disposal for the search within the first few hours — is that going to have an impact? I cannot be sure, but it certainly doesn’t look or sound good.”
And that wasn’t the only problem…
Other critics say there is a lot of dysfunction within the Pima County Sheriff’s Department due to years of poor leadership, retaliatory discipline, and collapsing morale. Cross claimed more than half of the county’s 195 patrol officers are currently on probation, which is “highly unusual” and indicative of staffing instability. FYI, Dailymail noted they could not verify that figure themselves. But an anonymous former sheriff’s department official echoed the accusations, saying that Nanos “leads by intimidation and coercion.” Yikes. The insider alleged:
“He belittles people. He screams at people. If you render an opinion contrary to his, you might be ostracized or transferred.”
The same official alleged that deputies and detectives have been pushed out or reassigned to unfamiliar units, leaving the department empty-handed when their expertise is desperately needed. Such as the Nancy Guthrie case. Winn shared that sources told her morale is low and staffing gaps in homicide and other investigative units “badly hampered the initial stages of the investigation” into Savannah’s mom’s disappearance.
But one of the most troubling mistakes made, other than the aircraft remaining grounded? The sheriff’s department returned Nancy’s home to the family on Tuesday, only to re-enter it the following day to collect more evidence. Apparently that’s a big no-no. Greg Rogers, a 30-year FBI veteran, warned that any evidence gathered during the second search may not be accepted in court:
“Once you let the family back in, almost anything they discover after that isn’t going to be admissible in court. It causes a real chain-of-custody issue with who touched what. A good defense counsel is going to be able to eviscerate anything.”
Uh oh! Not good!
At this time, Nanos has not addressed the alleged mistakes in the investigation, but he has some explaining to do to the family and the public now. What are your thoughts, Perezcious readers? Sound OFF in the comments.
A tip line has been set up: see HERE. The FBI has offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to the recovery of Nancy Guthrie, and/or the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in her disappearance.
The search for “Today” show co-host Savannah Guthrie‘s mother is stretching into a fifth day Thursday as authorities intensify efforts to identify a possible suspect — or suspects — and motive in the 84-year-old’s disappearance.
Nancy Guthrie was reported missing on Sunday in Arizona after not showing up for church, and her family is pleading for her return.
Savannah Guthrie has appealed directly to whoever may have taken her mother, and President Trump said he is directing all federal law enforcement to be at the family’s “complete disposal.”
Here is a timeline of Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance.
Saturday night: Nancy Guthrie last seen
Nancy Guthrie was last seen on Saturday night, authorities said. She arrived at her daughter Annie’s home at 5:32 p.m. She dined there and was dropped off at her own home after dinner at around 9:48 p.m.
She was dropped off at home by her son-in-law, Tommaso Cioni. Police say he waited until Nancy Guthrie was inside before driving off.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said at a news conference Thursday that her garage door closed at 9:50 p.m., at which time authorities assume Nancy Guthrie was home and going to bed.
Sunday morning: Not at church
A doorbell camera at Nancy Guthrie’s home disconnected at 1:47 a.m., and software detected someone, or possibly an animal, on a camera about 25 minutes later, Nanos said Thursday, but he noted no video is available.
Guthrie’s pacemaker app showed a disconnect from her phone at 2:28 a.m.
On Sunday morning, a friend called Guthrie’s family, telling them she had not shown up for church. They notified the sheriff’s department around noon that day, minutes after checking in on her.
Once police arrived at the home at 12:15 p.m, they determined Nancy Guthrie was missing under “concerning” circumstances.
Guthrie has limited mobility and relies on daily medication for her health, officials have said. That prompted an urgent search for her in Arizona on Sunday night.
A timeline shared by authorities at a news conference in Arizona on Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026.
CBS News
Monday: Sheriff says “I believe she was abducted”
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos confirmed on Monday that her disappearance was being treated as a crime, and urged neighbors to review home video camera footage.
“We saw some things at the home that were concerning to us,” Nanos told reporters. “We believe now after we’ve processed that crime scene that we do in fact have a crime scene, that we do in fact have a crime, and we’re asking the community’s help.”
He told CBS News he believed Guthrie was “abducted” in the middle of the night.
“I believe she was abducted, yes,” Nanos said. “She didn’t walk from there. She didn’t go willingly.”
A missing person’s flier from the sheriff’s department described her as 5 feet, 5 inches tall, with brown hair and blue eyes and weighing 150 pounds.
Tuesday: Ransom note and blood at scene
On Tuesday, authorities said they were analyzing an apparent ransom note with details about what the 84-year-old was wearing on the night of the crime.
“We are aware of reports circulating about possible ransom note(s) regarding the investigation into Nancy Guthrie,” Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said in a social media statement. “We are taking all tips and leads very seriously. Anything that comes in, goes directly to our detectives who are coordinating with the FBI.”
They were also looking at what appeared to be drops of blood outside the front door. A law enforcement source also told CBS News some was also found inside the house.
The blood found outside Nancy Guthrie’s home has been confirmed to be hers, Nanos later said, adding that investigators were awaiting results from additional samples.
Authorities said surveillance video from the home had led nowhere, and there was still no suspect.
“Nothing has come up that says, ‘Here he is, here’s your bad guy,’” Nanos told CBS News on Tuesday.
Wednesday: Video appeal from Savannah Guthrie
Authorities said Wednesday morning investigators still had not identified a suspect or person of interest in the case.
“Detectives continue to speak with anyone who may have had contact with Mrs. Guthrie,” the Pima County Sheriff’s Department said on social media.
On Wednesday night, the FBI was back at Nancy Guthrie’s home, using canines to search as they worked to track down every lead.
Meanwhile, Savannah Guthrie released an emotional video pleading for her mother’s return and saying her family is “ready to talk.”
“We live in a world where voices and images are easily manipulated. We need to know without a doubt that she is alive and that you have her,” Savannah Guthrie said in the video with her two siblings, addressing a possible captor or captors. “We want to hear from you, and we are ready to listen. Please, reach out to us.”
Savannah Guthrie said her mother’s health and heart are fragile.
“She lives in constant pain. She is without any medicine. She needs it to survive. She needs it not to suffer,” Savannah Guthrie said.
She also addressed her mom directly, saying: “Mommy, if you are hearing this, you are a strong woman. You are God’s precious daughter, Nancy. We believe and know that even in this valley, He is with you. Everyone is looking for you, mommy, everywhere. We will not rest, your children will not rest, until we are together again.”
Around the same time that video was released, President Trump said on social media that he spoke with Savannah Guthrie “and let her know that I am directing ALL Federal Law Enforcement to be at the family’s, and Local Law Enforcement’s, complete disposal, IMMEDIATELY.”
“We are deploying all resources to get her mother home safely,” he posted.
Thursday
Nanos said at a news conference Thursday, “We believe Nancy is still out there.”
He also said that as of late morning local time, authorities had not identified a suspect or a person of interest.
Authorities are continuing to ask for the public’s help and urging anyone with possible information to contact them.
“It only takes one tip, just one, to break the case open, to offer that lead that we so desperately need in this case,” Chief of detectives for the Pima County Attorney’s Office, Fabian Pacheco, who oversees one of the tip lines, told CBS News in an interview that aired on “CBS Mornings” Thursday.
He said about 10% of leads have value.
Anyone with information is being urged to call (520)-882-7463.
The FBI also announced a $50,000 reward for information leading to Nancy Guthrie’s recovery or the arrest and conviction of people involved in her disappearance.
In a video posted to Savannah Guthrie’s Instagram account on Thursday night, Camron Guthrie made another appeal for the return of their mother.
“Whoever is out there holding our mother, we want to hear from you,” Camron Guthrie said. “We haven’t heard anything directly. We need you to reach out, and we need a way to communicate with you so we can move forward. But first, we have to know that you have our mom. We want to talk to you, and we are waiting for contact.”
Camron Guthrie, the brother of “Today” show co-host Savannah Guthrie, made another appeal Thursday for the return of their mother, Nancy Guthrie, following her disappearance over the weekend from her Tucson, Arizona, home in what authorities believe may have been an abduction.
“Whoever is out there holding our mother, we want to hear from you,” Camron Guthrie said in a post shared to Savannah Guthrie’s Instagram account. “We haven’t heard anything directly. We need you to reach out, and we need a way to communicate with you so we can move forward,” he continued in the video. “But first, we have to know that you have our mom. We want to talk to you, and we are waiting for contact.”
The video was released at about 5 p.m. local time, which was the first deadline given in a ransom note, FBI Special Agent in Charge Heith Janke said during a news conference Thursday, though the deadline didn’t specify a time zone.
Savannah Guthrie and her mother, Nancy Guthrie, on the “Today” show on April 17, 2019.
Nathan Congleton/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images
Camron, along with his siblings, Savannah and Annie Guthrie, also released an emotional video Wednesday night pleading for the return of their 84-year-old mother.
“We are ready to talk, however, we live in a world where voices and images are easily manipulated,” Savannah Guthrie said in the video. “We need to know, without a doubt, that she is alive and that you have her. We want to hear from you, and we are ready to listen. Please, reach out to us.”
Former FBI agent Jeff Harp told CBS News that a key to the investigation would be establishing contact with a potential abductor or suspect.
“There has to be some line of communication, and right now, we don’t really have anything, and once they get that line of communication established, they can at least start to go down the road of proof of life or something that at least shows that her mother is still alive and well,” Harp said.
Nancy Guthrie’s family reported her missing to authorities on Sunday after not finding her at home when they were told she had missed church that morning.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos told CBS News that Nancy Guthrie had dinner at Annie Guthrie’s home Saturday, and that Annie’s husband, Tommaso Cioni, later drove her home. The details were first reported by The New York Times.
Nancy Guthrie’s doorbell camera went offline around 1:47 a.m. local time Sunday, Nanos said. At 2:12 a.m., another camera detected what the system flagged as a person, though investigators and analysts haven’t been able to recover footage of that from the system, he said, and it may have been an animal. At 2:28 a.m., Guthrie’s pacemaker disconnected from her cellphone app.
Blood found outside Nancy Guthrie’s home has been confirmed to be hers, Nanos said, adding that investigators are awaiting results from additional samples.
The sheriff’s department has stated that no suspect or person of interest has been identified in the case. Authorities are treating her disappearance as a criminal matter.
The FBI announced a $50,000 reward for information leading to Nancy Guthrie’s recovery or the arrest and conviction of people involved in her disappearance.
“Right now, we believe Nancy is still out there,” Nanos told reporters Thursday during a news conference. “We want her home.”
Investigators believe “Today” show co-host Savannah Guthrie‘s mom, Nancy Guthrie, is “still out there” as the high-profile search in Arizona continues, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said Thursday. The FBI also announced a $50,000 reward for information in the case.
The FBI also said that an imposter who made a phony ransom demand has been arrested, but investigators said a different ransom demand was still being taken seriously.
Investigators believe Nancy Guthrie, 84, was taken from her home in Tucson, Arizona, over the weekend and have been investigating her disappearance as a crime.
Detectives returned to Guthrie’s neighborhood Wednesday to conduct some follow-up work at her home and in the area, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department said. Guthrie was last seen at her home Saturday night after having dinner at the home of her other daughter, Annie Guthrie, and being driven home by her husband, Tommaso Cioni, Nanos told CBS News.
The sheriff’s department has said neither a suspect nor person of interest has been identified in the case.
Nancy Guthrie needs daily medication, adding more urgency to the search. Nanos dismissed the possibility that she may have wandered off, saying she doesn’t have cognitive issues and her mobility is limited.
In an emotional social media video posted Wednesday, Savannah Guthrie said her mother’s heart is fragile and that she lives in constant pain and needs her medicine to survive.
Savannah Guthrie also spoke directly to her mother’s possible abductors.
“We are ready to talk, however, we live in a world where voices and images are easily manipulated,” she said. “We need to know, without a doubt, that she is alive and that you have her. We want to hear from you, and we are ready to listen. Please, reach out to us.”
Savannah Guthrie and mother Nancy Guthrie on the “Today” show June 15, 2023.
Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty Images
She also addressed a reported ransom note, saying the family was doing everything they can to bring her home.
Savannah Guthrie appeared with her brother and sister in the video, and they all spoke to their mother.
“You are a strong woman, you are God’s precious daughter, Nancy,” Savannah Guthrie said. “Mama, if you’re listening, we need you to come home, we miss you,” Annie Guthrie said. “We love you, Mom, stay strong, come home,” her brother Charles Camron Guthrie said.
The FBI, which has been helping the sheriff’s department, was sending additional personnel to assist in the investigation, CBS News learned Wednesday.
President Trump said on social media that he spoke with Savannah Guthrie. “We are deploying all resources to get her mother home safely,” Mr. Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. “The prayers of our Nation are with her and her family.”
Savannah Guthrie addresses her mom’s possible abductor in tearful video – CBS News
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“Today” show co-host Savannah Guthrie and her siblings appeared in a tearful video posted on social media on Wednesday night, pleading for their mother’s safe return. CBS News’ Jonathan Vigliotti and Anna Schecter have more.
A police helicopter crashed Wednesday night near the scene of what authorities in Flagstaff, Arizona called “an active officer-involved shooting investigation,” according to police in Page, Arizona.
There was no word on how many people were on the helicopter or their condition, KPHO said, adding that it was an Arizona Department of Public Safety helicopter that went down.
Area resident Amanda Brewer told the station she heard three gunshots followed by two more at about 8:40 p.m. local time, so she called 911. She said officers arrived within minutes.
Brewer said she then heard between 15 and 20 gunshots.
Brewer said she heard the helicopter above her house just after 10 p.m. and there were more gunshots after that.
“You could hear the blades going,” she said. “Then there was a very large crash; it shook the house. It was startling.”
Brewer said there was quite a large fire in the forest behind her house, and she heard more gunshots after the crash.
Flagstaff police issued a shelter-in-lace for one neighborhood at about 10:15 p.m. in a social media post.
Flagstaff police haven’t said what led up to the police shooting or the condition of the suspect, KPHO reports.
A family friend of NBC “Today” co-host Savannah Guthrie told CBS News that the disappearance of Guthrie’s mother has been “absolutely heart-wrenching” as the Tucson, Arizona, community is set to hold a candlelight service Wednesday night to pray for the safe return of Nancy Guthrie.
Sally Shamrell, an actress and former reporter for KVOA — a local television station in Tucson where Savannah Guthrie got her start — told CBS News that the Guthries are a “very revered family” in Tucson. Shamrell told CBS News she has known the family for over 30 years.
“Nancy and Savannah have both contributed so much to the Tucson community,” Shamrell said. “…They’re just positive contributors and very faithful women. What’s going is absolutely heart-wrenching.”
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department has said the the 84-year-old’s disappearance is being investigated as a crime, but no suspect or person of interest has been identified. Nancy Guthrie was last seen at her home Saturday night, but she was not reported missing until she failed to show up for church Sunday morning, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said.
FILE — Savannah Guthrie and her mother Nancy Guthrie are seen during a break in NBC’s “Today” show from Sydney, Australia, on May 4, 2015.
Don Arnold/WireImage/Getty Images
Shamrell said she helped organize Wednesday night’s vigil at St. Philip’s in the Hills Episcopal Church after seeing Savannah Guthrie’s post Monday on social media asking for prayers.
“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. raise your prayers with us and believe with us that she will be lifted by them in this very moment,” Savannah Guthrie wrote on Monday. “We need you.”
The service is expected to begin at 6 p.m. local time. It will be livestreamed on the church’s website.
“I know that the Guthrie kids, who are so, so missing their dear, dear mother, I mean, she is everything to them,” Shamrell said. “…I just hope, if they see this, and they see the whole community’s come together, that they will know that they’re not alone. It’s a pretty dark time.”
Shamrell said she reached out to old colleagues at KVOA to help put the event together, describing news station workers as “very tight family members.”
“Some of these people haven’t seen Savannah in 20 years, but at the twist of a dime, they said, ‘What do you need? I’ll be there,’” Shamrell said.
Authorities believe Nancy Guthrie was abducted over the weekend from her home in the Catalina Foothills of Tucson, where there were signs of forced entry. A small amount of blood found inside the home was being tested, a law enforcement source familiar with the case told CBS News.
Nanos told CBS News that a ransom note was sent to a local Arizona news station following Guthrie’s disappearance, but he could not confirm accuracy of that information or the legitimacy of the note.
Anyone with information about Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance is urged to call the Pima County Sheriff’s tip line at 520-351-4900.
Investigators in the disappearance of “Today” show co-host Savannah Guthrie’s mother, Nancy Guthrie, haven’t identified a suspect or person of interest in the Arizona case, which is being investigated as a crime, authorities said Wednesday.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department posted the update to social media as the search continues for Nancy Guthrie, 84, who was reported missing Sunday.
“Detectives continue to speak with anyone who may have had contact with Mrs. Guthrie,” the sheriff’s department said in Wednesday’s statement.
Authorities believe Guthrie was taken from her Tucson, Arizona, home over the weekend. A little bit of blood found inside the home was being tested, a law enforcement source familiar with the case told CBS News.
“Detectives are working closely with the Guthrie family,” the sheriff’s department said in its statement Wednesday. “While we appreciate the public’s concern, the sharing of unverified accusations or false information is irresponsible and does not assist the investigation.”
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos says the evidence collected from the home so far hasn’t yet pointed toward a suspect. He also said it wasn’t clear how many people took Guthrie. “It could be one, it could’ve been more, I don’t know,” he said.
“Nothing has come up that says, here he is, here’s your bad guy,” Nanos told CBS News on Wednesday. “We’re working towards, where is Nancy? Where is Ms. Guthrie? We want to find her. That’s what everybody wants. Once we do that, then we can worry about the whodunit.”
CBS News learned Wednesday that the FBI is sending in additional personnel to assist in the investigation.
Authorities continue to ask for the public’s help. Fabian Pacheco, chief of detectives for the Pima County Attorney’s Office, oversees one of the tip lines and told CBS News that “[i]t only takes one tip, just one, to break this open, to offer the lead that we so desperately need in this case.”
Savannah Guthrie and mother Nancy Guthrie on the “Today” show June 15, 2023.
Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty Images
Guthrie’s family reported the disappearance to authorities Sunday after looking for her at her home when they were told Guthrie missed church that morning.
Nanos told CBS News on Tuesday that a ransom note was sent to a local Arizona news station following Guthrie’s disappearance.
The note, which the station received Monday and agreed not to report on, contained specific details about the home and what Guthrie was wearing that night, Nanos said, although he would not confirm the accuracy of that information or the legitimacy of the note.
Nanos did not specify which station the note was sent to, but CBS affiliate KOLD-TV reported Tuesday it had received an email that “appears to be one of the alleged ransom notes,” which it forwarded to the sheriff’s office.
Investigators have analyzed the note and are taking it seriously, Nanos said.
Nanos also told CBS News that Guthrie’s home security system may have been set to automatically delete video footage after a short period of time, and investigators were attempting to recover footage through forensic means. A spokesperson for Google, which acquired home device company Nest in 2014, told CBS News on Wednesday that Google was assisting law enforcement and that further details couldn’t be shared at this time.
Nanos told CBS News that Guthrie ate dinner Saturday at the home of her other daughter, Annie Guthrie, who lives nearby. Her husband, Tommaso Cioni, drove Nancy Guthrie home afterward, Nanos said. The details were first reported by The New York Times. Earlier this week, Nanos told Us Weekly that Annie Guthrie was the last known person to see her mother before the disappearance.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos speaks to the media about the search for Nancy Guthrie on Feb. 3, 2026 in Tucson, Arizona.
Jan Sonnenmair / Getty Images
Nanos has dismissed the possibility that Nancy Guthrie, who lives alone, may have wandered away from her home because he said she doesn’t have any cognitive issues and her mobility is limited.
Nancy Guthrie has three children in total: Annie Guthrie, Savannah Guthrie and son Charles Guthrie.
Investigators hadn’t determined whether Nancy Guthrie was targeted or if the abduction was random, Nanos said Tuesday.
As investigators sort through hundreds of leads, Nanos has said there’s additional urgency to the search effort because Guthrie needs daily medication. The FBI is working with the sheriff’s department and providing support, an official said Tuesday.
A White House official told CBS News that President Trump spoke with Savannah Guthrie in a phone call Wednesday. The official didn’t provide details about the call.
A ransom note was sent to a local Arizona news station following the disappearance of “Today” show co-host Savannah Guthrie’s mother, Nancy Guthrie, the Pima County sheriff told CBS News.
The note, which the station received Monday and agreed not to report on, contained specific details about the home and what Nancy Guthrie was wearing that night, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said, although he would not confirm the accuracy of that information or the legitimacy of the note.
“It’s like any piece of evidence,” Nanos told CBS News. “You give it to us, you give us a lead, we’re going to look at every aspect of that lead.”
Nanos did not specify which station the note was sent to, but CBS affiliate KOLD-TV reported Tuesday it had received an email that “appears to be one of the alleged ransom notes,” which it forwarded to the sheriff’s office.
Investigators have analyzed the note and are taking it seriously, Nanos said.
He said the FBI reviewed the note and made the decision to share it with Savannah Guthrie. Authorities had hoped to keep the information from becoming public, but the note was obtained by TMZ, which reported on it before contacting the sheriff’s office, Nanos said.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department had earlier said on social media it was aware of “reports circulating about possible ransom note(s),” adding, “Anything that comes in, goes directly to our detectives who are coordinating with the FBI.”
Surveillance video from a home security system has yielded nothing so far, Nanos told CBS News. He said investigators believe the system may have been set to automatically delete footage after a short period of time, and they are now attempting to recover it through forensic means.
Nanos previously told CBS News that investigators believe the 84-year-old was abducted from her home in the middle of the night over the weekend, and he described it as “a crime scene.” Authorities have been searching for her since Sunday.
Nancy Guthrie was last seen at her home Saturday night, but no one knew she was missing until she didn’t show up for church the next morning, Nanos said.
The sheriff has repeatedly said Guthrie, who lives alone, could not have wandered away from her home because she has no cognitive issues and very limited mobility.
He also expressed concern that she needs access medication that she must take daily, telling CBS News, “The clock is literally ticking.”
“You’ve placed her in great jeopardy without giving her meds that are critical to her,” Nanos said. “Again, like I’ve said, could be fatal if she doesn’t get those meds.”
The sheriff has said it’s unclear how many people may have been involved in the apparent abduction.
“It could be one, it could’ve been more, I don’t know,” he said.
A little bit of blood was found inside Nancy Guthrie’s Tucson home, a law enforcement source familiar with the case told CBS News, and what appeared to be a small amount of dried blood was seen next to a doormat outside the front door of the home on Tuesday.
The criminal case against Nevada’s six so-called “fake electors,” who tried to falsely award the state’s 2020 electoral votes to President Donald Trump, returned to Clark County on Monday after the Nevada Supreme Court ruled it was a proper jurisdiction to hear the case.
During Monday’s hearing, lawyers for the fake electors challenged the legality of the two charges facing their clients: offering a false instrument for filing and uttering a forged instrument. Although no ruling was issued, Clark County Judge Mary Kay Holthus was skeptical of the prosecution’s arguments for the second charge because it requires an “intent to defraud.”
Holthus called that intent “impossible” to prove.
“They’re not really thinking that they’re going to pull one over, that … ‘we’re going to sign this document and make everybody think that Trump was elected when he wasn’t elected,’” Holthus said. “That’s my real battle. It’s almost nonsensical to me that they would have done that, prepared it and filed it with the intent to fraud. I don’t know how it would ever get there.”
State prosecutors had previously argued there was an intent to defraud because the documents were sent to the state’s top federal judge, secretary of state’s office, vice president and National Archives.
Holthus requested that prosecutors prepare a brief by early March with evidence on the electors’ intent to defraud. The next hearing is scheduled for April 10.
The hearing came more than five years after the six Republican electors convened an illegitimate ceremony in Carson City, where they purported to be the state’s true electors and signed documents awarding the Silver State’s votes to Trump and then-Vice President Mike Pence, even though Joe Biden had won the popular vote in Nevada, and Biden electors, who are legally bound to cast a ballot for the candidate who garnered the most votes, held a separate, legitimate ceremony.
The Republican electors included Nevada GOP Chairman Michael McDonald, Nevada GOP Vice Chair Jim Hindle and Republican National Committeeman Jim DeGraffenreid. The other three defendants are then-Clark County GOP Chairman Jesse Law, Shawn Meehan and Eileen Rice.
Fake elector cases are slowly continuing in other states, where prosecutors have faced myriad hurdles, including case dismissals. States still seeking convictions for the GOP electors include Arizona and Wisconsin.
Holthus had dismissed the case in 2024 on the grounds that Clark County was the incorrect venue to consider the case, but the state’s Supreme Court overturned the decision in November. A jury in Clark County is likely to be less favorable to the electors than redder rural areas.
In the event the high court had ruled against the state, prosecutors brought forward a winnowed down case in Carson City. State law allows two prosecutions to be ongoing at the same time, as long as a jury has not been impaneled.
Monday’s hearing centered around an element of the case that was unresolved when Holthus first dismissed it. Lawyers for the fake electors had argued that prosecutors had provided incomplete evidence to a Clark County grand jury and that the actions in question do not relate to the charges facing their clients.
Attorneys for the fake electors said the document in question was not false, but rather “a genuine document that contains false information.”
“There’s no evidence that defendants were doing anything other than exercising their First Amendment rights to preserve their future First Amendment rights to petition the government and challenge the results of that election,” Maggie McLetchie, the lawyer for Jesse Law, testified during the hearing.
Prosecutors disagreed, arguing the document was false because it contained knowingly false information.
“They wanted those documents to be considered, because those documents themselves were forged documents,” Alissa Engler, a prosecutor for the state, argued during the hearing.
The other element of the arguments centered around evidence provided to a Clark County grand jury, which was responsible for bringing forward the charges in 2023.
The electors’ lawyers had argued that prosecutors failed to demonstrate to the grand jury that the intent behind the signing ceremony was to prepare for the possibility that future legal challenges would overturn Nevada’s election results. The Nevada Supreme Court had rejected electoral challenges before the signing ceremony occurred, but an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court was still possible (though it never materialized).
Defendants’ lawyers also later accused the state of not showing the grand jury certain correspondence from Kenneth Chesebro, the architect of the fake elector plot and a key witness, that it said would exonerate certain defendants.
This story was originally published by The Nevada Independent and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press.
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
A little bit of blood was found inside the Arizona home of “Today” show co-host Savannah Guthrie’s mother, Nancy Guthrie, whose disappearance is being investigated as a crime, a law enforcement source familiar with the case told CBS News.
It is unclear whose blood it is, but it is being tested. Investigators and analysts are combing through the house in search of clues to the 84-year-old’s disappearance.
When asked about the blood during a news conference Tuesday, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said evidence collected from Guthrie’s Tucson, Arizona, home was still being processed and that none of it pointed toward a suspect.
“I’m not saying there’s blood inside that house or outside that house,” Nanos told reporters. He said he couldn’t provide details about what was collected from the home.
Investigators believe that Nancy Guthrie was abducted from her home in the middle of the night over the weekend, Nanos told CBS News. Nanos said the search was ongoing.
“We don’t know where she is,” the sheriff said.
Nanos was asked if a ransom demand had been made for Guthrie. “We’re following all leads,” the sheriff said. He also said, “That’s all I can tell you. We’ve got hundreds of leads.”
The sheriff has dismissed the possibility that Guthrie, who lives alone, may have wandered away from her home because he said she doesn’t have any cognitive issues and her mobility is limited.
Authorities have been searching for Guthrie since Sunday. She was last seen at her home Saturday night, but no one knew she was missing until she didn’t show up for church the next morning, Nanos said.
Guthrie takes daily medication, adding additional urgency to the search.
Savannah Guthrie asked people on social media Monday to pray for her mother.
“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,” she said on Instagram. “Raise your prayers with us and believe with us that she will be lifted by them in this very moment. we need you.”
Savannah Guthrie and mother Nancy Guthrie on the “Today” show June 15, 2023.
Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty Images
An official told CBS News that 88-Crime, an Arizona-based, non-profit program that works with law enforcement to help solve crimes, is offering a reward of up to $2,500 for “information leading to the arrest of the person or persons involved in the disappearance.”
Nancy Guthrie’s family has asked residents near her home to review their security footage from over the weekend, especially between the hours of 1 a.m. and 4 a.m. on Sunday. When CBS News asked Nanos about the time frame, he said the department is starting with a narrow window and will expand outward.
“Keep looking. You never know what you’ll see,” Nanos told CBS News. “Maybe it’s just a pair of headlights. But if you see something that just doesn’t seem right in that neighborhood, please let us know. We can come and download all your digital evidence and take a look at it ourselves.”
Today show host Savannah Guthrie is facing an unimaginable nightmare as authorities in Arizona reveal a deeply troubling theory about what may have happened to her mother, Nancy Guthrie, who has been missing since the weekend. And the more details that emerge, the heavier this situation feels.
Police now officially believe that Nancy, who is 84, was likely taken from her home while she was asleep. Let that sink in for a second: a woman in her mid-80s, apparently taken from her own bed in the middle of the night, from what should have been the safest place in the world.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos did not mince words when he spoke to CBS News on Monday:
“I believe she was abducted, yes. She didn’t walk from there. She didn’t go willingly.”
Hearing that out loud is devastating. There had been quiet speculation about this possibility, but for the sheriff himself to say it so plainly makes the situation feel far more dire and painfully real.
As we’ve been reporting, Nancy was last seen at her Arizona home on Saturday night, and she was officially reported missing around midday on Sunday.
By Monday, authorities confirmed what everyone feared: this is no longer being treated as a simple missing persons case, but it is now considered a crime. Speaking later on Monday night on OutFront with host Erin Burnett, Sheriff Nanos emphasized that while Nancy has physical limitations, her mental state was not a concern:
“Her wits are about her. This isn‘t somebody who wandered off. This is an elderly woman in her mid-80s who suffers some ailments that makes her mobility, her ability to walk around very difficult.”
According to Nanos, Nancy could not have walked more than about 50 yards on her own. He also referenced undisclosed details at the scene that suggested she was removed from her home against her will — something he says experience has taught him not to ignore.
Nanos said:
“I‘ve been doing this for 50 years. I have a gut feeling, but it came to me yesterday… that she was abducted… something about that scene made me believe that there’s more just a missing person. Today we still hope she’s alive… but you can’t ignore what you’re seeing at the scene. Time is of the essence.”
Wow…
Now, neighbors are now being urged to review any home surveillance footage from Saturday night that could help piece together what happened. Authorities are also working closely with Savannah’s security team, though they’ve thus far said this is not being treated as a ransom situation.
What ultimately raised the alarm was heartbreakingly ordinary. Members of Nancy’s church noticed she didn’t show up for Sunday morning services and became concerned. To that end, Nanos said:
“This is a big case to this community because it‘s not often… that we see somebody in the middle of the night in their safe home environment and bed all of a sudden disappear.”
Nancy Guthrie is described as 5 feet, 5 inches tall, with brown hair, blue eyes, and weighing around 150 pounds.
Per Nanos on OutFront, anyone with information is urged to contact the Pima County Sheriff’s Department at (520) 351-4900.
And for now, a family, a community, and so many millions more are watching from afar are holding onto hope in the middle of something truly terrifying.
This image provided by the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, on Monday, Feb. 2, 2026, shows a missing person alert for Nancy Guthrie. (Pima County Sheriff’s Department via AP)
Savannah Guthrie attends the third annual World Mental Health Day Gala, hosted by Project Healthy Minds, at Spring Studios on Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, file)
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Authorities believe the 84-year-old mother of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie was kidnapped, abducted or otherwise taken against her will, and the sheriff said Monday it’s imperative she’s found soon because she could die without her medication.
Nancy Guthrie was last seen around 9:30 p.m. Saturday at her home in the Tucson area, where she lived alone. Her family reported her missing around noon Sunday. The Pima County Sheriff’s Department is investigating the possibility she was taken overnight, spokesperson Angelica Carrillo said.
Guthrie had limited mobility, and officials don’t believe she left on her own. Sheriff Chris Nanos said Guthrie was of sound mind.
“This is not dementia-related. She’s as sharp as a tack,” Nanos said at a news conference earlier in the day. “The family wants everyone to know that this isn’t someone who just wandered off.”
Nanos said a family member received a call from someone at church saying Guthrie wasn’t there, leading family to search for her at her home and then calling 911. Nanos said Guthrie needs her daily medication, and the sheriff urged whoever has her to free her.
“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,” Nanos said.
Searchers were using drones and search dogs to look for her, Nanos said. Search and rescue teams were supported by volunteers and Border Patrol, and the homicide team was also involved, he said. It is not standard for the homicide team to get involved in such cases, Nanos said. The FBI has offered to help, Carrillo said.
“This one stood out because of what was described to us at the scene and what we located just looking at the scene,” Nanos said Sunday. He was not ruling out foul play.
On Monday morning, Nanos said search crews worked hard but have since been pulled back.
“We don’t see this as a search mission so much as it is a crime scene,” the sheriff said.
Even so, a sheriff’s helicopter flew over the desert Monday afternoon near Guthrie’s home in the affluent Catalina Foothills area on the northern edge of Tucson. Her brick home has a gravel driveway and a yard covered in Prickly Pear and Saguaro cactus.
Savannah Guthrie issued a statement Monday, NBC’s “Today” show reported.
“On behalf of our family, I want to thank everyone for the thoughts, prayers and messages of support,” she said. “Right now, our focus remains on the safe return of our dear Nancy.”
“Today” opened Monday’s show with the disappearance of the co-anchor’s mother, but Savannah Guthrie was not at the anchor’s desk. Nanos said during the Monday news conference that Savannah Guthrie is in Arizona. Savannah Guthrie grew up in Tucson, graduated from the University of Arizona and previously worked as a reporter and anchor at KVOA-TV in Tucson.
Nancy Guthrie appeared in a November 2025 story her daughter did about her hometown. Over a meal, Savannah Guthrie asked her mother what made the family want to plant roots in Tucson in the 1970s.
“It’s so wonderful. Just the air, the quality of life,” Nancy Guthrie said. “It’s laid back and gentle.”
She said she likes to see the javelinas, pig-like desert mammals, eat her plants.
