The Pima County Sheriff has made a major announcement about Today Show host Savannah Guthrie’s missing mom, Nancy Guthrie.
Sheriff Chris Nanos believes she was kidnapped, although the motive is not clear. There is also no suspect in custody or identified.
“I believe she was abducted, yes,” Nanos told CBS News as concern grows for Guthrie’s missing mother. “She didn’t walk from there. She didn’t go willingly.” In a news conference, the sheriff revealed, “It is a crime scene. We know that… We do have a crime.” He added, “She did not leave on her own. We know that.”
The Sheriff Revealed That Nancy Guthrie Needs Her ‘Daily Medication
(Photo by: Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty Images)
Time is of the essence in the search for Nancy Guthrie, the sheriff revealed, in part because she “needs her daily medication.” He added, “We do have a crime.”
The Sheriff’s Department released a missing person poster containing a photo of Guthrie’s mom. She is 5 feet, 5 inches tall, has brown hair and blue eyes, and weighs 150 pounds. She was last seen on the evening of January 31, when family members dropped her off around 9:45 p.m., the sheriff said. In the morning, family grew concerned when Nancy didn’t show up for church, and they couldn’t find her and called 911, according to the sheriff.
“We need her back. We need to find her, and time is very critical. She is 84. She needs her meds. Her family needs her too,” Nanos added.
Savannah Guthrie Has Been ‘in Touch’ With Authorities Regarding Her Missing Mom
Pima County Sheriff
The sheriff revealed that Savannah “has been in touch with us as well” as other family members. “This is their mom,” he added. “She’s just a great lady from what I’ve heard. I feel for the family. We just want to find her and bring her back safe.”
Authorities described the circumstances on the scene as “suspicious in nature,” but they declined to specify what specifically made them believe a crime was committed.
Nanos told Us Weeklyon February 2. “We’re gonna pull all the stops and go at all angles. We really do hope it’s a search and rescue mission, and we find her and she’s safe and sound. But it would be unjust if we didn’t look at what’s in front of us and go, ‘We need to act.’”
According to the sheriff, initially authorities sent out K9s and search teams and worked “tirelessly all day yesterday and all last night to no avail.” They saw “some things at the him that were concerning to us,” he added. “We believe now that we do in fact have a crime scene, that we do in fact have a crime, and we’re asking for the community’s help.”
He added that Nancy “suffers from some physical ailments” and she is on medication that she needs within 24 hours or “it could be fatal.”
He added that she does not suffer from dementia. He asked people in the community to call 911 if they have any information. “We don’t need another bad, tragic ending,” he added. “We need some help…I need the community to step up and let us know if you’ve seen anything.”
The sheriff said the next investigative phase will focus on technology, including “license plate readers” and cameras throughout the community. “We will download all that data that we have from the home,” he added.
He described Nancy Guthrie as being of “great sound mind, not dementia related. She is sharp as a tack. This isn’t somebody who just wandered off.”
