Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of 'Today' show co-host Savannah Guthrie, was reported missing from her Tucson home on February 1 after failing to attend church. Authorities believe she was abducted in the middle of the night, with evidence including security video of a masked suspect and a possible ransom note demanding bitcoin. The family has offered a $1 million reward for information leading to her recovery.
Nancy Guthrie was last seen on January 31, when she dined at her daughter Annie's home and was dropped off at her Tucson residence around 9:48 p.m. by her son-in-law, Tommaso Cioni. Her garage door closed at 9:50 p.m., and authorities assume she went to bed. The home's doorbell camera disconnected at 1:47 a.m. on February 1, with motion detected around 2:12 a.m. Her pacemaker app showed a disconnect at 2:28 a.m.
A friend alerted the family that Guthrie had missed church, leading to a welfare check around noon on February 1. Pima County Sheriff's Department arrived at 12:15 p.m. and determined she was missing under concerning circumstances. Guthrie, who has limited mobility and requires daily medication, prompted an urgent search. Sheriff Chris Nanos stated on February 2, "I believe she was abducted, yes. She didn't walk from there. She didn't go willingly."
Blood drops outside the home were confirmed to be Guthrie's, with additional samples inside under analysis. An apparent ransom note demanding bitcoin payment arrived on February 3, including deadlines of 5 p.m. on February 5 and February 9. Authorities received a second message on February 6, which they are verifying.
On February 10, the FBI released recovered Nest camera footage showing a masked male suspect, about 5 feet 9 inches to 5 feet 10 inches tall with an average build, wearing gloves, a face mask, and carrying a black 25-liter Ozark Trail Hiker Pack backpack. The backpack is sold exclusively at Walmart, a lead investigators are pursuing through store surveillance and purchase records. A glove matching the suspect's, found 2 miles from the home, yielded an unknown male DNA profile with no match in the FBI's CoDIS database. Additional DNA from the property is being analyzed, and investigators are using genetic genealogy on commercial databases.
A person of interest was detained in Rio Rico on February 10 but released, denying involvement. Homes near Guthrie's were searched on February 13 without arrests. The family, including Savannah, Annie, and Camron Guthrie, has been cleared as suspects. Nanos said, "The family has been nothing but cooperative and gracious and are victims in this case."
Savannah Guthrie posted emotional appeals, stating on February 4, "We need to know without a doubt that she is alive and that you have her." On February 24, the family announced an additional $1 million reward, bringing the total to $1.1 million with the FBI's $100,000 offer. She said, "Someone out there knows something that can bring her home." A signal sniffer device on a helicopter seeks pacemaker signals, and investigators believe Guthrie is held nearby. No suspect has been identified as of late February.
