As the search for the missing mother of NBC Today host Savannah Guthrie enters its third day, police have announced they have found signs of forced entry at the Arizona home of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie.
It is believed she was taken against her will.
Nancy Guthrie must be found soon because she could die without her medication, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said in a press conference on the second day.
“If she’s alive right now, her meds are vital. I can’t stress that enough. It’s been better than 24 hours, and the family tells us if she doesn’t have those meds, it can become fatal.”
He added that Nancy is also vulnerable due to her “limited mobility.”
The missing persons alert issued by police for Nancy Guthrie. Image: Pima County Sheriff’s Department
Savannah Guthrie’s mother missing
Nancy was last seen on Saturday night at her home in the Tucson area, where she lived alone. She was reported missing on Sunday, when her absence at church motivated an attendee to call the family, who then searched her home and called 911, Sheriff Nanos said.
The Associated Press reports that at Nancy’s home, police found evidence of a nighttime kidnapping, and abandoned essential personal items, including her mobile phone, wallet and car.
There is no clear motive for the suspected abduction.
For a second day on Tuesday, Today opened with Nancy’s disappearance, but Savannah Guthrie was not present for her hosting duties; she remained in Arizona. She also will not be in attendance at the Winter Olympics as planned.
NBC said in a statement on Wednesday: “Savannah will not be joining us at the Olympics as she focuses on being with her family during this difficult time. Our hearts are with her and the entire Guthrie family as the search continues for their mother.”
Who is Australian-born Savannah Guthrie?
Savannah was born in Melbourne when her family moved to Australia for her father’s work. They subsequently returned to the US.
The host grew up in Tucson, Arizona, and graduated from the University of Arizona. When she visited Australia for the first time in 2015, she described it as “a lifelong dream.”
In a heart-wrenching social media post on Monday, Savannah described Nancy as “a woman of deep conviction, a good and faithful servant”.
She asked supporters to “raise your prayers with us and believe with us that she will be lifted by them in this very moment”.
“Bring her home,” she added.
The ABC reports that Savannah has two siblings and was 16 when their father died. Nancy raised them alone. The host often brought her mother on Today.
“She has met unthinkable challenges in her life with grit, without self-pity, with determination and always, always with unshakable faith,” the host said on the show in 2022 on Nancy Guthrie’s 80th birthday, according to the ABC.
“She loves us, her family, fiercely, and her selflessness and sacrifice for us, her steadfastness and her unmovable confidence are the reasons any of us grew up to do anything.”
Savannah Guthrie and her mother, Nancy. Image: Instagram
TMZ claims ransom note for Nancy Guthrie
American news station TMZ now claims it’s received an email “written like a ransom note for Savannah Guthrie’s mother… There are certain things they’re saying about what she was wearing, and damage to the house… to verify ‘it’s us’.”
TMZ says it’s “contacted the sheriff’s department”, but admits, “we don’t know if it’s authentic or not.”