Authorities in Pima County, Arizona are now treating the disappearance of Today show host Savannah Guthrie’s mother, Nancy Guthrie (84), as a possible crime, saying the circumstances at her home point to something more than a simple missing-person case.
The mysterious disappearance of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie’s mom is now being investigated as a crime, authorities said Monday — citing “suspicious” circumstances at the 84-year-old woman’s home.
Nancy Guthrie was last seen around 9:45 p.m. Saturday at her million-dollar residence in the rural Catalina Foothills area near Tucson, where officials said they found a “very concerning” scene — and some of the grandma’s key personal items were reportedly left behind, including life-saving medicine.
“We know she didn’t just walk out of there. She did not leave on her own,” Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said at a press conference Monday.
He refused to elaborate further on exactly why cops think a crime was committed, saying, “It would be inappropriate at this time.”
But authorities said they recovered Nancy’s cellphone and are combing through it for possible clues — while a source told the Daily Mail that the missing woman left behind other basic crucial personal items, too.
“Her stuff was left behind at the house: keys, ID, purse, phone, everything,” someone close to the star told the outlet.
The elderly woman also apparently left behind medicine she needs to take daily to survive.
“It’s not a situation where she voluntarily went away because she didn’t take any of the things you would normally take if you voluntarily went out,” the source told the outlet.
Nanos told reporters, “We believe now, after we process that crime scene, that we do, in fact, have a crime scene, that we do, in fact, have a crime, and we’re asking the community’s help.”
Authorities have been searching for the elderly matriarch since she was reported missing by her family late Sunday morning.
Nancy was last seen Saturday night by at least one of her children, who dropped her off at the house, authorities said.
Savannah, who has an older brother and sister, is currently in the Tucson area, officials said.
A church-goer called the family Sunday morning to say Nancy hadn’t shown up for services, and the worried relatives phoned the cops, officials said.
Nanos said that while Nancy has trouble walking, she is “of great sound mind.
“This is not a dementia-related … She is as sharp as a tack. The family wants you to know she didn’t just wander off,” he said.
“Her physical limits are based on just age.”
Nancy posted regularly on social media, with her last activity being an anti-ICE post she reshared on Facebook on Jan. 27.
A desperate race against time is on to find her, as Nancy requires daily medication to survive, according to her family and the police.
She “is in need of medication, medication that if she doesn’t have it in 24 hours, it could be fatal,” Nanos said.
“Time is very critical.”
Authorities are poring over security footage at the house, and asked local residents to look through their Ring camera videos, too.
Nanos, asked by a reporter whether TV celebrity Savannah had had any threats against her, responded, “We’ve spoken to her, we’ll continue to work with that.
“She has a security team that’s been in touch with us throughout the night,” he said. “But we’re not going to dismiss any angles for sure.
“But right now, immediately, we don’t know of anything like that.’’
Savannah, who joined “Today” officially as co-host in June 2011, skipped Monday’s show as a result of her mother’s disappearance.
“On behalf of our family, I want to thank everyone for the thoughts, prayers and messages of support,” she said in a family statement Monday.
“Right now, our focus remains on the safe return of our dear mom. We thank law enforcement for their hard work on this case and encourage anyone with information to contact the Pima County Sheriff’s Department at (520) 351-4900,” she said.
