Savannah Guthrie’s mother missing; Arizona home treated as crime scene

Nancy Guthrie, 84, the mother of TODAY co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, was reported missing from her home north of Tucson after family members said she was last seen Saturday night and called authorities around noon the next day. Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said investigators have shifted the response from a routine search to a criminal investigation and characterized the residence as a crime scene.

Family members reported Nancy Guthrie missing after she was last seen on the night of Jan. 31; local television coverage gave the approximate time as 9:30 p.m. The family contacted the Pima County Sheriff’s Office about noon on Sunday, Feb. 1, and search efforts began that evening. Sheriff Nanos held a news conference Monday and urged the public for help, saying, “Ms. Guthrie is 84 years old and is not of good physical health and so naturally we have some great concerns. The scene at the house also has some concerns for us as well.”

Authorities described Nancy Guthrie as 5 feet 5 inches tall, about 150 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes. Personnel involved in the response have included local sheriff’s investigators, federal partners and Border Patrol assets. Tom Winter, NBC national law enforcement and intelligence correspondent, said on the TODAY broadcast that authorities “were able to get out helicopters (Sunday) night that use infrared cameras. They’ve got drones up. They’ve enlisted the help of the Customs and Border Protection… The FBI’s also aware of this case as well.”

Sheriff Nanos was blunt about the operational posture, saying, “We do in fact have a crime scene. We do in fact have a crime.” He added that evidence at the residence prompted “grave concern,” but declined to provide details, saying “it would be inappropriate at this time.” Nanos also told reporters that investigators do not believe Nancy Guthrie left the property of her own accord: “She did not leave on her own. We know that.” He emphasized her limited mobility: “She could not walk 50 yards on her own,” and warned, “Time is very critical.”

Officials said Nancy Guthrie does not have cognitive issues and is “sharp as a tack,” but she has physical challenges and requires medication; Sheriff Nanos said missing that medication could be life-threatening within 24 hours. Search assets deployed included helicopters with infrared cameras, drones, airplanes, volunteers and search-and-rescue dogs loaned from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Homicide detectives are reportedly involved in the inquiry even though no body has been found, and the FBI has been notified.

Savannah Guthrie, who was absent from the TODAY show on Feb. 2, issued a family statement thanking those who have reached out and asking for privacy and assistance: “On behalf of our family, I want to thank everyone for the thoughts, prayers and messages of support. Right now, our focus remains on the safe return of our dear mom. We thank law enforcement for their hard work on this case and encourage anyone with information to contact the Pima County Sheriff's Department at (520) 351-4900.”

Sheriff Nanos appealed directly to the community for tips, saying, “I need this community to step up and start giving us some calls.” The investigation remains active and authorities asked anyone with information to contact the Pima County Sheriff’s Office at (520) 351-4900.