Savannah Guthrie’s Mother Nancy Guthrie Has Gone Missing: What We Know

Nancy Guthrie, 84, the mother of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie, has been missing since February 1, and authorities in Tucson, Arizona, are investigating her disappearance.

Chris Nanos, the sheriff of Pima County, previously told the media that officials believe the elder Guthrie was “taken out of her home against her will.”

On Tuesday, the sheriff’s department and the FBI released images and a video from Nancy Guthrie’s doorbell camera of a person in a ski mask at her door. Authorities said the individual was armed at the time.

Later that day, the sheriff’s department said they had detained an individual at a traffic stop south of Tucson. Multiple news organizations reported that the individual was later released. A spokesperson for the sheriff’s department declined to comment on these reports when contacted by Business Insider.

Authorities also searched a home in Rio Rico, Arizona, on Tuesday. They later said that the investigation is still ongoing.

Here’s what to know.

Who is Nancy Guthrie?

The older Guthrie lived alone in her home in Tucson, Arizona. In a missing person report shared on X by the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, she is described as a 5-foot-5-inch-tall woman with brown hair and blue eyes.

Nancy Guthrie’s family told authorities that the elderly woman was on “vital” medications, and it could be fatal if she did not take them every 24 hours.

She has appeared on “Today” numerous times, including when Savannah called her on air in 2012 to wish her a happy 70th birthday.

In 2022, for her 80th birthday, Savannah paid tribute to her mom on the show, calling her “a truth teller, whether you really want to hear the truth or not. She’s quick and she’s smart, she’s well-read, she’s curious about everything.”

She was last seen at her home outside Tucson, Arizona, on the evening of January 31, when she was dropped off after dinner with her family. She lives alone but has house staff.

The next day, Sunday, February 1, a friend called the family, concerned about Nancy Guthrie’s absence from Sunday service at her church.

After an hourlong search of the home and property, the family called 911. Authorities say her cellphone and car were left behind.

What do police think happened to her?

The Sheriff’s office said in an X update on February 3 that it was investigating reports of a ransom note for Nancy Guthrie.

The FBI is also involved in the investigation.

“The FBI is doing everything in our power to bring Nancy Guthrie home to her family,” Jon Edwards, assistant special agent in charge of the FBI’s office in Tucson, said in a statement at a press conference that day.

Edwards said the FBI is downloading and analyzing cellphones, obtaining cell tower information, and conducting interviews.

Authorities have been conducting a search using drones, a helicopter, an airplane, search-and-rescue dogs, and volunteers. Nanos also said that they have been investigating “hundreds of leads.”

They said they don’t know if Nancy Guthrie was targeted because of her famous daughter, and are not aware of any threats to Savannah.

On February 5, the sheriff gave a timeline of the events.

It showed that at 1:47 a.m., Nancy Guthrie’s doorbell camera was disconnected, and at 2:12 a.m., software detected a person on camera, though no video was available. The sheriff’s department also said that the blood discovered on the porch was a match to hers.

The FBI said that they arrested a California man accused of sending an “imposter ransom demand” for Nancy Guthrie.

“It was someone that was trying to profit from it — a total imposter,” FBI Phoenix’s special agent in charge, Heith Janke, said.

Janke said the FBI is also investigating an additional ransom note that was sent to the media. The note included references to an Apple Watch and a floodlight, along with a monetary demand and a deadline.

The FBI has offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to Nancy Guthrie and those who are involved in her disappearance.

The difficult terrain in the area where Nancy Guthrie went missing has hampered search efforts. Nanos told CNN on February 5 that the location is a “very suburban, rural area” of Tucson, “in a very mountainous side of town where vegetation is extremely thick.” He also added that the neighborhood is “not very well lit.”

What has Savannah Guthrie said?

Savannah Guthrie said in a video posted to her Instagram account over the weekend that the family “will pay,” appearing to respond to a message from her mother’s purported kidnapper.

“We received your message and we understand,” Guthrie said alongside her siblings. “We beg you now to return our mother to us so that we can celebrate with her. This is the only way we will have peace. This is very valuable to us and we will pay.”

Savannah Guthrie did not identify an individual or reveal any details about the message.

The Pima County Sheriff’s Department and the FBI said in a statement on February 6 that they were aware of a new message regarding Nancy Guthrie, saying “Investigators are actively inspecting the information provided in the message for its authenticity.”

On February 5, Savannah Guthrie’s brother, Camron, released a video urging the people who may have their mother to make contact with the family.

“Whoever is out there holding our mother, we want to hear from you. We haven’t heard anything directly. We need you to reach out, and we need a way to communicate with you so we can move forward,” Camron Guthrie said.

The 21-second clip was uploaded to Savannah Guthrie’s Instagram account a day after she and her siblings shared a joint video pleading for their mother’s safe return.

In an earlier video, Savannah Guthrie said her family “will not rest” until their mother is back, and addressed those who may be holding her.

“We are ready to talk. However, we live in a world where voices and images are easily manipulated,” Savannah said. “We need to know, without a doubt, that she is alive, and that you have her. We want to hear from you, and we are ready to listen. Please, reach out to us.”

Savannah Guthrie has been an anchor on NBC’s morning show “Today” since 2012. Born in Australia, she and her family moved to Tucson when she was a child. She joined NBC in 2007, and in her time there before “Today,” she was a White House correspondent and anchored “NBC Nightly News.” According to Forbes, she was the 12th-highest-paid TV host in 2025, earning an estimated $24 million.

The host has not appeared on “Today” since her mother’s disappearance. She was set to be part of NBC’s Winter Olympics coverage in Italy this month, but an NBC spokesperson told The Hollywood Reporter that she will no longer be attending.