Today host Savannah Guthrie‘s missing mother, Nancy Guthrie, was last seen on Jan. 31. In the days since, police officials and federal agents have aided in efforts to locate the 84-year-old woman, who is believed to have been taken from her home against her will. The already time-sensitive matter has become more urgent as additional details emerge about the alleged crime scene discovered at Nancy’s home in Arizona. Here’s everything we know about the search and disappearance, so far.
On Feb. 3, Donald Trump told reporters at a bill signing that he would be willing to commit additional federal resources as the search continues, according to Variety, noting that it is a “very unusual situation, but we’re going to find out.” On Feb. 1, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said that while it is “not standard” to have homicide detectives assist on a missing person’s case, or to even have the sheriff involved, “the scene at the house also has some concerns for us.”
According to the Los Angeles Times, there are now around 100 sheriff’s detectives that have been assigned to assist on the case, which took a harrowing turn as blood spatters were reportedly discovered at the scene. “We took some samples that we hope will have enough profile of a DNA profile that gives us some identification of what we’re looking at,” Nanos said earlier this week. It could take a number of days for the DNA results to return.
Time is of the essence, Nanos said on Feb. 3. “It is a race against time, and I hope that window hasn’t closed.” He added: “We believe [Nancy] was taken out of the home against her will, and that’s how this investigation is moving.” Authorities in Pima County are helming the search with assistance from the FBI. “They’re the lead right now and we have to respect that, but we are there to help them anywhere we can on ransom notes or otherwise,” FBI Director Kash Patel said during an appearance on Fox News.
Patel added that local authorities notified the FBI of an alleged ransom note received. While the full content and source of the note, which TMZ reportedly received, has not been shared, the outlet did claim that it included demands for “millions” in cryptocurrency to be paid to a Bitcoin address. The legitimacy of the note has not been verified. “Every lead and tip is important; we are aggressively pursuing and looking into every single one,” said John Edwards, the assistant special agent leading the FBI office in Tucson.
88-CRIME is offering a $2,500 reward for information leading to an arrest or arrests in Guthrie’s disappearance. The Pima County Sheriff’s Department is asking those with potential evidence to submit it via an online tip portal put in place on Feb. 1. They are searching for images and videos that could aid in the investigation. “The Pima County Sheriff’s Department is urgently requesting your assistance in locating Nancy Guthrie, 84, who last seen on the evening of January 31, 2026, at her residence near East Skyline Drive and North Campbell Avenue,” the tip posting reads, noting that this is the case of a “missing endangered adult.”
The missing person report for Nancy describes her as being 5 feet 5 inches, weighing 150 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes. It is not known what she was wearing at the time of her disappearance. Nancy does not suffer from cognitive issues, which allowed authorities to rule out the potential of this being a case of someone with dementia wandering off. She does have some mobility issues and requires daily medication, Nanos previously said, adding that missing doses could be life-threatening.
According to CNN, through a source briefed on the investigation, Nancy’s pacemaker sent a signal to her iPhone on Sunday, Feb. 1, at around 2 a.m. Since then, no updates have been sent. Nancy’s iPhone was also discovered to have been left at her home. While detectives are no longer operating at her home as an active scene, they did note that there were signs of forced entry.
On the morning of Wednesday, Feb. 4, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department issued a statement on X clarifying that “at this point, investigators have not identified a suspect or person of interest in this case.” This came after unverified reports made unsupported claims about members of the Guthrie family. “Detectives are working closely with the Guthrie family,” the statement signed by Nanos continued. “While we appreciate the public’s concern, the sharing of unverified accusations or false information is irresponsible and does not assist the investigation.”
The next substantial update on the case will come on Thursday, Feb. 5, unless any major developments occur in the meantime, Nanos said at the latest press hearing.
