The search for Savannah Guthrie’s mother, Nancy, has taken a serious turn as police suspect she may have been abducted ‘in the middle of the night’.
The 84-year-old was last observed in her home located in the Catalina Foothills area of Pima County, Arizona, around 9:30 to 9:45 p.m. on Saturday night (January 31), according to the statements from the Sheriff’s Office.
Rather than a straightforward missing person scenario, law enforcement officials have raised concerns about a more sinister possibility. The Sheriff’s Office has confirmed that Nancy’s residence is being examined as an ‘active crime scene’ rather than part of a routine ‘search mission.’
Pima County Sheriff Nanos told PEOPLE, “At this point, investigators believe she was taken from the home against her will, possibly in the middle of the night. Taken against her will includes possible kidnapping or abduction.”
“We have an 84-year-old woman who went to bed Saturday night and come Sunday morning, she’s gone. We know, at least we believe, and I believe we know, she did not walk out of that home on her own.”
The Sheriff further explained that Nancy’s ability to move around was ‘limited’, which makes the possibility of her ‘wandering off’ seem less plausible.
“She is really just as sharp as a tack,” he mentioned. “And that too is concerning that here you have this lady who’s got all her wits about her, she knows what’s going on. So yeah, somebody came into that home, and I believe took her out there without her permission. It was against her will.”
In the course of the investigation, officers are collecting home security videos from the time around the disappearance and gathering DNA evidence from the location.
Although Nanos expressed appreciation for the public’s willingness to help, he emphasized the importance of maintaining the investigation’s integrity.
With her mother’s location still a mystery, Savannah, aged 54, did not appear on Monday’s episode of the TODAY show. Her absence was addressed by her colleague Craig Melvin during the live broadcast.
“We want to get right to what is a deeply personal story for us, Nancy Guthrie, Savannah’s beloved mother, has been reported missing in Arizona,” he explained.
The program also shared a message from the Guthrie family, which stated: “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. 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.”