The disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of NBC "Today" show co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, is now being investigated as a crime, with her home in the Tucson, Arizona, area declared a crime scene, authorities announced Monday.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos stated that evidence at the home indicates Nancy Guthrie did not leave voluntarily.
"We do in fact have a crime scene, that we do in fact have a crime," he said during a news conference. He emphasized that she "did not leave on her own," noting her limited mobility—she could not walk 50 yards unassisted—and her need for medication every 24 hours, without which consequences could be fatal.
🚨 BREAKING: The Pima County, AZ Sheriff says he does NOT believe NBC’s Savannah Guthrie’s mother left her house on her own
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) February 2, 2026
“We believe we have a crime…”
This is horrifying. I can’t even imagine. Pray for Nancy Guthrie’s safe return 🙏🏻
pic.twitter.com/t8h3IH37CN
Authorities ruled out dementia or wandering, describing her as "of great sound mind" and "sharp as a tack."
Nancy Guthrie was last seen at her residence in the Catalina Foothills area (near Skyline Drive and Campbell Avenue) around 9:30 p.m. Saturday, January 31, 2026. She was reported missing around noon Sunday after failing to appear at church.
Search efforts have been extensive, involving ground volunteers, drones, search dogs, and a helicopter. Sheriff Nanos said authorities have "thrown everything" at the case, with no immediate danger to the public identified.
On the "Today" show Monday, co-anchors Craig Melvin and Sheinelle Jones read a family statement from Savannah Guthrie: "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." Savannah Guthrie was absent from the broadcast.
When asked about potential threats to Savannah Guthrie, Sheriff Nanos said investigators are not dismissing any angles and are coordinating with security teams.
Nancy Guthrie is described as 5 feet 5 inches tall (some sources note 5 feet 4 inches), with brown hair, blue eyes, and classified as vulnerable due to her age and physical condition.
The case shifted from a missing person search to a criminal investigation after concerning findings at the home prompted involvement of homicide detectives and a criminal team, in addition to search and rescue resources. No further details on the evidence have been released publicly.
Meanwhile, Savannah Guthrie is set to drop out of hosting the 2026 Winter Olympics opening ceremony for NBC as her mom, Nancy Guthrie, remains missing, Page Six can exclusively reveal.
The “Today” anchor, 54, was due to be in Italy for the start of the 2026 Games on Friday — where she was set to co-host the ceremony alongside Terry Gannon — but likely won’t be there, sources said.
Savannah was going to stay in Italy for a week to record “Today” alongside former co-host Hoda Kotb, who will be there for the duration of the Olympics.