“Today” co-host Savannah Guthrie asked for prayers on Monday after blood was found in her missing mother’s home.
Her mother, Nancy, was reported missing by a friend early Sunday morning after she didn’t appear at church, according to People magazine.
The friend then called one of Nancy’s other children (one of Guthrie’s siblings), and they went to her home together, only to find all of her belongings still there — wallet, phone, car — but she herself was missing.
Guthrie was subsequently informed by phone that her mother was missing.
It was “the worst phone call of her life,” an NBC producer who knows her personally told CNN.
MISSING PERSON: Nancy Guthrie https://t.co/FckPCHSXKu pic.twitter.com/BcHeWPppzu
— Pima County Sheriff’s Department (@PimaSheriff) February 2, 2026
Guthrie, who was reportedly supposed to fly to Italy on Monday for NBC’s coverage of the Winter Olympics, instead traveled to Tucson, where her mother lives.
Later Monday, law enforcement sources confirmed to the Los Angeles Times that blood was found in Nancy’s home, along with signs of forced entry.
“At this point, investigators believe she was taken from the home against her will, possibly [in the] middle of the night,” local police spokesperson Kevin Adger told the paper. “Detectives are looking into a possible kidnapping or abduction.”
Speaking on NewsNation, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos went so far as to suggest that a homicide may have occurred.
“This one stood out, just because of what I was being told about the home she disappeared from, and I just felt like we’re going to do our search and rescue mission,” he said. “We’re going to find her, but I also felt like we need to get our homicide or criminal investigation team involved early on, because I just didn’t like what I was hearing.”
He added that he’s already labeled Nancy’s home a crime scene because of her limited mobility, because of signs that she didn’t leave on her own, and because, without her daily medication, she could die within 24 hours.
“Mrs. Guthrie is sharp as a tack,” he said. “She didn’t just wander off at 84, though she does still suffer some physical ailments that restrict her ability to move and get around. The family tells us, you know, if she could walk 50 yards on her own, that would be something.”
“We know she did not leave that home on her own and that it was against her will. We don’t know that she was harmed. We believe that there’s evidence at the scene that suggests we’re gathering some DNA samples to get those to our crime lab to get some rapid results and see what that leads to,” he added.
(Video Credit: News Nation)
Late Monday, Guthrie asked for prayers for her mother in a post published to Instagram.
“We believe in prayer. We believe in voices raised in unison, in love, in hope. We believe in goodness. We believe in humanity. Above all, we believe in Him,” he wrote.
“Thank you for lifting your prayers with ours for our beloved mom, our dearest Nancy, 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. He will keep in perfect peace those whose hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord. A verse of Isaiah for all time for all of us. Bring her home,” she added.
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“NBC Nightly News” also made mention of Guthrie’s missing mother, with anchor Tom Llamas saying the whole fiasco “hits too close to home for our newsroom,” according to CNN.
“The sheriff there tells me she was taken against her will from her bed in the middle of the night,” he added. “Our thoughts and prayers are with Savannah and her family right now.”
He also revealed that it was Nancy who’d taught Guthrie the power of prayer.
“If you know Savannah, then you know her mom — because she raised her, through some very tough times,” he said. “Savannah has shared that it was her mother who taught her the power of prayer, the types of prayers that make you get on your knees and pray for God’s protection.”
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V. Saxena is a staff writer with a decade of experience as a professional writer, and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University. Saxena also contributes to BizPac Review.
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