The family of Today show anchor Savannah Guthrie has been plunged into crisis following the mysterious disappearance of her elderly mother, Nancy Guthrie, from her Tucson, Arizona home. The 84-year-old was last seen on Saturday night, prompting a large-scale search operation involving drones, helicopters, aircraft, search-and-rescue dogs, and volunteer teams across the local area.
Intensive Search Underway for Vulnerable Adult
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has confirmed that aspects of the scene at Nancy Guthrie's home have raised "grave concern" among investigators. While the operation remains classified as search and rescue, authorities have not ruled out the possibility of foul play in the disturbing disappearance.
Nancy Guthrie is described as five-foot-five inches tall, weighing approximately 150 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes. Deputies have classified her as a "vulnerable adult" primarily due to her age and physical mobility issues, though they note she does not suffer from cognitive impairments. What she was wearing at the time of her disappearance remains unclear.
Guthrie's Emotional Appeal on National Television
During Monday's episode of the Today show, a visibly emotional Savannah Guthrie addressed her mother's disappearance directly with viewers. "I want to thank everyone for the thoughts, prayers, and messages of support," the 54-year-old broadcaster stated. "Right now, our focus remains on the safe return of our dear mom."
Guthrie, who grew up in Arizona with her brother Camron and sister Annie, publicly thanked law enforcement for their efforts and urged anyone with information to contact the Pima County Sheriff's office immediately. The anchor's statement highlighted the family's desperate hope for Nancy's safe recovery as the search enters its critical phase.
Decades of Family Tragedy Resurface
The current crisis comes four decades after Guthrie experienced the devastating loss of her father, Charles, who died suddenly from a heart attack when she was just sixteen years old. The broadcaster has described this traumatic event as having "cracked open" her family and fundamentally changed her life perspective.
In a 2024 interview with People magazine, Guthrie revealed she thinks about her father "all the time" and continues to carry the grief of his loss. "There's before my dad died and there's after, and it's profound," she explained during a podcast appearance with Brooks Nadar, describing grief as a "lifelong process" that she manages daily.
Finding Strength Through Faith and Personal Challenges
Guthrie has written extensively about how her father's death strengthened her relationship with God, particularly in her 2024 book, Mostly What God Does: Reflections on Seeking and Finding His Love Everywhere. She describes putting trust in God's plan despite life's shocking and devastating moments, finding hope through faith during her darkest periods.
The broadcaster's personal challenges extend beyond family tragedy to include a difficult divorce from BBC journalist Mark Orchard in 2009 after four years of marriage. Guthrie has openly discussed feeling like a "failure" during this period, particularly as she was simultaneously trying to establish her career at NBC. She credits this experience with helping her form a deeper connection with her faith, realizing she "didn't have to be perfect to be loved by God."
Recent Health Battles and Current Family Life
Adding to Guthrie's recent challenges was a vocal cord surgery that forced her off the Today show for three weeks between December and early January. She was diagnosed with a hemorrhagic polyp and vocal nodule, requiring microscopic laryngeal surgery to address what she described as "beleaguered vocal cords."
Despite these difficulties, Guthrie has built a stable family life with her current husband, public relations consultant Michael Feldman, whom she married in her hometown of Tucson in 2014. The couple share two children: daughter Vale, eleven, and son Charley, nine. Guthrie's personal resilience has been tested repeatedly throughout her life, from childhood tragedy to professional challenges and now her mother's disappearance.
As the search for Nancy Guthrie continues in Arizona, Savannah Guthrie's personal history of overcoming adversity provides context to her current family crisis. The Today anchor's journey through grief, divorce, health issues, and now her mother's disappearance reveals a pattern of resilience that she has cultivated through faith and personal strength during life's most challenging moments.
