Savannah Guthrie was absent from Today on Feb. 2 as she works with local authorities in Arizona to find her mother, Nancy Guthrie, who was last seen on Jan. 31. Nancy is 84 years old and considered a “missing vulnerable adult” due to her age, according to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department.
In her absence, Guthrie provided a statement that was shared by her co-anchors Craig Melvin and Sheinelle Jones. “On behalf of our family, I want to thank everyone for the thoughts, prayers, and messages of support,” she said. “Right now, our focus remains on the safe return of our dear mom. We thank law enforcement for their hard work on this case and encourage anyone with information to contact the Pima County Sheriff’s office at 520-351-4900.”
The missing person report shared by the Pima County Sheriff’s Department describes Nancy as being 5 feet 5 inches tall with a weight of 150 pounds, brown hair, and blue eyes. She was last seen near her residence near East Skyline Drive and North Campbell Avenue. Authorities do not know what she was wearing at the time she went missing, but noted that she is not in good physical health. The Guthrie family reported to authorities that Nancy does not suffer from any cognitive issues.
In a news conference held on Feb. 1, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nano provided further details about the case. “The scene at the house also has some concerns for us, as well,” Nanos told KVOA in Tucson. “We don’t typically get the sheriff out at a scene like this, but it’s very concerning what we’re learning from the house. Our homicide team is out right now looking at the scene as well.” Nanos explained to reporters that missing person reports of this kind come in often, but this one stood out specifically due to the description of the scene, which has not been shared with the public.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with Savannah and her family,” Today anchor Al Rocker shared on social media. Guthrie has highlighted her close relationship with her mother on previous episodes, including a segment that celebrated Nancy’s milestone 80th birthday.
“She has met unthinkable challenges in her life with grit, without self-pity, with determination, and always, always with unshakeable faith,” Savannah said in 2022. “She loves us, her family, fiercely, and her selflessness and sacrifice for us, her steadfastness and her unmovable confidence is the reason any of us grew up to do anything.”
