Federal and local investigators are working to piece together the disappearance of Today show host Savannah Guthrie’s mother, 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, who was reported missing Sunday.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said at a Thursday press conference that blood found on the porch of Guthrie’s Tucson, Ariz., home belongs to Nancy Guthrie, and that her pacemaker disconnected from its app in the early morning hours on Sunday. Authorities have not identified any suspects or persons of interest and are operating on the assumption that she is alive.
“We still believe Nancy is still out there. We want her home,” Nanos said. He also pushed back on earlier reports of forced entry, saying no determination had been made about whether someone had forced their way into the house.
The FBI is offering up to $50,000 for information leading to Guthrie’s recovery or the arrest and conviction of anyone involved. Heith Janke, the FBI special agent in charge of the Phoenix office, said agents are reviewing a ransom note sent to media outlets and are “taking it seriously.” The Guthrie family issued a plea Thursday evening requesting a way to communicate with the alleged captors so they can “move forward,” Camron Guthrie said in a video posted on Savannah Guthrie’s Instagram.
Authorities released new timeline details: Guthrie took an Uber to a family member’s home for dinner Saturday evening; the driver has been questioned. She was dropped off at the family residence around 5:30 p.m. and returned home just before 10 p.m., when her garage door closed. Around 1:50 a.m. Sunday, a doorbell camera at her home disconnected. The department said a security camera is missing from the front of the house. About half an hour after the camera disconnected, the camera’s software detected a person, but the data wasn’t stored, Nanos said. He would not confirm whether cameras were damaged.
At about 2:30 a.m. Sunday, Guthrie’s phone disconnected from her pacemaker app. Her family checked on her around noon, discovered she was missing, and called 911. When asked whether investigators had ruled out anyone Guthrie was with the night before, Nanos said he wouldn’t say anyone had been ruled out.
In a Wednesday video with siblings Annie and Charles Cameron, Savannah Guthrie acknowledged reports of a ransom letter and said the family is “ready to talk” but needs proof Guthrie is alive and in the captors’ custody before they proceed. She also described her mother’s fragile health: “She’s 84 years old. Her health, her heart, is fragile. She lives in constant pain. She is without any medicine. She needs it to survive, and she needs it not to suffer.”
Authorities said at least three ransom notes were sent, though it’s unclear how many are being treated credibly. Janke said the note sent to media and the family contained details — one mentioned an Apple Watch and another a floodlight — that made investigators take it seriously. The note Janke described as credible included two deadlines: Thursday at 5 p.m. and another on Monday. He said the decision whether to pay a ransom is up to the family. One person has been arrested in connection with an imposter ransom note, Janke said.
Former NYPD detective and hostage negotiator Wally Zeins told NPR that the family’s personal statement can help generate public attention and leads, which is “the most important thing” in missing-person cases. Zeins also noted that investigators commonly return to crime scenes after an initial sweep to search more thoroughly or follow new tips. AZPM reported that law enforcement returned to Guthrie’s house Wednesday evening and were seen carrying items from the home, despite earlier statements that the scene had been processed.
Investigators are reviewing electronic evidence, including security and doorbell footage from Guthrie’s and neighbors’ homes, and labs are analyzing fingerprints, DNA and camera images. Nanos said DNA testing so far has produced “nothing to indicate any suspects.”
The case has drawn significant attention because of the suspicious circumstances, limited public evidence, and the family’s public profile. President Trump posted that he had spoken with Savannah Guthrie and had directed federal law enforcement to be at the family’s “complete disposal, IMMEDIATELY,” adding, “We are deploying all resources to get her mother home safely. The prayers of our Nation are with her and her family.”
Community members held a vigil at Saint Philip’s in the Hills Episcopal Church in Tucson with the family’s consent. After prayers, attendees lit candles at the altar.
Nancy Guthrie is survived by three children — Annie, Charles Cameron and Savannah. Her husband, Charles, died in 1988. Savannah Guthrie was scheduled to host NBC’s coverage of the 2026 Winter Olympics opening ceremony from Italy on Friday but will not participate as she focuses on being with her family.
Bill Chappell contributed reporting.
