Investigators revealed during a press conference Wednesday evening that the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, the mother of longtime NBC News host Savannah Guthrie, may be linked to a recent trespassing incident in the neighborhood.
Police revealed that in early January, a report was filed concerning an unknown man lurking in a residential yard. A homeowner was alerted to the intruder when a motion sensor triggered a floodlight in his yard, which caused the individual to flee the scene.
This incident took place at a home located less than 10 minutes from Guthrie’s residence in Tucson, investigators said.
According to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, the report has been forwarded to the investigative unit handling Guthrie’s case to determine if it is related to her disappearance. No suspect has been identified in connection with either the trespassing or the abduction as of this report.
Authorities have not released further specifics, such as an exact date in early January, a physical description of the trespasser or any surveillance footage or witness statements from the incident.
The sheriff’s department further stated that as of this time, with the search entering its fifth day, Guthrie is not believed to be deceased.
Nancy Guthrie, an 84-year-old resident of Catalina Hills, Arizona, was last seen on the evening of January 31. She had dinner with her sister, Annie Guthrie, and returned to her home around 9:30 p.m. that night, according to a timeline provided by law enforcement.
She was reported missing the following day, around noon, after failing to attend a church service. Nancy Guthrie requires critical medication every 24 hours and has limited mobility, which made her absence exceptionally notable.
Signs of forced entry were found at the home, along with evidence indicating a nighttime kidnapping, investigators have confirmed. “We believe she was taken out of the home against her will, and that’s how this investigation is moving,” Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos told NBC News.
Evidence includes blood spatters found both inside the home and outside near the front door, though it is unknown to whom the blood belongs
Part of a Ring doorbell camera was missing from the property. In addition, DNA evidence collected from inside the home has been submitted for analysis, but results have not yet identified any suspects, Nanos told reporters.
Sheriff Nanos told CBS News that investigators are taking a purported ransom note seriously, adding that it had been forwarded to the FBI. The note, which threatened harm if millions of dollars in cryptocurrency was not paid, was first sent to TMZ.
As of February 4, 2026, no suspects or persons of interest have been identified in the case. “There is no credible information indicating this was a targeted incident,” the Sheriff’s Department stated in an update Wednesday.
President Trump has stated that all available federal assistance will be provided and told reporters that he intends to call Savannah Guthrie to offer support. Guthrie has withdrawn from coverage of the Winter Olympics as the search progresses.
A follow-up press conference is scheduled for Thursday morning unless new developments arise sooner.
