Savannah Guthrie mom, Nancy abducted after forced entry while asleep at her Tucson, Arizona home as authorities describe the missing NBC Today show host mother’s disappearance as a crime scene. Woman was taken against her will as investigators now review surveillance, license plates as the mom was kidnapped without her life necessary medication. No known motive.
Authorities have stated that they believe NBC, ‘Today show’ host, Savannah Guthrie’s mother, Nancy was abducted from her Tucson, Arizona home while she was in bed asleep.
‘Concerning evidence,’ at the scene pointed to forced entry and a crime scene including abduction, the Pima County Sheriff’s Office stated.
‘I believe she was abducted, yes,’ Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos told CBS News. ‘She didn’t walk from there. She didn’t go willingly.’
TV star mother’s disappearance investigated as crime scene
Nanos stated evidence suggests Nancy Guthrie, 84, did not leave her home voluntarily after being last seen just on 9.30 p.m, Saturday, January 31.
‘She did not walk away,’ Nanos said. ‘We believe she was forced to leave that residence. It was against her will.’
Nanos earlier Monday confirmed that her disappearance is being treated as a crime, and urged neighbors to review home video camera footage.
‘We saw some things at the home that were concerning to us,’ Nanos told reporters. ‘We believe now after we’ve processed that crime scene that we do in fact have a crime scene, that we do in fact have a crime.’
Nancy Guthrie abduction as investigators seek clues
Investigators were poring over footage from security cameras in the home and examining Nancy Guthrie’s cellphone, Nanos said. Authorities were also turning to license-plate readers and other surveillance cameras for leads in the case.
Guthrie who has been missing over 48 hours, lives alone in a $1 million home in Tucson’s affluent Catalina Foothills neighborhood. When detectives searched the property, they found her phone, wallet and car still inside the home along with life-saving medicine. Lights in the common areas were on, and the front door was unlocked. Investigators also noted signs consistent with a forced entry.
Police are canvassing the neighborhood for surveillance footage and are searching for a vehicle of interest that could help identify a suspect or suspects.
A missing person’s flier from the sheriff’s department said Nancy Guthrie is 5 feet, 5 inches tall, has brown hair and blue eyes and weighs 150 pounds.
Race against time to find missing TV star’s mom who urgently needs medication
Nanos said Guthrie had limited mobility and would not have been able to leave the home on her own. While she has no cognitive impairments such as dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, she has physical conditions that restrict her movement, investigators said.
‘This is about an 84-year-old woman who is sick, who needs her medications, who in the middle of the night was taken from her bedroom,’ Nanos said. ‘If she is alive, she needs her medication, and it’s been well over 24 hours. That in itself could be fatal, and that’s scary.’
When asked whether ‘abduction’ was too strong a term to describe the situation, Nanos responded simply: ‘No.’
Authorities said there is currently no evidence suggesting Guthrie was taken across the nearby Mexican border or that the case involves cartel or border-related activity as some had speculated online.
Nancy Guthrie had spent the evening before her disappearance having dinner and playing mahjong with Savannah Guthrie’s sister, according to investigators.
No known motive in ‘crime case’
On Monday, the Pima County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that Guthrie’s home is being treated as an active crime scene after aspects of the scene raised ‘grave concern.’ Officials reiterated that she left without the daily medication she requires to survive.
Nanos did not provide a possible motive and said there was no initial indication Nancy Guthrie was targeted because of her name, but noted, ‘We can’t dismiss that.’
‘We will certainly look at that and we’ll see, was she being stalked? Did she have some people out there harassing her or something?’ the official told reporters. To date no known threats had been made against the TV star’s mother.
The FBI is assisting in the investigation as authorities race against time to locate the missing mother.
Savannah Guthrie, 54, who has credited her mom with guiding her to success and who was understood ‘anxiously’ awaiting updates, issued a statement on her mother’s disappearance Monday.
‘On behalf of our family, I want to thank everyone for the thoughts, prayers and messages of support,’ she said. ‘Right now, our focus remains on the safe return of our dear mom.’
Guthrie urged anyone with information to contact the Pima County Sheriff’s Department or call at (520) 351-4900.
