The investigation into the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, 84 years old and mother of Savannah Guthrie, renowned host of the 'Today' show, has entered a critical phase as more than seven days have passed without news about her whereabouts.

First modification: 02/09/2026 - 19:49 Last modification: 02/09/2026 - 20:31

Arizona authorities, with the support of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), intensified operations in different parts of Pima County over the weekend, amid fears for the woman's health and strong public pressure after the dissemination of alleged ransom notes.

Since his disappearance was reported on February 1, the case has evolved from a search for a missing person to a criminal investigation for alleged kidnapping. The evidence collected at Nancy Guthrie's home, located on the outskirts of Tucson, along with the disconnection of electronic devices and the discovery of blood confirmed by DNA, led authorities to maintain that the woman was taken from her home against her will.

"We believe our mother is still out there," Guthrie, 54, a co-host of NBC's "Today" show, said in the latest of four video messages she and other family members have posted on Instagram in recent days.

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"Law enforcement is working tirelessly around the clock to bring her home, to find her. They took her and we don't know where. We need your help," Guthrie said.

The presenter asked that anyone who notices "something that seems strange" that may be related to her mother's fate, "even if it is far from Tucson," to report it to police, adding: "We are in a desperate time."

Nancy Guthrie was last seen on the night of Saturday, January 31, at her home in the Catalina Foothills neighborhood, a residential area surrounded by desert areas north of Tucson. When he did not show up for religious services the next day, something that was part of his usual routine, his absence was reported and search protocols were activated.

Shortly after, investigators detected a series of elements that reinforced the hypothesis of a crime. According to authorities, the home's doorbell camera was disconnected at 1:47 in the morning on Sunday, February 1. Minutes later, the system recorded a “person on camera” alert, although no stored video of the event remained.

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos explained that these types of alerts can be activated for various reasons and do not always involve the confirmed presence of a person, but are part of the chronology under analysis.

That same day, the pacemaker app Guthrie uses lost connection to his cell phone, which investigators interpreted as a sign of an abrupt interruption to his daily routine.

Read also"Is she alive?": what is known about the kidnapping of the mother of a popular US TV presenter.

Forensic evidence and confirmation of kidnapping

One of the most relevant elements of the investigation emerged after the analysis of a blood stain found on the front porch of the home. DNA testing confirmed that the blood belonged to Nancy Guthrie, Sheriff Nanos said. “The blood on the porch was one of the pieces of evidence we analyzed and it was confirmed to be Nancy's,” the official said.

In addition, the authorities reported that signs of forced entry into the home were detected, which further consolidated the hypothesis that the woman was kidnapped. From that moment on, the case was formally treated as a violent crime.

Over the weekend, federal agents and FBI forensic personnel raided Guthrie's home and conducted inspections both inside and around the property. For these tasks, drones and other technological resources were used, in a thorough search for clues that would allow us to reconstruct what happened during the early morning hours of his disappearance.

Alleged ransom notes with deadlines

In parallel with the field work, the investigation was affected by the appearance of alleged ransom notes sent to different media outlets. According to the information available, at least one of these communications demanded the payment of money in exchange for Guthrie's release and established specific deadlines for complying with the demand.

One of the notes, allegedly sent to the station KGUN9, spoke of a demand for six million dollars and set a deadline of Monday, February 9 at 5:00 p.m. local time, with the threat of harm to the woman in case of non-compliance. Other similar communications would have reached different media throughout the week.

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Authorities were cautious about the authenticity of these messages. Although they avoided publicly confirming whether the notes are credible, they assured that all leads are being investigated seriously and exhaustively.

An FBI spokesperson confirmed that Savannah Guthrie referred in her public statements to a message received Friday by Tucson-based station KOLD. The station did not reveal details about the content while federal authorities continue to analyze its origin and veracity.

The family's message with a desperate request

The anguish of the Guthrie family became visible on Saturday, February 7, when Savannah Guthrie posted a video on social media accompanied by her siblings, Annie and Camron. In the message, the three addressed directly those who may be holding their mother and expressed their willingness to pay for her return alive.

"We receive your message and we understand it. We pray that our mother be returned to us so that we can celebrate with her. Only then will we have peace. This is very valuable to us and we will pay for it," they said in the video.

It was the third message spread by the family over the course of the week, all with a tone of supplication and appealing to the humanity of the alleged kidnappers. The statements reflected desperation at the passage of time and the lack of concrete information about the woman's health status.

Raids over the weekend

Over the weekend, detectives from the Pima County Sheriff's Department and federal agents carried out multiple operations in different parts of the area. The authorities reported that they will not disclose specific details about these proceedings so as not to compromise the course of the investigation.

One of the procedures that attracted attention occurred on the night of Saturday, February 7, when at least three sheriff's deputies went for several hours to the home of Annie Guthrie, one of the daughters of the missing woman. Witnesses indicated that three unmarked vehicles remained parked in front of the house, while flashes of light were observed inside, apparently as a result of taking photographs.

According to the Newsource report, when leaving the scene, one of the officers was wearing latex gloves and another was carrying a bag, although it was not officially reported what type of evidence was collected or the reason for the raid.

On Sunday, officers returned to Nancy Guthrie's home. Two identified patrol cars and another vehicle remained at the scene while at least two people entered the back of the house for more than twenty minutes. The researchers withdrew without making public statements.

Despite the intensity of the operations, authorities confirmed that so far no suspects, persons of interest or vehicles linked to the case have been identified.

With AP, EFE and local media

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