Savannah Guthrie wasn’t present on the Today show Monday morning, but she did issue a statement to co-hosts Craig Melvin and Shainelle Jones asking for the public’s help amid the search for her 84-year-old mother, Nancy Guthrie.
“On behalf of my family, I would like to thank everyone for their thoughts, prayers and messages of support,” Savannah Guthrie said. “Right now, our focus remains on the safe return of our beloved mother. We appreciate the efforts of law enforcement on this case and encourage anyone with information to contact the Pima County Sheriff’s Office at 520-351-4900.”
Nancy Guthrie was first reported missing in Arizona on Sunday. Because of her age, she is classified as a “missing vulnerable adult” by the Pima County Sheriff’s Department.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos, who held a news conference Sunday night about Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance, said she had “no signs of cognitive impairment,” was “very alert” and in “very good mental health.” Nanos also said police found a “very disturbing” scene at her home, but did not provide further details. Tom Winter, NBC’s head of crime and security, joined Melvin and Jones to share the importance of the latest information.
“What they found there led them to the point where they thought this was something that needed urgent attention,” Winter said. “Last night, they were able to get a helicopter out with an infrared camera. They have a drone working. They’re asking for help from Customs and Border Protection. Obviously, that’s not far from the Mexican border. They have some special resources. The FBI is aware of this incident as well.”
“The nature of what was found at the scene has them very concerned,” Winter continued, adding, “As with any investigation, some details are being withheld so that we can proceed without intervention.”
Nancy Guthrie was last seen on the night of January 31 at her home near East Skyline Drive and North Campbell Avenue in Catalina Foothills, Arizona. Deputies say they don’t know what she was wearing, but they say she is 5 feet 5 inches tall, weighs about 150 pounds, and has brown hair and blue eyes.
Savannah Guthrie has been a co-host on “Today” since 2012 and currently hosts the show with Craig Melvin, Al Roker, Carson Daly and Jenna Bush Hager. She previously spoke on “Today” about her close relationship with her mother.
“When I was in my 30s, I really wanted to get married and become a mother, but things didn’t happen that quickly for me,” she said in her 2023 Mother’s Day segment. “And as the years went by and the clock ticked by, my mom’s confidence that I was going to be a mom meant a lot to me. She said, ‘Of course you’re going to be a mom, and you’re going to be a great mom.’ And her having that confidence and belief meant a lot to me. It got me through some really tough times.”
