(NEXSTAR) – Authorities are continuing to search for Nancy Guthrie, the mother of “Today” host Savannah Guthrie, who is believed to have been taken from her Arizona home “against her will” over the weekend.
As investigators await the results on the evidence collected from Nancy’s home, they say they are also “aware of reports” regarding “possible ransom note(s).”
Nancy, 84, was last seen on Saturday night at her Tucson home, where she lived alone. When she didn’t attend church on Sunday, a member called a family member of Guthrie’s. Her family then searched her home before calling authorities, according to Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos.
“We do believe that Nancy was taken from her home against her will, and that’s where we’re at,” Nanos said during a press conference on Tuesday. He previously said Nancy has “some physical ailments, has some physical challenges, [and] is in need of medication.”
When asked whether authorities believed they were looking for someone who is still alive, Nanos told reporters, “We hope we are.”
This image provided by the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, on Monday, Feb. 2, 2026, shows a missing person alert for Nancy Guthrie. (Pima County Sheriff’s Department via AP)
Investigators believe Guthrie may have been taken in a nighttime kidnapping, as her phone, wallet, and car were still at her home, a person familiar with the investigation told The Associated Press.
Nanos, who previously told NBC News that he believed Guthrie had been abducted, declined to say whether Guthrie was the victim of a random or targeted abduction, or whether a ransom demand had been made.
“We’re looking at all the leads, and we don’t know. We’re going to assume both sides of that,” Nanos said Tuesday. He reiterated throughout the press conference that investigators were “following all leads.”
Tuesday evening, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department said it was “aware of reports” regarding “possible ransom note(s)” related to Nancy Guthrie, without providing additional details.
“We are taking all tips and leads very seriously,” the social media post read. “Anything that comes in, goes directly to our detectives who are coordinating with the FBI.”
Blood, signs of forced entry found at Nancy Guthrie’s home
While Nanos said investigators processed Guthrie’s home — which has since been turned back over to the family — like any other, looking for “blood, DNA, any kind of physical evidence, fingerprints, anything,” he declined answer questions about whether blood was found.
Nexstar’s NewsNation found what appears to be blood outside the front door of Guthrie’s home on Tuesday. Investigators had turned the home over to the family after clearing the scene.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department, in an email to Nexstar before Tuesday’s press conference, said DNA samples had been collected at the scene, but would not confirm the presence of blood evidence. Nanos said that evidence had been submitted to labs.
“We’re like you, we’re waiting for those returns to come back,” he told reporters.
Investigators are also working with camera companies to review footage, though Nanos said they did not have any surveillance footage. A Ring doorbell camera mounted near the entrance of Guthrie’s home had been removed. NewsNation reported that, according to Nanos, investigators were working to determine whether the perpetrator removed it.
Meanwhile, the FBI is reviewing cellphone data and cell tower information, according to Jon Edwards, the assistant special agent in charge of the FBI’s Tucson office.
Anyone with information about Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance, including any photos or videos that may help with the investigation is encouraged to contact the Pima County Sheriff’s Department at (520) 351-4900 or the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI.
Savannah Guthrie won’t cover Olympic Games
NBC Sports confirmed Tuesday that Savannah Guthrie would not cover the Olympic Games later this week. The 54-year-old has not appeared on “Today” since her mother’s disappearance. Nanos said she is in Arizona.
In a post to Instagram on Monday, Guthrie called for prayers, asking her followers to “believe with us that she will be lifted by them in this very moment.”
Savannah Guthrie, who has two siblings, was 16 when their father died. Nancy Guthrie raised them on her own. The host often brought her mother on “Today” as a guest.
FILE – Savannah Guthrie attends the third annual World Mental Health Day Gala, hosted by Project Healthy Minds, at Spring Studios on Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, file)
“She has met unthinkable challenges in her life with grit, without self-pity, with determination and always, always with unshakeable faith,” Savannah said on the show in 2022 on Nancy Guthrie’s 80th birthday.
“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.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
