Officials in Arizona Searchers searching for the 84-year-old mother of Today show presenter Savannah Guthrie said Monday that they are treating the missing woman’s home as a crime scene and are “deeply concerned” for her safety.
Nancy Guthrie was last seen by family members Saturday night at her home near Tucson and was reported missing Sunday lunchtime, officials said, prompting a search using a helicopter, drones and dogs.
At a press conference that night, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said he could not rule out foul play.
He went further during Monday morning’s briefing, declaring, “We actually have a crime scene,” and suggested she not go out on her own.
“I want this community to get better and start making some calls to us,” he said.
Guthrie has limited mobility and although she has no cognitive problems, she must be given medication within 24 hours, the sheriff said.
He said there were other factors that indicated she did not go off on her own, but it was “inappropriate at this time” to give details.
“We know she didn’t get out of there,” the sheriff said, adding that she “couldn’t walk 50 yards on her own.”
Investigators recovered her cell phone A report On NBC’s Today Show website, Savannah Guthrie has been a co-anchor since 2012.
Guthrie’s family members told police they were alerted to Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance when they were told she was not there at their local church. Family members searched for her before going to her home and calling the police, the report said.
Nanos said at a news conference Sunday night that Nancy Guthrie was last seen at her home at 9:30 p.m. Saturday. Search and rescue teams were supported by volunteers and the Border Patrol, and the homicide squad was also involved, Nanos said Sunday, adding that it was not standard for the homicide squad to be involved in such cases.
During Monday’s update, Nanos said the search was “closed” because her disappearance was being treated as a crime, TODAY’s website reported.
Savannah Guthrie is said to be in contact with police and is in Arizona. She released a statement on Sunday, the Today Show reported.
“On behalf of our family, I want to thank everyone for the thoughts, prayers and messages of support,” she said.
“Our focus remains on the safe return of our beloved mother. We thank law enforcement for their work on this case and encourage anyone with information to contact the Pima County Sheriff’s Department.”
Monday’s show opened with news of co-anchor’s mother’s disappearance, but Savannah Guthrie was not at the anchor desk.
in a 2022 InterviewSavannah Guthrie talked about her close bond with her mother, especially after the death of her father, Charles, when she was 16.
“My dad passed away when I entered my senior year of high school. I stayed home all through college. We didn’t have money to buy a dorm. And that was one thing, but my sister and I really felt like we had to stick with my mom and not leave her alone,” she said.
She says her mother was “selfless” when she moved to Montana at age 21 for her first news reporting job: “She said, ‘If you can’t leave me, I haven’t done my job right, Savannah.’
“She would have caught me. It wouldn’t have taken long. If she said, ‘You know Savannah, maybe you can find something a little closer to home…'”
The Associated Press contributed to this report
