Police in Arizona are searching for Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of Today show co-host Savannah Guthrie, after she was reported missing from her home in the Catalina Foothills north of Tucson. The Pima County Sheriff’s Department says investigators believe Guthrie was taken by force and have treated the residence as a crime scene.
Sheriff Chris Nanos said authorities do not view the disappearance as related to dementia. He described Nancy Guthrie as mentally sharp but noted she has age-related mobility issues and requires daily medication that could be life-threatening if not taken for 24 hours.
According to investigators, family members had dropped her off at home Saturday night between about 9:30 and 9:45 p.m. A missing-person call came in around noon Sunday after family and later someone from her church realized she was not present. Guthrie’s wallet, cell phone and vehicle remained at the house when officers processed the scene, and a front-door security camera was reported missing.
Evidence collected at the home — including fingerprints, DNA and camera images — has been submitted to labs. Sheriff Nanos said DNA testing to date has not produced leads pointing to any suspects. Investigators are trying to establish details such as what she was wearing, whether she was transported in a vehicle and how many people may have been involved.
Search efforts have included volunteers, drones, Border Patrol canine units and other airborne resources. As the case has evolved into a suspected abduction, authorities have increasingly relied on electronic leads. The FBI is assisting with technical and analytical support, including downloading and analyzing cellphones, obtaining cell-tower information and conducting interviews.
Nanos urged neighbors to review doorbell and other surveillance footage and highlighted the importance of license-plate readers and other camera systems in locating Guthrie. He said investigators do not believe she ‘just walked out’ of her home.
Authorities have not said whether Guthrie was specifically targeted or whether the disappearance is connected to her daughter’s public profile. President Trump called the case a terrible thing, said he planned to call Savannah Guthrie and expressed support for increased federal involvement.
Savannah Guthrie has stepped away from coverage of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina to be with her family. In an Instagram post she described her mother as a woman of deep conviction and asked for prayers and support.
Nancy Guthrie lives alone; her children are Annie, Charles Camron and Savannah. Her husband, Charles, died in 1988. Sheriff Nanos said Savannah has been in touch with investigators and offered condolences to the family. Authorities continue to ask anyone with information to contact the Pima County Sheriff’s Department.