Investigators probing the mysterious disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of Today Show anchor Savannah Guthrie, have made a chilling discovery at her Arizona residence. Sources close to the case confirm that blood was found inside her home, intensifying concerns about foul play in what authorities now believe may be an abduction.
Emotional Appeal from Sheriff
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos grew visibly emotional during a Tuesday interview with AZFamily host Briana Whitney, struggling to maintain composure as he discussed the ongoing search. When asked whether he believed Nancy Guthrie could still be alive and possibly being held somewhere, Nanos stumbled over his words before affirming that he and his deputies are "just not going to give up hope" of finding her.
The sheriff appeared to well up as he expressed his personal hope that she remains alive somewhere, despite the troubling circumstances surrounding her disappearance from her $1 million home in Tucson's affluent Catalina Foothills neighborhood.
Timeline of Disappearance
Nancy Guthrie was last seen around 9:45pm on Saturday night, according to official statements. Her family reported her missing at noon on Sunday, triggering an exhaustive search operation that has now entered its critical phase. Authorities believe she may have been taken against her will from her bed during the night, with Sheriff Nanos stating the incident appears to be an abduction.
Adding to the urgency, officials confirmed that Nancy is frail and without the daily medications she requires to survive, making her disappearance particularly concerning for both family members and investigators.
Family Response and Investigation Challenges
Savannah Guthrie, who was scheduled to fly to Italy on Monday to cover the 2026 Winter Olympics, instead received what a source described as "the worst phone call of her life" and immediately traveled to Arizona to assist with the investigation. The Today Show host has taken leave from her broadcasting duties while the search continues, with NBC dedicating significant airtime to the case during their nightly news broadcast.
Anchor Tom Llamas told viewers that the news "hits too close to home for our newsroom," adding that the network's "thoughts and prayers are with Savannah and her family right now." An NBC source confirmed that Savannah will no longer participate in the Winter Olympics opening ceremony telecast and is likely to remain off air for the foreseeable future.
Investigative Hurdles
Sheriff Nanos revealed that his department faces significant technical challenges in processing evidence, admitting that their DNA testing laboratory is currently "down" and requiring evidence to be transported to Phoenix for analysis. Despite this setback, he expressed optimism that forensic testing could provide crucial leads in the case.
On Tuesday, authorities announced a $2,500 reward for information leading to an arrest in Nancy Guthrie's disappearance, while Sheriff Nanos made a direct appeal to any potential abductor during an interview with NBC. "Just call us. Let her go. Just call us. The family will tell you, there's no questions asked here," he pleaded.
Ongoing Investigation Details
While investigators have not ruled out the possibility that this was a targeted incident, Sheriff Nanos cautioned that current evidence doesn't support that conclusion either. "Nothing that we see is leading us that way, but we'll never dismiss anything. We'll continue to look at everything, and we'll just keep moving forward with it," he stated during the emotional press conference.
The search operation, now in its third day, has mobilized significant resources across Pima County as authorities follow every possible lead in what has become one of the region's most high-profile missing person cases in recent memory.
