Today show host Savannah Guthrie's mother, Nancy Guthrie, 84, went missing on Sunday morning from her house in Arizona outside Tucson, and each day there have been updates released, leading police to believe that not only was she abducted from her bed Sunday morning at about 2 a.m. but there were drops of blood found leading out of the home. Law enforcement also confirmed that there were signs of forced entry.
In a timeline leading up to today, Nancy was dropped off at her home at 9:30 p.m. on Saturday -- January 31, 2026 -- after going out to dinner with her other daughter, Anna. A spokesperson for the Pima Country Sheriff’s Department reported that investigators believe Nancy was taken from her bed against her will, in the early hours of Sunday morning.
While searching Nancy's home on Sunday at around noon, police found that her phone and Apple Watch were still inside the house, and that Nancy’s pacemaker stopped syncing with her Apple devices at around 2 a.m. The FBI does not believe that Nancy, who lives alone, could have wandered away from her home because her mobility is limited and she doesn't have any cognitive issues.
During a press conference on Tuesday, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said, "We believe now, after we process that crime scene, that we do, in fact, have a crime scene, that we do, in fact have a crime and we're asking the community's help." He added that Nancy Guthrie "is in need of medication, medication that if she doesn’t have it in 24 hours, it could be fatal."
Savannah, who was scheduled to co-host the 2026 Olympics opening ceremony, pulled out of her hosting duties. An NBC spokesperson stated, "Savannah will not be joining us at the Olympics as she focuses on being with her family during this difficult time."
The ring camera from Nancy Guthrie's front door was removed by the kidnapper(s) and a local Arizona news station has reported receiving a ransom note, which they did not make public, but handed to the FBI. TMZ also reported that they'd received a ransom note asking for millions of dollars in cryptocurrency to be deposited into a Bitcoin account.
The alleged ransom note describes an item the sender says was damaged at her home and the note also says she was not wearing a specific item that had been mentioned before in reports.
Meanwhile, Today show bosses have taken measures to protect NBC staff, including ramping up security and police presence at their studio in New York City. "Things are tense at the studio, and as a result, NBC has stepped up security for on-air talent," a source told the outlet.
On Tuesday, Savannah Guthrie posted an image to her Instagram page, @savannahguthrie, that said simply, "PLEASE PRAY." She wrote a caption that read: "we believe in prayer. we believe in voices raised in unison, in love, in hope. we believe in goodness. we believe in humanity. above all, we believe in Him. 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. Raise your prayers with us and believe with us that she will be lifted by them in this very moment. we need you."
Updates will be made as soon as more details become available. ~Alexandra Heilbron
The Family has asked for Prayers. I am Praying for Nancy and her family. I will continue until she is home safe.