NBC reporter Savannah Guthrie and her family are navigating a crisis after her mother, Nancy Guthrie, was found missing from her home. The search for Savannah’s 84-year-old mother continues, with even the FBI joining the investigation. Local authorities in Arizona are urgently pursuing plenty of leads, while the Gurthie family hopes for Nancy’s safe return.

The day before the abduction

According to multiple reports, Savannah’s mother was last seen on the evening of Saturday, January 31, 2026, between 9:30 pm and 9:45 pm, when her children dropped her off at her home in the Catalina Foothills area outside Tucson, Arizona.

Neighbors confirmed her presence, stating, “Nancy is a longtime neighbor and dear friend, and we are all worried about her. We live on the same street. [We are] in complete shock and very concerned.” They added, “I just saw her two days ago [on Saturday] checking her mail. She was always smiling and always asking about our family and neighbors. She was very engaged with the community. … It’s very concerning.”

What seemed to be a peaceful evening turned into a chaotic Sunday morning when, around 11 am, a friend from her church called her family to report that she had not attended the service.

Confirmation regarding the NBC reporter’s mother

On the same day, on February 1, relatives entered Nancy’s home to search for her but were unable to locate the 84-year-old. They didn’t wait for long and immediately contacted the Pima County Sheriff’s Department to officially report her missing around noon.

The local police didn’t take much time but began the search on a large scale. Trained personnel, drones, an airplane, a helicopter, volunteers, and search-and-rescue dogs were lent from U.S. Customs and Border Protection and deployed to aid in the case.

Local sheriff’s official statement on Nancy Guthrie

On Monday, February 2, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos provided crucial details on the investigation, stating, “You don’t typically get the sheriff out at a scene like this, but it’s very concerning what we’re learning from the house. This one stood out because of what was described to us at the scene and what we found and located just in looking at the scene.”

He added, “It’s not standard. Typically, our homicide team comes out when we have a homicide, a body. This one was done simply because of what the surveyors were telling us. We believe now, after we processed that crime scene, that we do, in fact have a crime scene. We’re asking the community’s help. This community has always stepped up to help us solve some pretty tough crimes. I’m looking for that again.”

Savannah Guthrie’s plea to the entire community on NBC

Following the sheriff’s statement, Savannah Guthrie shared a few words during the NBC morning show, stating, “On behalf of our family, I want to thank everyone for the thoughts, prayers and messages of support.”

“Right now, our focus remains on the safe return of our dear Nancy. We thank law enforcement for their hard work on this case. and encourage anyone with information to contact the Pima County Sheriff’s Department.”

Savannah also took to her Instagram with a hopeful note: “We believe in prayer. We believe in voices raised in unison, in love, in hope. We believe in goodness. We believe in humanity. Above all, we believe in Him. Thank you for lifting your prayers with ours for our beloved mom, our dearest Nancy, a woman of deep conviction, a good and faithful servant. Raise your prayers with us and believe with us that she will be lifted by them in this very moment. We need you…Bring her home.”

The appearance of a strange note

On Tuesday, February 3, the entire investigation took a turn due to a ransom note that was sent to local media outlets. Indeed, TMZ was the first to report on the alleged letter, which demanded payment of millions in Bitcoin with an address for the release of Nancy Guthrie.

The investigation team has taken this note seriously and is still investigating with all the help they can get. However, the concerning part about the entire situation is that the sheriff confirmed that Nancy was on daily medication, and when she was abducted, all of her belongings were left behind.

NBC confirms Savannah’s status for the Winter Olympics

An NBC spokesperson reported, “Savannah will not be joining us at the Olympics as she focuses on being with her family during this difficult time. Our hearts are with her and the entire Guthrie family as the search continues for their mother. We will share additional information about our Opening Ceremony coverage plans soon.”

With this statement, it was confirmed that Savannah, who had been part of the NBC team at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, the 2024 Paris Olympics, and more, will be absent from Milano Cortina for Winter Olympics coverage due to this concerning event surrounding her family.

A candle march and Chris Nanos’ latest statement

The community has rallied in support of Nancy Guthrie, and a candlelight service will be held at a local Arizona church in honor of Nancy Guthrie on Wednesday, February 4. This was followed by an update from Sheriff Nanos.

“At this point, investigators have not identified a suspect or person of interest in this case. Detectives continue to speak with anyone who may have had contact with Mrs. Guthrie. Detectives are working closely with the Guthrie family. While we appreciate the public’s concern, the sharing of unverified accusations or false information is irresponsible and does not assist the investigation. No suspect or person of interest has been identified at this time,” he said on social media.

The last person to see Nancy Guthrie

The New York Post reported that Nancy Guthrie’s son-in-law and Savannah’s brother-in-law, Tommaso Cioni, was the last person to see the 84-year-old before her abduction.

Local authorities who are leading the investigation confirmed that Cioni dropped Nancy back at her home on Saturday evening. She returned home safely after a dinner with her daughter Annie and Cioni. His son-in-law also confirmed that he made sure that she returned inside her house without any issues.

Furthermore, the FBI also paid a visit to Cioni’s Tucson house, which is a ten-minute drive from the crime scene.

Family’s desperate message for the captors

A few days after her search, the family, with total frustration, had a new message for Nancy’s captors. Savannah’s brother posted a video on social media, stating, “Whoever is out there holding our mother, we want to hear from you. We haven’t heard anything directly. We need you to reach out and we need a way to communicate with you so we can move forward.”

Five days into the investigation, and Sheriff Nanos, while acknowledging the lack of evidence related to the 84-year-old, said, “Right now, we believe Nancy is still out there. We want her home.”

News outlet receives new information

As reported by CNN affiliate KOLD 13 News anchor Mary Coleman, the outlet received a new email that was tied to the case. Confirming that KOLD was the first to get the initial ransom note, a statement was also issued by the PCSD.

“The FBI and Pima County Sheriff’s Department are aware of a new message regarding Nancy Guthrie. Investigators are actively inspecting the information provided in the message for its authenticity,” the statement read.

“While this is one new piece of information, the FBI and the Pima County Sheriff’s Department are still asking anyone with tips to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI. The FBI continues to offer a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the recovery of Nancy Guthrie and/or the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in her disappearance.”

Furthermore, Coleman shared additional details through another post. She mentioned that there were 13 other news outlets that also received a new note. KOLD also sent the IP address to law enforcement, but she confirmed that it didn’t match the one from the initial note.

The Sheriff was left disappointed

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos, who has been dedicated to the case, confirmed that he was frustrated to know that Nancy’s cameras at her home weren’t able to capture any footage regarding the kidnapping.

Investigators also found out that the doorbell camera got disconnected early Sunday, and since the 84-year-old didn’t have an active subscription, those footages weren’t recovered.

In an official statement, Sheriff Nanos stated, “It is concerning, it’s actually almost disappointing because you’ve got your hopes up. OK, they got an image. ‘Well, we do, but we don’t.’”

Former FBI agent’s verdict on this case

Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance has caught nationwide attention. With multiple news outlets and investigators on the case, former FBI agent Daniel Brunner had his own thoughts regarding it.

“They want attention, they want the spotlight to be put on this incident. The more attention this gets, the more dangerous it is for Guthrie. Because if it gets more attention, the kidnappers may do something rash because they’re getting so nervous about the circle closing in on them,” he said. Brunner talks with the experience of 20 years as a special agent.

He also labelled this entire situation as not a “traditional kidnapping.” With time passing by, Brunner fears for the 84-year-old’s condition.

Collective effort for Savannah Guthrie’s mother

A few days ago, NBC confirmed that Savannah Guthrie won’t be a part of the Winter Olympics coverage. However, her colleagues also joined her amid these turbulent times.

61-year-old Hoda Kotb will not travel to Milan for NBC’s Winter Olympics coverage, just like Craig Melvin, who also pulled out to assist during the search for Nancy.

Filling in Savannah’s spot in Milan was Mary Carillo, as executive producer and president of NBC Olympics Production, Molly Solomon said, “Our hearts go out to Savannah and the entire Guthrie family. They continue to have our full support. We are fortunate to have a deep bench of talented commentators who will step in and fill these roles. Mary is one of the most experienced Olympic commentators ever and a master storyteller. She and Terry will lead the American audience through one of the world’s greatest global moments.”

Another ransom note regarding Nancy

On February 8, KGUN 9 reported that the news outlet received a ransom note from Nancy Gurthrie’s kidnappers. It demanded $6 million before 5 p.m. local time Monday. However, the note also warned the Guthrie family not to miss the deadline, as it could cause severe repercussions.

As per previous reports, there were notes that were sent before the current one, with millions in demand in bitcoin.

Following this message, Savannah Guthrie, who was seated between her siblings, Annie Guthrie and Camron Guthrie, said, “We received your message and we understand. We beg you now to return our mother to us so that we can celebrate with her. This is the only way we will have peace. This is very valuable to us, and we will pay.”

The search for the 84-year-old continues

Following the recent ransom note that demanded for $6 million with a certain deadline, according to Fox News, law enforcement officials who are investigating the Nancy Gurthrie case were seen at her daughter Annie’s house last night.

However, later they returned to the 84-year-old’s home in the morning.

The 9th day

It has been 9 days since the search for Nancy Guthrie began. And now, there’s a deadline looming upon the 84-year-old family, as a ransom note demanded $6 million in bitcoin.

Savannah and the rest of her family members were seen in distress while they confirmed that they will pay up the amount and expect Nancy’s safe return to them. FBI Phoenix special agent in charge Heith Janke had a message for the kidnappers, as he said, “You still have the time to do the right thing before this becomes a much worse scenario for you. Please return Nancy home.”

Potentially the sharpest lead in the case

According to Criminal defense attorney Josh Ritte, investigators who are for Nancy Guthrie could trace her alleged kidnappers by using the crypto wallet listed in the ransom note.

Indeed, the $6 million demand, even if paid, can be a major lead to source out the abductors, as he said, “These wallets have a number. It’s like an account number.”

Stay tuned for further updates on EssentiallySports.