Savannah Guthrie’s week was supposed to begin with final preparations for NBC’s 2026 Winter Olympics coverage in Italy. Instead, it began with what one NBC producer described as “the worst phone call of her life” — the moment she learned her mother, Nancy Guthrie, 84, was missing.
According to CNN, Guthrie had been with her husband and two children over the weekend and was set to fly to Milan on Monday for her Olympics assignment. The trip did not happen.
A family member called to say Nancy had disappeared, and Guthrie immediately shifted course for Tucson, Arizona, where authorities and family members were trying to piece together what happened.
The call that changed everything
The NBC producer, speaking to CNN, said the news reached Guthrie in the form of a phone call that shattered her plans and sent her rushing to Arizona. Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said Monday that Guthrie had been in touch with his office and that her security team had been communicating with investigators overnight.
Nancy was last known to have been dropped off at her home by family on Saturday night, according to reporting that included statements from law enforcement. When she did not make it to church Sunday morning, relatives went to check on her. After failing to find her, they called 911 and reported her missing around noon local time Sunday.
Authorities later described the home as a crime scene. Tom Llamas led “NBC Nightly News” on Monday with the case, saying it “hits too close to home for our newsroom.” He reported that the sheriff told him investigators believe Nancy was taken “against her will from her bed in the middle of the night,” adding that the newsroom’s thoughts and prayers were with Guthrie and her family.
What investigators have said so far
Sheriff Nanos told NewsNation that investigators remain in contact with Guthrie and are working with her security team. He also said officials have not ruled out whether Nancy could have been targeted because of her daughter’s public profile, but added that “nothing’s pointing to her being targeted at this moment.”
At a Tuesday press conference, Nanos said authorities had limited information about Nancy’s whereabouts or possible suspects. He has previously said Nancy relies on daily life-saving medication and warned that going without it for 24 hours “could be fatal.”
Fox News, citing a law enforcement source, reported that Nancy’s pacemaker stopped syncing with her Apple devices early Sunday morning.
A mother known to viewers, and a daughter tied to Arizona
Guthrie has spoken publicly about her ties to Tucson, once calling herself a “daughter of the desert” during a “Today” show segment focused on her Arizona roots.
She and her mother have appeared together on air, including a segment where they ate at a Mexican restaurant and Nancy described the area as “wonderful,” saying, “Just the air, the quality of life is laid back and gentle.”
As the investigation unfolded, NBC used its platforms to circulate the Pima County Sheriff’s Department tip line, 520-351-4900, while Guthrie remained in Tucson as the search for her mother continued.
