Savannah Guthrie’s mother Nancy still missing as police investigate possible ransom note

The disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of Today show cohost Savannah Guthrie, is being investigated as an abduction, as authorities in Arizona say they are probing a possible ransom note sent to a local TV station.

Nancy Guthrie was last seen at her home in the Catalina Foothills just north of Tucson on Saturday, Jan. 31, at about 9:30 p.m., according to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department. Her family reported her missing at 11 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 1, after she did not show up for church.

At a press conference on Tuesday, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said that after processing her home, investigators believe Nancy Guthrie, who lives alone, was abducted.

“Nancy was taken from her home against her will,” he said. “We don’t know where she is.”

In a statement on Wednesday morning, Nanos said that “at this point, investigators have not identified a suspect or person of interest in this case.”

“Detectives are working closely with the Guthrie family,” the statement said. “While we appreciate the public’s concern, the sharing of unverified accusations or false information is irresponsible and does not assist the investigation. No suspect or person of interest has been identified at this time.”

Overnight, the sheriff’s department acknowledged reports of a possible ransom note regarding Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance. “We are taking all tips and leads very seriously,” the department said in a post on X. “Anything that comes in goes directly to our detectives who are coordinating with the FBI.”

Nanos also told CBS News that a local TV news station had received a ransom note on Monday containing specific details about the night of Guthrie’s disappearance. Investigators have analyzed the note and are taking it seriously, he told the network.

Later on Tuesday, FBI Director Kash Patel said federal law enforcement had been made aware of the possible ransom note. “The local authorities notified the FBI of it, and we are working with them in any manner they choose,” Patel told Fox News.

The FBI is assisting local police in the investigation, providing analytical and technical support.

“We are looking at this from every angle but need your help,” said Jon Edwards, assistant special agent in charge of the FBI field office in Tucson. “Every lead and tip is important.”

According to the Associated Press, investigators “found signs of forced entry” at the home. Nancy Guthrie’s personal belongings, including her cellphone, watch, wallet and car, were left behind.

The sheriff said that Nancy Guthries has limited mobility and would not have been able to leave her home on foot. “We know she didn’t just walk out of there,” he said. “She couldn’t walk 50 yards by herself.”

But Nanos also stressed that she has no cognitive issues and, according to her family, is still of “great sound mind.”

Annie Guthrie, Savannah’s older sister, and her husband, Tommaso Cioni, had dinner with Nancy Guthrie on Saturday night, Nanos told the New York Times. Cioni dropped her Nancy Guthrie off at her home and “ensured she made it inside safely before leaving,” the sheriff told the paper.

The Los Angeles Times reported that blood was found inside Nancy Guthrie’s home. At Tuesday’s press conference, Nanos said that DNA samples were taken from and home and submitted for analysis, but would not say if those samples were blood.

Nanos told NBC News that “we know she was harmed at the home, but we don’t know to what extent.” He later backtracked on that assertion, saying he “misspoke.”

CNN reported that Nancy Guthrie’s pacemaker stopped syncing with her Apple devices at roughly 2 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 1 — which could help authorities pinpoint the time she was taken.

The sheriff said that Nancy Guthrie needs daily medications and that the situation could become life-threatening if she goes without them for more than 24 hours.

“It is a race against time, and I hope that window hasn’t closed,” he told NBC News.

Nanos also issued a plea to her potential abductor.

“Just call us. Let her go,” he said. “The family will tell you, there’s no questions asked here.”

In a post on Instagram late Monday night, Savannah Guthrie asked people to continue to pray for her mother’s safe return home.

“Raise your prayers with us and believe with us that she will be lifted by them in this very moment,” she wrote. “We need you.”

A motive for Nancy Guthrie’s possible abduction remains unclear, and authorities don’t know whether she was targeted. When asked by reporters if Savannah Guthrie has received any threats herself, Nanos replied that her security team is in touch with the sheriff’s department. “We’re not going to dismiss any angles for sure, but right now immediately, we don’t know of anything like that,” he said.

On a missing persons flier distributed by the sheriff’s department, Nancy Guthire is described as 5 feet 5 inches tall, with brown hair, blue eyes and weighing around 150 lbs. It’s unclear what type of clothing she was wearing when she disappeared.

The sheriff’s department is offering a reward of up to $2,500 for “information leading to the arrest of the person or persons involved in the disappearance.”

On Sunday night, search and rescue ground crews and dog teams scoured the area around Nancy Guthrie’s home on foot, while drones, a helicopter and an airplane searched by air. As of Monday morning, the search and rescue mission has been shut down.

“We don’t see this as a search mission as much as we do a crime scene,” Nanos said.

The sheriff said detectives are depending on technology, such as license plate readers and camera systems, to aid in the search.

Nanos said investigators are asking Guthrie’s neighbors to go through their home camera footage. He also called on the community for help in locating Nancy Guthrie.

“We don’t need another bad, tragic ending,” he said. “We need some help.”

Nancy Guthrie has three adult children: Savannah, Annie and Camron. Her husband, Charles Guthrie, died of a heart attack at age 49, when Savannah Guthrie was 16, leaving Nancy Guthrie to raise their children on her own.

Savannah Guthrie grew up in Tucson and graduated from University of Arizona in 1993 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. Last week, she returned to the Today show after an extended break following vocal cord surgery.

She has been absent from coanchoring the Today show broadcast this week. Nanos said that she is in Arizona. Savannah Guthrie had been scheduled to travel to Italy to be part of NBC’s Winter Olympics coverage, but the network said Tuesday that she would remain in the U.S.

“Savannah will not be joining us at the Olympics as she focuses on being with her family during this difficult time,” an NBC News representative said in a statement.

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Tuesday, President Trump said he planned to call Savannah Guthrie. The White House confirmed that the president spoke with her on Wednesday.

“I think it’s a terrible thing,” Trump told reporters of Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance. “Very unusual situation, but we’re gonna find out.”