TODAY show co-anchor Savannah Guthrie and her family have launched a deliberate public appeal for leads as the search for her missing 84-year-old mother enters its eighth week — a calculated move experts say aims to overcome what appears to be an investigative impasse.
Nancy Guthrie disappeared from her Tucson, Arizona, residence in the Catalina Foothills neighborhood on Jan. 31. Despite a large multi-agency effort involving local police and the FBI, authorities have been unable to locate the woman, who needs daily medication that could be life-threatening if not taken every 24 hours.
The family’s renewed push follows Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos saying investigators are working with “workable” DNA evidence and reviewing thousands of hours of video. With nearly eight weeks passed and 40,000 tips pouring in, the case has taken on heightened urgency.
The family specifically asked people to check memories and footage from the late evening of Jan. 11, a previously unreported date of interest that investigators have not publicly explained, suggesting the suspect may have been watching the property weeks before the disappearance.
The events surrounding Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance read like a crime narrative. Family members drove her home at about 9:45 p.m. on Jan. 31. Later, at 1:47 a.m., her doorbell camera went offline and was removed. Shortly after, at 2:28 a.m., the app for her pacemaker lost its connection to her phone. When she didn’t attend a virtual church meeting the next day, relatives went to check and found she was missing.
Federal agents are also investigating whether intentional disruptions to internet service in Nancy Guthrie’s neighborhood that night are linked to the abduction. Several neighbors said home security footage from that evening is missing or labeled “not available,” and officials have questioned residents about unusual connectivity issues around Feb. 1.
Authorities recovered unsettling doorbell video showing a masked person, estimated between 5 feet 9 inches and 5 feet 10 inches tall, carrying a 25-liter Ozark Trail Hiker Pack backpack. Blood on Guthrie’s porch tested positive for her DNA. Investigators found 16 gloves during search efforts, though many were from volunteers helping in the search.
Sheriff Nanos told Newsweek on Friday, March 20 that the investigation is far from over. “We’re working with the FBI. We’re working with several labs around the country on this. We’re working with forensics, examiners, digital video and media analysts. There’s just a lot going on,” Nanos said.
In a notable development, Sheriff Nanos told NBC Nightly News investigators now think they understand why Nancy Guthrie’s home was targeted, though he declined to reveal details, indicating the offense may have been more preplanned than earlier believed.
The probe shifted when several outlets received what looked like ransom notes demanding cryptocurrency. NBC News examined one of the notes, but no law enforcement agency has confirmed it as authentic. The absence of direct contact with a possible captor and vague ransom instructions have confounded investigators and former FBI officials following the case.
In what seemed to be a deliberate response to the alleged ransom messages, Savannah Guthrie issued a statement intended to prompt proof of life: “We received your message and we understand. We beg you now to return our mother to us … This is very valuable to us, and we will pay.”
The family has offered a $1 million reward for Nancy Guthrie’s return. Along with $100,000 from the FBI and $102,500 from 88-CRIME, the total reward amount now exceeds $1.2 million.
Authorities briefly detained a man on Feb. 10 but released him the same day. They searched a residence on Feb. 13 and questioned someone during a traffic stop, but no arrests have been made. All Guthrie siblings and their spouses have been cleared as suspects.
Former President Donald Trump has shown interest in the case, phoning Savannah Guthrie to offer federal help and telling reporters on Air Force One that investigators have “very strong” leads. The FBI has deployed significant resources, with Director Kash Patel posting surveillance images of the masked suspect on social media in early February — a decision that drew criticism from some investigators who had hoped to keep certain details private.
Sheriff Nanos told the BBC he thinks Nancy Guthrie is still in the Tucson area. He described her as being in “not good physical health” and said she “did not leave on her own.”
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department continues to analyze evidence from multiple labs and review images and video captured by cameras around the area. Despite many leads, tips have arrived from as far away as Australia, and investigators acknowledge the frustration of not yet finding a breakthrough.
The family’s public approach of directly addressing potential captors while appealing to the community is a calculated risk. By combining a large financial reward with emotional pleas, they aim to encourage anyone with information to step forward.
NBC News reporters Liz Kreutz and Tom Winter have been closely covering the case, and TODAY has provided ongoing updates as the investigation continues. The national focus has maintained pressure on authorities to find answers, even as the situation grows more complicated each day.
