CCTV footage reveals the final images of her mother before she went missing, along with the suspicious appearance of a stranger

Savannah Guthrie, right, sits with her mother, Nancy, on set in 2019.
Nathan Congleton/NBCUniversal/Getty Images

Law enforcement believes Nancy Guthrie was abducted from her bed in Arizona, but they’ve been tight-lipped about what details lead them to that conclusion about the 84-year-old mother of “Today” anchor Savannah Guthrie.

Nancy Guthrie was last seen at her home in the Catalina Foothills near Tucson Saturday night and police say time is of the essence to find her, especially since she is without crucial medication she takes daily.

When law enforcement arrived at the house Sunday, they found things that were “very concerning,” Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said, and that kicked off a criminal investigation.

Savannah Guthrie, who traveled to Tucson after learning her mother was missing, is now asking for prayers for her family.

Here are the key questions and what we know about the case.

What happened?

Guthrie was last seen Saturday when her family brought her home from dinner around 9:30 p.m., Nanos told CNN. They got her in the house and she went to bed, he said.

When she did not show up to church Sunday morning, a church member called her family, who went to her home around 11 a.m. to look for her, the sheriff said at a news conference Monday.

A family member called 911 around noon Sunday to report her missing, Nanos said, and homicide detectives were sent to the home.

“Something that they told me about that scene made me believe that there’s more than just a missing person,” Nanos said about the decision to set in motion a criminal investigation. “We still hope she’s alive and we continue with those missions of search and rescue.”

Nanos said investigators believe she was abducted from her bed “but cannot speak as to why.” Officials do not know what time Guthrie was taken, Nanos added.

What have investigators found at the house?

Law enforcement is treating Guthrie’s house as a crime scene and has described the circumstances around her disappearance as suspicious, Nanos has said.

The case is “not dementia-related,” Nanos said at a Monday morning news conference, and Guthrie is “of great sound mind” and “sharp as a tack.” But she also has limited mobility and “couldn’t walk 50 yards,” the sheriff said, leading investigators to believe she was taken from the house.

“This isn’t somebody who wandered off,” Nanos said.

Nancy Guthrie’s home is seen in Tucson, Arizona, on Monday.
KOLD

“We also have some things at that scene that indicate to us that she was removed from that scene against her will. I can’t go into all those details,” Nanos said, saying it’s to protect the integrity of the case.

He also declined to give information about whether it appears Guthrie was hurt during the incident.

Asked by CNN whether Guthrie could have been part of a kidnapping-for-ransom plot, given her daughter’s high profile, Nanos said that is not the direction investigators are taking, but “we’ll never rule it out.”

Investigators also do not believe it was a home invasion or robbery gone wrong, Nanos told MS NOW, adding they’re also not dismissing that possibility, either.

Right now, “time is very critical” in finding her, the sheriff said at the news conference. Guthrie takes daily medication that “could be fatal” for her to go without, he said. However, there is no indication there is a threat to the public, Nanos said.

Who’s involved in the investigation?

Local law enforcement is leading the investigation, and FBI agents from across Arizona are “fully engaged” and offering numerous technical resources to local authorities, a law enforcement source familiar with the investigation told CNN. This includes assisting with analysis of data from cell phone towers near the Guthrie home.

A priority for investigators right now is downloading security footage from the house, he said. Private companies such as Google and Apple have also been offering assistance, the sheriff said.

Officials are urging the community to help, asking neighbors to look through video footage from their homes and call in any suspicious activity. Any bit of information could help investigators piece what happened together, he said.

“I need this community to step up and start giving some calls, let us know if you’ve seen something,” Nanos said.

The sheriff’s department has set up a tip line for people to submit videos or images that may be useful to the investigation and a reward of up to $2,500 is being offered for information leading to an arrest.

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos speaks at a news conference Monday on the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie.
KOLD

Authorities are also looking through digital evidence including using a license plate reader and scrubbing surveillance video. Nanos said it is unclear whether a vehicle was involved.

Police are in possession of Guthrie’s cellphone and are looking through that as well, Nanos said.

The US Border Patrol brought its dog team to help in the search, he told CNN.

“We take a very strong regional approach to law enforcement in this community,” Nanos said. “The Tucson Police Department, sheriff’s department, 10 other local agencies in this valley – I’ve heard from them all.”

The sheriff was optimistic about his team, saying, in the end, “I really believe that we’ll find her.”

What has Savannah Guthrie said about it?

Savannah Guthrie is in Arizona, Nanos said. The “Today” show opened Monday with a statement from her, which said: “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 mom.”

The statement also urged anyone with information to contact the sheriff’s office.

The anchor’s security team has also been in touch with the sheriff’s department, Nanos said, adding that law enforcement is not aware of any threats toward the TV anchor.

In a post on Instagram late Monday, Savannah Guthrie wrote: “Thank you for lifting your prayers with ours for our beloved mom, our dearest Nancy,” and described her mother as a “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,” she wrote, and quoted a passage from the Bible before ending with a solemn message: “Bring her home.”

Savannah Guthrie has often spoken highly of her mother and their close relationship. During a celebration of her mom’s 80th birthday on “Today,” Savannah Guthrie described her as someone who has “lived a life of integrity and loyalty.” She talked about how her mother raised three kids after losing her father, who died before Savannah’s senior year of high school.

“She has met unthinkable challenges in her life with grit, without self-pity, with determination, and always, always with unshakeable faith,” Savannah Guthrie said during that tribute.