Investigators in Pima County are searching for Nancy Guthrie, the mother of NBC “Today” co-host Savannah Guthrie, after determining that she likely did not leave her home on her own, according to multiple public statements from Sheriff Chris Nanos and reporting by national outlets.
A Night at Home, Then Silence
According to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department account reported by Fox News Digital, family members last saw Nancy Guthrie on a recent Saturday evening. They dropped her off at her home in the area of East Skyline Drive and North Campbell Avenue, north of Tucson, at about 9:30 p.m.
The next day, when she did not arrive at church, a relative contacted authorities around midday to report her missing, Sheriff Nanos said in a press conference that was summarized in the same Fox News report.
There is no public reporting that anyone has seen or heard from her since she was left at her residence that night.
From Missing Person to Suspected Crime
At first, deputies opened what they described as a search and rescue effort. Within about a day, that changed.
A spokesperson for the Pima County Sheriff’s Office told Fox News Digital that Sheriff Nanos “believes that a crime has been committed” and that “investigators believe she was taken from the home against her will and that includes possible kidnapping or abduction.”
In a televised interview with NBC Nightly News, Nanos underscored how unusual the situation appeared to him. NBC’s broadcast, as quoted by Fox News, included his remark that, “I can’t think of the last time where, in the middle of the night in someone’s bed, an 84-year-old woman disappeared on us.”
By Monday, Nanos told reporters that the house itself was being treated as a crime scene. Fox News quoted him as saying, “We believe now, after we processed that crime scene, that we do, in fact, have a crime scene that we do, in fact, have a crime. She did not leave on her own. We know that.”
Evidence at the scene suggested Guthrie had been harmed as she was being taken, according to a summary on NBC Nightly News that Fox News cited. The specific nature of that evidence has not been publicly described.
Health Risks and the Search Response
Authorities have stressed that Guthrie’s health adds urgency to the case.
Nanos told reporters that Guthrie has significant physical limitations and relies on medication. According to Fox News, which relied in part on NBC’s coverage, the sheriff said Guthrie is of “good sound mind” but has ailments that limit her mobility and require medication that could be fatal if not taken within 24 hours.
In one quoted remark, Nanos stated, “She could not walk out of that home 50 yards.”
Those details appear to have shaped how investigators interpreted what they saw inside the residence. At the Sunday press conference, Nanos said, according to Fox News, that his office was “pretty much just throwing everything at this that we can” and that the condition of the house raised “some concerns for us as well.”
He added that his own presence on the scene was itself unusual, saying, “We don’t typically get the sheriff out at a scene like this. But it’s very concerning what we’re learning from the house,” and that the department’s homicide detectives were examining the location.
Initially characterized as a search and rescue, the operation shifted focus. Nanos told reporters that the search mission had been shut down and said, “We don’t see this as a search mission as much as we do a crime scene,” according to Fox News.
No Ransom, No Public Suspects
Authorities have publicly ruled out at least one common scenario associated with abductions. In an interview with NewsNation, referenced by Fox News and linked by that outlet, Nanos said there had been no ransom demands in connection with Guthrie’s disappearance.
At the time of the statements reported by Fox News, investigators had not announced any suspect, person of interest, or specific theory about who might have taken Guthrie from her home or why. Law enforcement has not publicly disclosed whether they believe the person or people responsible are known to the family, targeting Guthrie specifically, or acting opportunistically in the neighborhood.
There is also no publicly reported description of a suspect vehicle or surveillance footage from the area, at least in the material cited by Fox News, NBC Nightly News, or NewsNation.
That leaves the public timeline fairly narrow. She was dropped off at her home on a Saturday night, failed to appear at church the next day, and when deputies checked on her, they found indicators that led them to conclude she had not left by choice.
Family Statement and Public Appeal
While much of the national attention has focused on her connection to a television anchor, the statements coming from the family have repeatedly centered on Guthrie herself and requests for help in finding her.
In a statement released through NBC’s “Today” show and quoted by Fox News, Savannah Guthrie said, “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.”
The statement continued with a direct appeal to the public. “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.”
Arizona investigators probing the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, “TODAY” co-anchor Savannah Guthrie’s mother, said Monday they believe she was taken from her home against her will.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Dept. has set up a website to submit tips: https://t.co/VQUpy0NdpY pic.twitter.com/YIJwpEuXHU
— Michael Pegram (@MichaelPNews) February 3, 2026
That phone number matches the public tip line listed by the sheriff’s office in other missing person and criminal investigations. Fox News also categorized the case under its broader coverage of missing persons, putting it alongside other investigations where family members rely heavily on community tips and media attention.
What Authorities Have Not Said
Publicly available reporting from Fox News Digital, NBC Nightly News, and an interview cited with NewsNation offers a consistent core picture. Nancy Guthrie is missing from her Tucson-area home, the sheriff considers the residence a crime scene, investigators believe she was taken against her will, and her medical needs raise the stakes of each passing day.
Within that shared outline, important details remain undisclosed to the public. Officials have not released a detailed inventory of what they found inside the home that led to the conclusion that a crime had occurred. They have not publicly described any signs of forced entry, a struggle, or missing items, and have not said whether any witnesses heard or saw something unusual that night.
There is also no information in the public record, as reflected in these reports, about whether investigators are examining financial records, phone data, or prior police calls related to the residence, all of which can be standard parts of a serious missing person and suspected abduction case.
For now, the confirmed facts come mostly from the sheriff’s briefings and a small set of on-the-record quotes that national outlets have repeated. The language is strong. Nanos has said there is a crime scene, that Guthrie did not leave voluntarily, and that her health and the condition of her home are deeply concerning. Yet he has stopped short of describing the incident as a homicide investigation and has not announced any charges.
Until authorities share more about what they found inside Guthrie’s home or identify a suspect, the public picture of the case will remain limited to what is already on the record. An 84-year-old woman, by all accounts unable to walk far on her own and in need of daily medication, is missing. Investigators are treating her absence as the result of a crime, but the who, how, and why have not been explained in public, even as her family waits for answers.
