The mother of Savannah Guthrie, the co-anchor of NBC's "TODAY" show, has been reported missing in Arizona, officials announced on Sunday. Nancy Guthrie, 84, was last seen on Saturday night in her home outside Tucson, as per a missing persons flyer. Her family reported her missing around noon on Sunday, according to Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos.
Nanos revealed that the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie were of "grave concern." He said, "This case stands out due to the description given to us at the scene and what we found when we examined it." However, he did not elaborate on what evidence at the home caused such concern.
The sheriff said that homicide detectives had been called to process the scene, which is not standard protocol in such cases. "There are some things there that are concerning to us. We just don't want to miss anything," Nanos told NBC affiliate KVOA in Tucson.
The Guthrie family released a statement saying, "We can confirm this is a missing persons case, and the family is working closely with local law enforcement."
Nancy Guthrie is described as 5 feet 5 inches tall and weighs 150 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes. Her family last saw her at home between 9:30 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. on Saturday. "Miss Guthrie is 84 years old and is not in good physical health," said the sheriff, but noted that her family reported no cognitive issues.
Nanos said that drones, an airplane, a helicopter, volunteers, and search-and-rescue dogs loaned from Customs and Border Protection were all searching the area for Guthrie. He encouraged anyone with information to contact the sheriff's department.
In their statement, the Guthrie family expressed gratitude for "the outreach, thoughts, and prayers" and asked anyone with information to contact authorities.
Savannah Guthrie has frequently discussed her close relationship with her mother over the years. In a 2022 tribute to her mother on her 80th birthday, she said, "She loves us, her family, fiercely, and her selflessness and sacrifice for us, her steadfastness, and her unmovable confidence are the reasons any of us grew up to do anything."
