Authorities say Nancy Guthrie was taken from her home: What we know about her disappearance

After “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie’s mother went missing over the weekend, authorities have officially declared that they believe Nancy Guthrie was abducted or kidnapped.

As the search for her mother continues, Savannah Guthrie posted on Instagram asking for prayers.

Here’s a look at what we know about Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance.

Police say Nancy Guthrie was taken from her home against her will

A Pima County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson said that authorities believe Nancy Guthrie was either abducted or kidnapped from her home in Tucson, Arizona.

According to The New York Times, Kevin Adger, a public information officer with the sheriff’s office, shared that “investigators believe she was taken from her home against her will possibly in the middle of the night. Now detectives are looking into a possible kidnapping or abduction.”

After Nancy Guthrie’s family reported her missing on Sunday, the sheriff’s office began a search for her, employing a search and rescue team, volunteers, drones, dogs and a helicopter, according to Fox News.

On Monday, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos described Nancy Guthrie’s home as a “crime scene.” He said that the investigators “saw some things at the home that were concerning to us.” Nanos also shared that the 84-year-old has limited mobility and requires medication that she could die without.

She has been described as 5 feet, 5 inches tall, weighing 150 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes, as previously reported by the Deseret News. Though she suffers from physical challenges, authorities say she does not have cognitive issues.

People with information about Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance should contact the Pima County Sheriff’s Office at 520-351-4900.

What we know about the investigation

Nanos shared with NBC that investigators have DNA samples from Nancy Guthrie’s home, but it could take several days before those samples produce conclusive evidence.

The sheriff’s office has asked the public to help in the search for Nancy Guthrie. They have received a number of tips from the community but do not have a strong lead yet.

While Nanos said that Nancy Guthrie was taken from her home, he did not share whether or not they believe she was physically harmed in that process.

The sheriff’s office is not ruling out that Nancy Guthrie could have been targeted because of her connection to Savannah Guthrie, but Nanos said that is not a main focus of their investigation.

A timeline of Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance

• Jan. 31, 9:45 p.m. — Nancy Guthrie’s children dropped her off at home. The sheriff’s office said this is the last time she was seen.
• Feb. 1, around 2 a.m. — Law enforcement said that Guthrie’s pacemaker last synced with her Apple devices around 2 a.m., so investigators believe this is when she was taken out of range.
• Feb. 1, 11 a.m. — Family members arrived at Nancy Guthrie’s home around 11 a.m. to look for her after they were notified that she didn’t attend her church service.
• Feb. 1, noon — Nancy Guthrie’s family called 911 to report her missing.
• Feb. 1, 8:55 p.m. — The Pima County Sheriff’s Office said they started search and rescue efforts using helicopters, infrared cameras and drones to look for the missing 84-year-old.

What Savannah Guthrie said about her mother’s disappearance

On Monday, Savannah Guthrie shared a post on Instagram asking people to pray for her mother.

Along with a photo with text reading “Please pray,” Savannah Guthrie wrote, “We believe in prayer. We believe in voices raised in unison, in love, in hope. We believe in goodness. We believe in humanity. Above all, we believe in Him.”

The caption continued: “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. Raise your prayers with us and believe with us that she will be lifted by them in this very moment.”

Savannah Guthrie’s fellow “Today” hosts spoke about Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance on Tuesday’s broadcast. They also discussed Savannah’s Instagram post.

“I saw Savannah’s post, and Savannah’s strength gave me strength,” Sheinelle Jones said.

The White House also shared a post on X about Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance.

Who is Savannah Guthrie?

Savannah Guthrie became well- nown as an anchor of the NBC morning show “Today.” She has been on the show since 2012.

Before joining NBC News in 2007, she worked in local news and as a lawyer. She worked as a White House correspondent for NBC, anchored “NBC Nightly News” and filled in on “Meet the Press.”

Savannah Guthrie was born in Australia, but at an early age her family moved to Tucson, where she grew up and later attended college, per The New York Times. She now lives in New York with her husband, Michael Feldman, and their two children. She has also written children’s books.

The anchor was absent from the “Today” broadcast on Monday, but her fellow anchors shared a statement from her.

“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 said.

She was absent from Tuesday’s broadcast as well after traveling to Arizona to be with her family. She had planned to be part of NBC’s lineup to cover the Winter Olympics in Italy. The network has not shared whether that plan would go ahead.

Savannah Guthrie has often talked about her close relationship with her mother, as previously reported by the Deseret News.

In 2022, Savannah Guthrie celebrated her mother’s 80th birthday on air during one of the show’s broadcasts. She praised Nancy’s “grit” and resilience. Savannah Guthrie’s father died of a heart attack when she was 16 years old.

“She’s a truth teller, whether you really want to hear the truth or not,” Savannah Guthrie said of her mother during the 2022 tribute, per The New York Times. “She’s quick and she’s smart, she’s well-read, she’s curious about everything.”