The mother of Savannah Guthrie, Nancy Guthrie, has been reported missing, prompting the deployment of a homicide team for the investigation.
Nancy Guthrie, 84, was last observed in the Catalina Foothills region of Pima County, Arizona, at her residence between 9:30 and 9:45 p.m. on Saturday, January 31, according to a statement from the Pima County Sheriff’s Office.
A family member alerted authorities to her disappearance by calling 911 around midday on Sunday, February 1. The Pima County Sheriff’s Department has initiated a search and rescue operation, employing ground units, air support, local residents, search-and-rescue dogs, and homicide detectives.
Sheriff Chris Nanos mentioned to the press that it is ‘not standard’ to involve a homicide team in such investigations, but certain ‘concerning circumstances’ at the scene warranted their participation.
“We get these calls quite often, and we do a good job of searching the area,” he stated, according to Deadline. “But this one stood out because of what was described to us at the scene and what we found just in looking at the scene.”
Nanos chose not to give further details on what was discovered at the scene, only indicating it was related to ‘what the scene was telling us’, and mentioned they are still ‘processing’ the information.
He emphasized that no body has been located during the search, saying, “I hope we find her safe and sound, but we can’t ignore what’s in front of us.”
Nancy is regarded as a ‘vulnerable adult’ due to her age, though Nanos noted: “She has no cognitive issues at all, just some physical ailments that limit her to move around.”
The urgency of the search has been heightened by the area’s nighttime temperatures dropping to 50°F (10°C).
She is described as being 5-foot-5 tall and 150 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes.
The Guthrie family acknowledged her disappearance in a statement to NBC: “We can confirm this is a missing persons case, and the family is working closely with local law enforcement.”
Savannah Guthrie, an American journalist and lawyer, is primarily recognized as a co-anchor of NBC’s Today show. She became part of NBC News in 2007 and has been co-anchoring Today since 2012, covering significant news, political events, and breaking news stories.
She previously served as a White House correspondent and has worked as a lawyer and legal analyst.
At 54, Savannah, who was born in Australia and relocated to Tucson with her family when she was two years old, is also the author of various books, including the bestselling children’s book Mostly What God Does Is Love You.
Besides her broadcasting career, Savannah has openly discussed balancing her work with family responsibilities and continues to appear on TODAY regularly, except for brief absences, such as for vocal cord surgery.
Notably, she had only just returned to TODAY last Monday, January 26, as reported by USA TODAY, before her mother went missing over the weekend.
Anyone who has information regarding Nancy Guthrie is encouraged to contact 911.