Savannah Guthrie’s sister was the last person to see their mom before she was abducted
Before she went missing from her home in the Tucson area in Arizona, Nancy Guthrie had dinner with her daughter Annie, and the pair then played mahjong together
Nancy Guthrie pictured with her daughters, Savannah and Annie(Image: Instagram)
Savannah Guthrie’s sister was the last person to see their mom before she went missing from her home in Arizona at the weekend, it has emerged.
Nancy Guthrie was last seen at around 9.30 p.m. on Saturday at her home in the Tucson area, where she lived alone. Her family reported her missing around noon on Sunday. The Pima County Sheriff’s Department is investigating the possibility she was taken overnight, spokesperson Angelica Carrillo said.
Sheriff Chris Nanos said authorities believe the 84-year-old was kidnapped, abducted or otherwise taken against her will, and the fact she has no medication on her could be fatal. It has now emerged that before disappearing, Nancy had spent the evening having dinner with her daughter Annie, who is Savannah’s sister.
After having dinner, the pair had played mahjong, a tile-based game that was developed in the 19th century in China and has spread throughout the world since the early 20th century. Annie had then returned to her home in the Catalina Foothills neighborhood at around 9.45 p.m.
Speaking to US Weekly, Chris said Annie didn’t notice any “red flags” in her mother’s behavior during their last interaction. The alert was raised when a family member received a call from someone at church who said Nancy wasn’t there.
The 84-year-old was reported missing on Sunday(Image: AP)
This led the family to search for Nancy at her home, before they called 911. Searchers were using drones and search dogs to look for her, Chris said. Search and rescue teams were supported by volunteers and Border Patrol, and the homicide team was also involved, he said. It is not standard for the homicide team to get involved in such cases, Nanos said. The FBI has offered to help, Angelica said.
The sheriff said he was not ruling out foul play, and a crime scene is in place at the property. He also expressed concerns for the woman’s health, saying she needs her daily medication, and if she doesn’t take it, her life could be at risk.
He said, “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.”
Savannah has been absent from the Today Show since her mother’s disappearance(Image: Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty Images)
Savannah was absent from the Today Show on Monday following her mother’s disappearance, but her fellow hosts shared a statement on her behalf. “On behalf of our family, I want to thank everyone for the thoughts, prayers and messages of support,” Savannah said. “Right now, our focus remains on the safe return of our dear Nancy.”
The TV host’s mom is described as standing 5’5 “tall and weighing approximately 150 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes.” The news anchor has discussed her mother during interviews and on air multiple times over the years. In a 2022 conversation with co-host Jenna Bush Hager, Savannah shared, “My father died when I was entering my senior year in high school. I then lived at home all through college.”
Authorities believe Nancy’s life could be in danger due to her lack of medication(Image: WireImage)
She continued, “We didn’t have the money to afford the dorm. And that was thing one, but the other was that my sister and I really felt like we should stick with my mom and not leave her alone.”
Nancy also appeared on the TV show as her daughter covered a story about her hometown. While enjoying a meal together, Savannah asked Nancy what made the family want to plant roots in Tucson in the 1970s. She replied, “It’s so wonderful. Just the air, the quality of life. It’s laid back and gentle.”