AZ NANCY GUTHRIE: Missing from Tucson, AZ - 31 Jan 2026 - Age 84

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apnews.com

Authorities believe 'Today' show host Savannah Guthrie's mother was taken against her will

Authorities believe the 84-year-old mother of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie was kidnapped, abducted or otherwise taken against her will.
apnews.com apnews.com

‘Today’ show host Savannah Guthrie’s mother is missing in Arizona and authorities suspect crime​

The disappearance of the 84-year-old mother of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie over the weekend is being investigated as a crime based on what authorities saw at her home, an Arizona sheriff said Monday.

Asked to explain why investigators believe the Tucson-area home is a crime scene, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said Nancy Guthrie has limited mobility and said there were other things indicating she did not leave on her own, but he declined to further elaborate.

“I need this community to step up and start giving us some calls,” Nanos said during a news conference.

The sheriff said Guthrie, who lived alone, was of sound mind.

“This is not dementia related. She’s as sharp as a tack. The family wants everyone to know that this isn’t someone who just wandered off,” Nanos said, adding that she needs her daily medication.

Guthrie was last seen around 9:30 p.m. Saturday at her home in the Tucson area and her family reported her missing around noon Sunday, the sheriff said.

Nanos said a family member received a call from someone at church saying Guthrie wasn’t there, leading family to search for her at her home and then calling 911.

“From what the family’s told us and everything we’ve learned, she could not walk out of that home 50 yards. We believe she was taken out of the home against her will, and that’s how this investigation is moving,” the sheriff told NBC’s Tom Llamas.


On Monday morning, Nanos said search crews worked hard but have since been pulled back.

“We don’t see this as a search mission so much as it is a crime scene,” the sheriff said.

Even so, a sheriff’s helicopter flew over the desert Monday afternoon near Guthrie’s home in the affluent Catalina Foothills area on the northern edge of Tucson. Her brick home has a gravel driveway and a yard covered in Prickly Pear and Saguaro cactus.

Savannah Guthrie issued a statement on Monday, NBC’s “Today” show reported.

“On behalf of our family, I want to thank everyone for the thoughts, prayers and messages of support,” she said. “Right now, our focus remains on the safe return of our dear Nancy.”


MEDIA - NANCY GUTHRIE: Missing from Tucson, AZ - 31 Jan 2026 - Age 84
 
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www.upi.com

Sheriff marks 6 months since Nancy Guthrie went missing with statement - UPI.com

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos released a statement Thursday marking six months since the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie from her Arizona home.
www.upi.com www.upi.com

Sheriff marks 6 months since Nancy Guthrie went missing with statement​

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos released a statement Thursday marking six months since the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, the mother of Today Show host Savannah Guthrie.

The Pima County Sheriff's Department said in a social media post accompanying the statement that the investigation remains active and ongoing.

"A task force of investigators from the Pima County Sheriff's Department and the FBI remains committed to finding Nancy and providing answers to her family," Nanos wrote. "The analysis of DNA and digital evidence has been underway for the past six months. This work is complex and time-intensive, but investigators continue to pursue every credible lead."

In an interview on the YouTube channel The Sharpe Exchange, Nanos said he believes "every day we're closer" to identifying a suspect or suspects.

"The question was asked of me 'Is this case cold?' It is not cold," Nanos said. "We have a lot of evidence that -- our scientific labs are working. There is video evidence that we continue to work with. Of course there's literally thousands of tips that come in."


On Saturday, it will be six months since Guthrie, 84, disappeared from her home in southern Arizona. She was last seen on the evening of Jan. 31 when she was dropped off at her home in the unincorporated community of Catalina Foothills.

"As Savannah Guthrie recently said, it is never too late to do the right thing," Nanos' statement reads. "Anyone with information is urged to come forward and help bring this case to a resolution."
 
What Nanos has failed to say that I've heard is that the DNA they have is a mixture of 4-5 people and where he was describing several labs is that those are the very few labs that have the ability to untangle that DNA into individual people.

Can't link. It was probably on ABC news and I only heard them talking about that when they were interviewing somebody besides nanos.
 
Guess Who said:
What Nanos has failed to say that I've heard is that the DNA they have is a mixture of 4-5 people and where he was describing several labs is that those are the very few labs that have the ability to untangle that DNA into individual people.

Can't link. It was probably on ABC news and I only heard them talking about that when they were interviewing somebody besides nanos.
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Here's a few links about that.

This is from February, just 3 weeks after she disappeared:
www.fox13news.com

Why the Nancy Guthrie investigation is facing "mixed" DNA complications

DNA samples containing multiple profiles are hindering the use of national databases in the Nancy Guthrie missing person case, according to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department.
www.fox13news.com www.fox13news.com
Forensic scientists are having trouble isolating DNA recovered from Guthrie’s home here in Tucson.

The Pima County Sheriff told NBC News the samples are "mixed"—meaning they contain DNA from multiple people—making it harder to run through national databases. Experts say the issue could take months to resolve and could pose a problem if an arrest is made and the case goes to court.

Also from February:
The DNA found inside Guthrie’s house, however, was “mixed,” complicating the search for the 84-year-old mother of three, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos told NBC News on Friday, Feb. 20.

“We listen to our lab, and our lab tells us that there’s challenges with it,” Nanos told NBC News, noting that it could take "weeks, months or maybe a year" to get results.
 
SheWhoMustNotBeNamed said:
Here's a few links about that.

This is from February, just 3 weeks after she disappeared:
www.fox13news.com

Why the Nancy Guthrie investigation is facing "mixed" DNA complications

DNA samples containing multiple profiles are hindering the use of national databases in the Nancy Guthrie missing person case, according to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department.
www.fox13news.com www.fox13news.com
Forensic scientists are having trouble isolating DNA recovered from Guthrie’s home here in Tucson.

The Pima County Sheriff told NBC News the samples are "mixed"—meaning they contain DNA from multiple people—making it harder to run through national databases. Experts say the issue could take months to resolve and could pose a problem if an arrest is made and the case goes to court.

Also from February:
The DNA found inside Guthrie’s house, however, was “mixed,” complicating the search for the 84-year-old mother of three, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos told NBC News on Friday, Feb. 20.

“We listen to our lab, and our lab tells us that there’s challenges with it,” Nanos told NBC News, noting that it could take "weeks, months or maybe a year" to get results.
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I'm thinking nanos has no clue what he's talking about other than to talk on TV.

But, to believe fair, it could have been whomever edited the video knows nothing about DNA or wanted nanos to look like a fool.
 

Read the Nancy Guthrie ransom notes released by Pima County sheriff​

The Pima County Sheriff’s Department released the full contents of two ransom notes sent to a Tucson television station in connection with the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie on Friday, as investigators marked six months since the 84-year-old mother of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie vanished from her Tucson home.

The notes were sent to local station KOLD — the first sent Feb. 2 and the second Feb. 6.

Authorities released them publicly in hopes someone may recognize the writer’s distinctive linguistic patterns and help identify the individual responsible.

“These communications reveal distinctive patterns of word choice, syntax, and phraseology that reflect the writer’s unique linguistic style,” the sheriff’s department said in the release. “A friend, family member, coworker, classmate, or acquaintance may recognize these patterns of expression and possess information that could help identify the individual responsible.”

The first ransom note opened by addressing “Today” show co-host Savannah Guthrie directly:

“Hello Savannah,
We have your mother Nancy. She is safe but scared. She will be held for ransom and once payment is received she will be released unharmed. We will be holding her for a maximum of 7 days. You will need to send bitcoin in the amount of $4 million USD before 5PM on Thursday the 5th. If payment is not received, the ransom will be increased to 6 million USD which will need to be paid by 5PM on Monday the 9th. Once payment is received to the bitcoin address below she will be released within 12 hours of deposit to a safe drop off location back in Tucson. If payment is not received by the last deadline on Monday the 9th at 5PM, she will be killed. Your mother is aware of this and her life is in your hands. It is in the best interest of everyone to have this completed as soon as possible. You will not be able to contact me from here on out, there will be no negotiation. Do not play games, law enforcement will not be able to help you.
She had a white smart watch on the floor of the foot of her bed and the white flood light in backyard was destroyed.”

The note concluded with two details that gave investigators confidence it might be legitimate: a white smartwatch on the floor near Nancy Guthrie’s bed and a destroyed floodlight in the backyard — details that had not been made public at the time.

The second ransom note, sent while the second deadline was still approaching, shifted dramatically in tone, claiming Nancy Guthrie had died.

“Guthrie Family,
We did not fully grasp the seriousness of her physical condition. We never intended to hurt her, that was not our intention. She perished shortly after she was taken. We believe it was heart related. She is buried in nature now. Nothing you could have done could have changed the outcome. We want your family to know this and hope you all can find peace. We are truly sorry.”

Nancy Guthrie had a pacemaker and required daily medication for a heart condition.

Along with the ransom notes, the sheriff’s department released new information about surveillance video recovered from Nancy Guthrie’s doorbell camera, saying two videos may be from two separate days.

“These videos are critical to our understanding of the unidentified male’s behaviors and choices,” the release stated. “They indicate he took steps to prepare for the event on the night of January 31 to February 1.”

Authorities said they believe people who know the unidentified male in the videos may have noticed behavioral changes around that time, and asked the public to report anyone who displayed mood changes, unexplained injuries, changes in physical appearance, sudden departures from the area, unusual vehicle cleaning or repairs or an unexplained knowledge of the investigation.

Dr. Gary Brucato, a forensic and clinical psychologist, told NewsNation’s Bran Entin on his podcast that the ransom notes “do suggest these are two different people who are experiencing some kind of rupture in terms of attitude about what happened.

Brucato said he does not believe the man seen in the Nest doorbell camera video — who he referred to as “porch guy” — wrote either of the notes.

“I think it’s clear he was some sort of goon that was just sort of put there to give the impression of a totally outside agent,” Brucato said.

He says the author of the first note comes across as much more “scheming and manipulative,” while the supposed second author “has a more emotional quality,” and may even know Savannah Guthrie.

“We’ll see that there was a person who did the deed, who I’ve called waiter who served it, and I think that’s ‘porch guy.’ And behind the scenes I think there are at least two different people with psychologies and motives,” he said.
 
Regina said:
I'm curious to know who's convinced of that and why because I'm not aware of any reason to think the crime has anything whatsoever to do with Savannah.
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Agreed. I’m not convinced the letters are from the kidnapper either. The letter writer could very well have written the letters after they saw the case and saw Savannah was tied to it. People have inserted themselves into crime cases over and over again.
 
They said there were "details that had not been made public". Seems like it was just the color of her smart watch, and the flood light being destroyed.
The flood light was outside the house. Presumably anyone who could see the property, whether in person or not, might know that.
Were there any photos of Nancy publicly available that showed her wearing her watch?

Regarding the "distinctive patterns of word choice, syntax, and phraseology that reflect the writer’s unique linguistic style" - I didn't see anything that stood out. I mean, unless you know somebody who walks around saying "Do not play games" or something.

Are they still looking for this letter writer as a legitimate suspect in Nancy's disappearance? Or just to prosecute them for the fake ransom demand? Because they also said they do not believe the guy seen in the doorbell video wrote either note. (How could they possibly know that unless they know who he is?)

It sounds like they're looking for a group of people. The "person who did the deed" is "porch guy" seen on her cameras. And then they say there's probably at least two more people (who wrote the notes?) behind the scenes. - I'm not convinced the notes are legit, but law enforcement seems to be.
 
SheWhoMustNotBeNamed said:
They said there were "details that had not been made public". Seems like it was just the color of her smart watch, and the flood light being destroyed.
The flood light was outside the house. Presumably anyone who could see the property, whether in person or not, might know that.
Were there any photos of Nancy publicly available that showed her wearing her watch?

Regarding the "distinctive patterns of word choice, syntax, and phraseology that reflect the writer’s unique linguistic style" - I didn't see anything that stood out. I mean, unless you know somebody who walks around saying "Do not play games" or something.

Are they still looking for this letter writer as a legitimate suspect in Nancy's disappearance? Or just to prosecute them for the fake ransom demand? Because they also said they do not believe the guy seen in the doorbell video wrote either note. (How could they possibly know that unless they know who he is?)

It sounds like they're looking for a group of people. The "person who did the deed" is "porch guy" seen on her cameras. And then they say there's probably at least two more people (who wrote the notes?) behind the scenes. - I'm not convinced the notes are legit, but law enforcement seems to be.
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If the letters are considered legit, I'd like to know how it makes sense they were sent to a media outlet rather than to whom was targeted for ransom.

To me, right off the bat, the "Hello Savannah" is not only very strange given the context but it's often how scammers start out, that is, they try to sound familiar.

I think LE would have to identify the letter writer first before they could determine whether the letters are legit and from there, determine whether the writer is a suspect in the disappearance.
 
Regina said:
If the letters are considered legit, I'd like to know how it makes sense they were sent to a media outlet rather than to whom was targeted for ransom.
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Maybe trying to emulate others like BTK, Zodiac, etc.?
But...those guys we just talking/bragging about their crimes, not asking for a ransom.
Regina said:
I think LE would have to identify the letter writer first before they could determine whether the letters are legit and from there, determine whether the writer is a suspect in the disappearance.
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Exactly. And how could they possibly say the intruder / guy on camera didn't write it unless they know who he is.

The way that release was written makes it sound like they do believe these letters are legit. But honestly, who knows. This investigation has been all over the place.
 
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