Savannah Guthrie has long spoken about the central role her mother, Nancy Guthrie, played in her life. Now, that bond is at the centre of an urgent and deeply personal crisis.
Popular NBC Today anchor, Savannah Guthrie, has openly sought help from the public after her 84-year-old mother, Nancy Guthrie, was reported missing in Arizona. She was last seen in the evening of January 31, 2026, at her residence near East Skyline Drive and North Campbell Avenue. More than 48 hours have passed, and the search for her has yielded no positive results.
After the Pima County Sheriff’s Department launched an urgent search in Nancy's Arizona home, they believe she may have been abducted, and the search has officially shifted to a critical priority criminal investigation. With the Homicide Department stepping in, Savannah has taken a break from broadcasting.
As concern grows over Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance, attention has turned to her close relationship with her daughter, Savannah. Their many on-air appearances together reflect a bond built on deep love, mutual respect, and gratitude.
Savannah Guthrie was born in Australia but was primarily raised in Tucson, Arizona. She lost her father, Charles Guthrie, when she was just 16. While it was a sudden and shocking loss for the Guthrie children, including her older siblings, Annie and Camron, it was their mother, Nancy, who stepped in and became the anchor holding the family together.
Despite her own grief, Nancy focused on her children, a sacrifice Savannah has never forgotten. During a Mother’s Day segment on Today, she described her mom as “so strong,” explaining how Nancy put her children’s needs first to help them survive the tragedy together. She said:
"[Nancy] set aside her own grief in many ways just to be there and make sure that we could all move forward together."
While Charles was alive, he worked as a mining engineer, and Nancy was a stay-at-home mom. After her husband's unexpected passing, she got herself a public relations job at the University of Arizona to pay for Savannah and her elder sister, Annie's, tuition fees.
Savannah is the youngest of the Guthrie siblings, and she mentioned during the Mother's Day segment how Nancy felt the family became complete only after she and Charles welcomed Savannah. Since then, she has remained a steady presence in her daughter's life, pushing her to move forward.
One of the most defining moments in Savannah and Nancy's relationship came when she got her first opportunity as a news anchor in Montana at age 21. Savannah, who lived at home through college to stay close to her mom, hesitated to accept the role and move away from her. However, it was Nancy who insisted she go. The Today anchor shared in a Mother's Day special segment:
"And that's when she said, 'If you can't leave me, then I didn't do my job right, Savannah. She just gave me permission to go, you know? It's not because she didn't want me to stay. Of course she wanted me to stay. But she's like, 'I'm not going to stand in the way of your dreams. I'm going to tell you, go go go go go'."
Nancy made it clear she wouldn’t stand in the way of her daughter’s ambitions, even though it meant being alone. And that encouragement ultimately pushed Savannah down the path to professional journalism. Nancy was the one who urged her to pursue journalism in the first place, and the decision has since changed her life.
Over the years, Today viewers have occasionally seen glimpses of Savannah and Nancy's loving bond in on-air segments. The mother-daughter duo has often taken trips for meaningful memories, including a 2015 trip to Austria, to the hospital where Savannah was born.
Nancy was last seen around 9:30 p.m. local time on January 31, 2026, at her home near East Skyline Drive and North Campbell Avenue in the Catalina Foothills area north of Tucson, Arizona. When she failed to attend church the following day and could not be located at her home, her family called 911 on February 1. What officers found at the residence raised immediate concern and triggered an intensive law enforcement response. By Monday, the sheriff confirmed that investigators believe a crime had occurred.
Homicide detectives are now assisting with the investigation, and authorities have not ruled out foul play. Search efforts to locate Nancy Guthrie have been extensive, involving drones, helicopters, infrared technology, and support from the U.S. Border Patrol. The FBI is also reportedly assisting as the investigation continues.
Meanwhile, Savannah Guthrie has stepped away from Today and was not seen on the Monday morning episode on February 2, 2026. Her co-hosts, Sheinelle Jones and Craig Melvin, shared a statement on her behalf during the broadcast. Savannah said her statement:
“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. 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.”
With alarming fears that Nancy Guthrie's age-related health issues, combined with the lack of critical medication, could put her life at risk, investigators have stressed that every passing hour is crucial.
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