Law enforcement investigating the disappearance of Savannah Guthrie’s mother, Nancy Guthrie, said Tuesday that they were no further forward in locating her whereabouts as the investigation enters a third day.
“We don’t know where she is,” said Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos at a press conference, acknowledging the growing urgency surrounding the disappearance of 84-year-old grandmother.
Guthrie vanished from her Catalina Foothills home, near Tucson, Arizona, sometime late Saturday night or early Sunday morning. The sheriff said investigators suspect she was taken against her will and believe it was a kidnapping or abduction.
“We’re looking at this from every angle but we need your help,” Nanos said. When asked whether investigators believe they are searching for someone who is still alive, Nanos replied: “We hope we are.”
Investigators say Nancy, who lived alone, has limited mobility but no cognitive issues and would not have left voluntarily. Her cellphone and car were found at her home, which is now considered a crime scene.
“We don’t see this as a search mission so much as it is a crime scene,” Nanos said.
When questioned about a possible ransom demand, the sheriff replied: “We’re following all leads we have. That’s all I can tell you. We’ve got hundreds of leads.”
Nanos declined to provide additional details on the evidence found at the home.
“I’m not saying there’s blood inside that house or outside that house,” he told reporters. “What I’m saying is our team will process the scene. Like you would think of any crime scene, we go in and we process it. We look for things like that, blood, DNA, any kind of physical evidence, fingerprints, anything, and all of that is gathered and submitted to a lab.”
Investigators are also reviewing surveillance footage from nearby homes and analyzing cellphone tower data. But the landscape of the neighborhood – with homes on large lots and a lack of sidewalks – has made it difficult to obtain useful camera footage.
Laura Gargano, a Catalina Foothills Association board member who lives just around the corner from Nancy Guthrie, told The Independent that she began canvassing on Sunday night, after learning of her disappearance.
“I’ve been out walking, talking to other neighbors, asking them to check their surveillance cameras,” Gargano said.
“She’s well known in this community,” Gargano added. “We’re all hoping for some good news.”
The FBI has joined the investigation. Jon Edwards, assistant special agent in charge at the FBI’s Tucson office, said agents are working closely with local authorities.
“We’re downloading and analyzing cell phones, obtaining cell tower information, conducting interviews and providing any and all investigative support that the sheriff’s department needs,” Edwards said.
Sheriff Nanos stressed that time is critical because Nancy depends on medication.
“If she’s alive right now, her meds are vital. I can’t stress that enough. It’s been better than 24 hours, and the family tells us if she doesn’t have those meds, it can become fatal,” he said.
Nanos said that Nancy Guthrie went missing some time between 9.30 p.m. Saturday night, when she returned home from an outing with family, and Sunday morning when she did not attend a regular church service. The sheriff said he did not want to shorten that timeline for fear of missing something critical.
Savannah Guthrie, a longtime co-host on NBC’s morning show, Today, has asked for prayers for her mother’s safe return.
“Thank you for lifting your prayers with ours for our beloved mom, our dearest Nancy, a woman of deep conviction, a good and faithful servant,” Guthrie wrote on Instagram to her 1.2 million followers. “Raise your prayers with us and believe with us that she will be lifted by them in this very moment. Bring her home.”
Guthrie was absent from the “Today” show on Monday and Tuesday. Co-host Jenna Bush Hager appealed to viewers for help on her behalf.
