Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance: Here’s what we know so far, as her home becomes a crime scene
Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of Today co-host Savannah Guthrie, has now been missing for three nights, with authorities believing she has been abducted or kidnapped.
The FBI and US Border Patrol are assisting local sheriffs with the search, and there are increasing fears for her well-being, with her family fearing that the consequences could be “fatal” if she goes more than 24 hours without essential medication.
Here’s what we know so far:
Who is Nancy Guthrie?
Nancy Guthrie, 84, lives in Catalina Foothills, an affluent community adjacent to the desert just north of Tucson, Arizona.
She is described as a white female, approximately 5ft 5in tall, weighing about 150 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes. It’s not known what clothing she might be wearing.
Her daughter, Savannah Guthrie, is a co-host on NBC’s Today show, and Nancy has occasionally appeared on the program in segments alongside Savannah.
How long has she been missing?
Nancy was last seen around 9.30 pm on the evening of Saturday, January 31, at her home near Skyline Drive and Campbell Avenue, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department said.
She was reported missing the next day, on Sunday, February 1.
It’s been believed she was taken from her bed while she was sleeping, with reports suggesting authorities have narrowed the time frame down to a window between 1 am and 4 am.
How is Nancy’s health?
Nancy is considered a “vulnerable adult” due to her age, and Pima County Sheriff Chris Nano said at a press conference on Monday that she was “very limited in mobility.”
“We know she didn’t just walk out there, that we know,” the sheriff said, adding that her health challenges were only physical.
“Nancy Guthrie is of great sound and mind, this is not dementia-related. She is as sharp as a tack. Her family wants everybody to know, this is not somebody that just wandered off.”
She also takes medication that if she does not have in 24 hours “could be fatal,” Nanos said Monday.
What do authorities think happened?
Police believe that Nancy was a victim of a crime.
“At this point, investigators believe she was taken from the home against her will, possibly in the middle of the night. Taken against her will includes possible kidnapping or abduction,” Nanos said at the Monday press conference.
“We believe now, after we’ve processed that crime scene, that we do, in fact, have a crime,” Nanos said.
Who might have abducted or kidnapped her?
Former FBI special agent Nicole Parker, a Fox News contributor, told Hannity that Nancy Guthrie had likely been taken by someone with a “deep grievance”.
“I do believe that it was someone who likely knows her, knows her very well, or knows the structure of the home very well, knows that she lived alone, had their eye on her, and had the entry and exit points of the home, and is quite familiar,” Parker said.
It was clear, Parker added, that “the home itself is the crime scene,” and investigators were withholding some details to avoid compromising the ongoing case.
“There is something about it that is very strongly driving this investigation. Law enforcement has kept that quite confidential and quiet, but there is something that they have seen that is driving the sense of urgency on this.”
Where is the search focusing?
Initial search efforts covered the Catalina Foothills area, using drones, aircraft, ground crews and dog teams.
The sheriff’s department said the FBI had offered assistance on the case and the U.S. Border Patrol had also assisted with dogs.
Nancy’s neighbors have been asked to check their security cameras and call the Pima County Sheriff’s Department if they see anything.
However, large-scale search efforts have now been called off, with Nanos noting: “Right now, we don’t see this as a search mission, as much as we do a crime scene.”
What are neighbors saying?
Locals have reacted with shock and rallied to help search for Nancy.
“I just saw her two days ago [on Saturday] checking her mail,” one neighbor told Us Weekly. “She was always smiling and always asking about our family and neighbors. She was very engaged with the community. … It’s very concerning.”
Another neighbor, Morgan Brown, told the magazine that there had been “a lot of dark vans with blacked out windows” in the suburb since Nancy’s disappearance.
“There were a lot of cop cars there at first, and then it was vans, so I assumed that maybe they came across something.”
One neighbor told The Arizona Republic that officers reached out, door to door, to talk to people, asking to see any surveillance videos they had and to look through people’s backyards.
Local resident Jan Henry, who lives nearby, serves as neighborhood watch lead and has been coordinating a volunteer rescue group.
“We sent out an alert to all the neighbors in our neighborhood so we could be looking for her,” Henry told local news channel KGUN 9.
Who is her daughter, Savannah?
Nancy’s daughter, Savannah Guthrie, is a co-host on NBC’s Today show who was previously a White House correspondent.
Savannah was born in Victoria, Australia, where the family was living at the time while her father worked for an Arizona-based mining company. They returned to the U.S. two years later and settled in Tucson. Savannah’s father died when she was entering her senior year at high school, and lived at home all through college.
She attended the University of Arizona thanks to her mom, who had taken a job there in order to secure tuition-free education for her children.
Savannah has spoken openly about how her mother supported her in her dreams of parenthood, reassuring her that it would happen when the time was right. She now has a daughter, Vale, and a son, Charley, with her husband, Michael Feldman, whom she married in 2014.
How is Savannah coping?
Savannah Guthrie has pleaded for help to “bring her home” in the wake of her mother’s disappearance, posting a faith-based message on Instagram on Monday night.
“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,” Guthrie wrote. “Raise your prayers with us and believe with us that she will be lifted by them in this very moment.”
Savannah Guthrie was absent from her show on Monday morning. During the episode, co-host Jenna Bush Hager pleaded for help on her behalf.
What is the public reaction?
Current and former colleagues of Savannah Guthrie have led support for her, with Today’s Al Roker urging the public to help find Nancy.
“We are praying for Savannah and her family and the return of their beloved Mom, Nancy,” Roker wrote on Instagram.
NBC News’ Kristen Welker has said she is “praying” for Savannah Guthrie’s family as they deal with the disappearance of Guthrie’s mom Nancy.
Hoda Kotb, Guthrie’s former Today co-host, shared a photo of Nancy on Instagram, including the sheriff’s department’s phone number, writing: “If you know anything.. pls help.”
Fans also sent Savannah Guthrie love on Instagram after she made her emotional plea for help.
“Praying for your lovely mom and your family. God is Almighty. Almighty is God,” one fan wrote.
Another said, “Sending you so much love and prayers.”
“We’re all praying for your beautiful Mom to return safely. Sending you and your family strength. We love you, Savannah,” a third said.
Any information or evidence relating to Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance can be submitted to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department via this online portal.
