Authorities believe Nancy Guthrie was “taken against her will” from her home in Tucson, Ariz.

Everything we know about Savannah Guthrie’s missing mother so far: Alleged ransom, crime scene, and more

Authorities believe Nancy Guthrie was "taken against her will" from her home in Tucson, Ariz.

By Randall Colburn

Randall Colburn

Randall Colburn is a writer and editor at **. His work has previously appeared on *The A.V. Club, The Guardian, The Ringer*, and many other publications.

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February 5, 2026 4:44 p.m. ET

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Savannah and Nancy Guthrie on 'Today' on June 15, 2023. Credit:

Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty

- Nancy Guthrie, the mother of *Today* anchor Savannah Guthrie, was reported missing from her home in Tucson, Ariz., on Sunday, Feb. 1.

- Local authorities believe Nancy was taken against her will.

- The FBI is currently offering a reward up to $50,000 for information leading to her recovery.

On Sunday, Feb. 1, Nancy Guthrie, the mother of *Today* anchor Savannah Guthrie, was reported missing from her home in Tucson, Ariz.

Nancy was last seen outside her home on the evening of Saturday, Jan. 31. Within days, the Pima County Sheriff's Office declared Nancy's home a "crime scene," announcing that they believed she had been taken against her will.

Amid reports of a ransom letter, Savannah has issued public pleas for her mother's return and President Donald Trump has tasked federal law enforcement with helping track down Nancy.

"She’s a truth-teller, whether you really want to hear the truth or not," Savannah said of Nancy during a 2022 tribute on *Today*. "She’s quick and she’s smart, she’s well-read, she’s curious about everything."

Below is everything we know so far about Nancy Guthrie's disappearance, including the current state of the investigation.

Blood on the porch

Savannah Guthrie and her mother, Nancy Guthrie.

Savannah Guthrie/Instagram

During a Feb. 5 press conference, investigators detailed Nancy's evening prior to her disappearance. She returned home around 9:48 p.m. on Saturday night after spending time with family. Her doorbell camera was disconnected at 1:47 a.m. Roughly 45 minutes later, her pacemaker disconnected from her personal device.

On Sunday, Nancy's children — Savannah, Annie, and Camron Guthrie — "got a call" from one of Nancy's friends from church who informed them that Nancy hadn't been at service that morning.

"The family went to the house and they spent some time looking for her themselves before they called us," said Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos at a Feb. 2 press conference. "I'm guessing maybe they got there around 11. So they did some searching and realized, 'We need some help' and they called 911."

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That same day, a public information officer for the sheriff's department told * *that the sheriff believed a crime had been committed, as "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."

At the time, Nanos also mentioned that investigators "saw some things at the home that were concerning to us." He didn't get into specifics, but it was later confirmed during the Feb. 5 press conference that blood was found on the porch outside Nancy's house. After testing, it proved a match to Nancy's DNA.**

During that same press conference, Nanos refused to confirm whether or not Nancy's house was forcibly entered. "Whether it's forced entry or not forced entry, that is something we're just not discussing," he said.**

“A race against time”

Nancy and Savannah Guthrie on a 2019 episode of 'Today'.

Nathan Congleton/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty

Citing health issues during a Tuesday interview on *Today*, Nanos said that the search for Nancy was a "race against time."

Though he said she is "sharp as a tack," he revealed she has limited mobility and "couldn't walk 50 yards by herself." Furthermore, there are concerns that she's been separated from her daily medication. Not taking it, Nanos said, "could be fatal."

Savannah and her siblings expressed similar concerns in a video shared to Savannah's Instagram on Wednesday. "Our mom is our heart and our home. She's 84 years old. Her health, her heart is fragile," the *Today *anchor says in the video. "She lives in constant pain. She is without any medicine. She needs it to survive. She needs it not to suffer."

Is there a ransom letter?

Savannah Guthrie and her siblings ask for their mother to be brought home.

Savannah Guthrie/Instagram

There have been reports of alleged ransom letters being mailed to multiple media outlets, including TMZ and Tucson's KOLD News.

On Thursday, FBI agent Heith Janke didn't confirm the legitimacy of the letters, but said that one "had facts associated with a deadline with a monetary value they were asking for."** **He also noted an "imposter" letter, the author of which he said was arrested on Thursday morning.

During an interview on *Erin Burnett OutFront*, KOLD anchor Mary Coleman shared details about the alleged letter sent to the station, which was reportedly sent via email. "There are a few things that we can share as far as what the contents were. A lot of it is information that only someone who is holding her for ransom would know, some very sensitive information and things that people who were there when she was taken captive would know," she said. "Those are things that are concerning."

Savannah and her siblings acknowledged rumors of ransom letters in their Instagram video. "We, too, have heard the reports about a ransom letter in the media," she said. "As a family, we are doing everything that we can. We are ready to talk. However, we live in a world where voices and images are easily manipulated. We need to know, without a doubt, that she is alive and that you have her."

Are there any suspects in Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance?

Savannah Guthrie and mother, Nancy Guthrie.

Savannah Guthrie/Instagram

As of Feb. 5, there are still no suspects or persons of interest related to Nancy's disappearance.

On Tuesday, Nanos said at a press conference that his office is working with the FBI to pursue "hundreds of leads" that have poured in since Nancy's disappearance hit the news.

During Thursday's episode of *Today*, Guthrie's co-anchors Sheinelle Jones and Craig Melvin urged viewers with any information to call 1-800-CALL-FBI. Pima County authorities are also asking the public to send any tips to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department at 520-351-4900.

How is President Trump involved in the search for Nancy Guthrie?

On Wednesday, President Donald Trump called Savannah to share words of support amid the search for Nancy. That same day, he shared a post to Truth Social declaring that he was placing federal law enforcement on the case. "We are deploying all resources to get her mother home safely," he wrote.

The following day, the FBI announced a reward up to $50,000 for "information leading to the recovery of Nancy Guthrie and/or the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in her disappearance."

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