Savannah Guthrie’s Missing Mother Believed to Be Taken from Home Against Her Will, Police Say

Nancy Guthrie, 84, was last seen on Jan. 31 in her home outside Tucson, which is now considered a crime scene, police said Monday.

Police say they believe Savannah Guthrie’s 84-year-old mother, Nancy Guthrie, was taken from her home against her will before her family reported her missing from her Arizona residence the following day.

Nancy Guthrie was last seen on the night of Jan. 31 at her home outside Tucson and was reported missing at noon on Feb. 1 by her family, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said at a news conference on Feb. 2. Nancy Guthrie’s home is being considered a crime scene, he told reporters, adding that aspects of the scene “were concerning.”

Speaking to Tom Llamas on NBC Nightly News on Feb. 2, Nanos said, “We believe she was taken out of the home against her will, and that’s how this investigation is moving.”

“I can’t think of the last time where in the middle of the night in someone’s bed, an 84-year-old woman disappeared on us,” he added.

Law enforcement officials also told NBC News that they believe Nancy Guthrie was harmed when she was taken from her home.

Nancy Guthrie does not have cognitive issues, Nanos said at the press conference, but has physical challenges and is in need of medication that can be fatal if not received within 24 hours.

“She is very limited in her mobility, we know she didn’t just walk out of there, that we know,” Nanos said. “There were other things at the scene that indicate that she did not leave on her own.”

Nanos said later in the press conference that Nancy Guthrie “could not walk 50 yards by herself.”

Nanos would not elaborate on what makes it a crime scene, saying “it would be inappropriate at this time.”

He added that a search for Nancy Guthrie has been “shut down” because her disappearance is being treated as a crime. Savannah and her family have been in touch with police, he said.

“Right now, we don’t see this as a search mission as much as we do a crime scene,” he said.

Savannah, whom Nanos said is now in Arizona, issued a statement on Feb. 2 on behalf of their family.

“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. We thank law enforcement for their hard work on this case and encourage anyone with information to contact the Pima County Sheriff’s Department at (520) 351-4900.”

Her family told police they were alerted to her disappearance when they received a call from someone at their local church saying Nancy Guthrie was not there. The family then went to her house and searched for her before calling police.

Authorities are in possession of Nancy Guthrie’s cell phone, according to Nanos. She lives alone and had house staff, some of whom have been in touch with law enforcement, according to the sheriff.

Police do not know if Nancy Guthrie was targeted because she is Savannah’s mother and are not aware of threats aimed at Savannah after speaking with her, Nanos said.

Nanos added that he does not believe the public is in any danger.

Nanos said multiple teams responded to the scene, including homicide detectives. Foul play cannot be ruled out, he said.

“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,” he said at his first news conference Feb. 1.

Nancy Guthrie is described as 5 feet, 5 inches tall, weighing 150 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes. Her family last saw her at home around 9:30 p.m. to 9:45 p.m. Saturday, Nanos said.

Officials had been searching using drones, a helicopter, an airplane, search-and-rescue dogs and volunteers, Nanos said on Feb. 1.

Savannah has often described her close relationship with her mother. Her father, Charles, died when she was 16 years old, leaving Nancy as a single mother of Savannah and her two siblings.

REVEALED: The disturbing secret evidence found at home of Savannah Guthrie’s missing mother, as cops and star fear she did not leave home of her own accord

Savannah Guthrie’s missing 84-year-old mother Nancy did not leave her $1 million home of her own volition, police fear – and now a source has told the Daily Mail why.

‘Her stuff was left behind at the house: keys, ID, purse, phone. Everything,’ an insider close to the star told the Daily Mail on Monday morning.

‘It’s not a situation where she voluntarily went away, because she didn’t take any of the things you would normally take if you voluntarily went out.’

Savannah ‘doesn’t believe that her mom just went out of her own accord’ the source added – with Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos backing up that theory at a press conference on Monday as he said: ‘We do in fact have a crime scene.’

Sheriff Chris Nanos added: ‘She is very limited in her mobility. She did not just walk out of there.

‘There are other things at the scene that indicate she did not leave on her own.’

Nancy was last seen at her home in Tucson, Arizona home around 9:45pm on Saturday night.

She does not have dementia or cognitive decline, the Daily Mail understands.

Nancy also left home without taking medication that she needs to survive, Pima County Sheriff’s Office and Today show host Jenna Bush Hager said on Monday.

Nancy’s neighbor Paul Arnaud said he’d heard Nancy vanished shortly after being dropped off from a church function by a friend on Saturday night.

He said the alarm was raised after she failed to turn up for Sunday service the next morning.

Savannah Guthrie is said to be fearful that her missing mother Nancy did not leave her home of her own accord

Nancy disappeared from her $1 million home in Tucson on Saturday night

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos held a press conference on Monday morning as they continue to investigate Nancy’s disappearance

Arnaud added: ‘We heard that the front door was left open.

‘So a lot of us are worried that it was an abduction because they did a thorough search throughout the entire day and early evening of the entire area and they could not find her.’

Another source said: ‘I don’t think they can say [what happened] yet, but it sounds like it was bad.

‘It’s not like she was mentally unwell and wandered out, if you know what I mean.’

The Daily Mail understands that Nancy was not suffering from dementia or any form of cognitive decline.

NBC News staff held a prayer circle on Monday to pray for Nancy’s safe return home. Jenna Bush Hager was on the verge of tears on-air, as she said that Nancy does not have medication that she needs to survive.

Homicide detectives from Pima County Sheriff’s Office are investigating Nancy’s disappearance.

The FBI are also said to be ‘aware’ of the case.

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said the hunt for Nancy was still being treated as a search and rescue operation but said he could not rule out foul play.

Customs and Border Patrol have joined the search because of Nancy’s relative proximity to the Mexican border.

Savannah Guthrie is pictured with her mother Nancy

Craig Melvin looked somber as he discussed news of Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance on Today Monday

Jenna Bush Hager, left, was on the verge of tears on Monday morning as she said that Nancy does not have medication that she needs to survive

Savannah is pictured with her mother Nancy, brother Camron and sister Annie

Drones and a plane have been deployed in a bid to find her.

Savannah was not at work on Monday but issued a statement, saying: ‘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 mom.

‘We thank law enforcement for their hard work on this case and encourage anyone, anyone with information to contact the Pima County Sheriff’s office at 520-351-4900.’

She had only recently returned to the famous NBC studio after undergoing surgery.

Savannah was close to her mother and recently brought her to visit the Today show studios at Rockefeller Plaza in New York City.

Nancy was widowed, with her husband Charles – Savannah’s father – dying of a heart attack in 1989 aged just 49.

Nancy has two other children who are Savannah’s older siblings – a daughter named Annie and a son named Camron.