[Warning: Potentially Triggering Content]
Today show host Savannah Guthrie is facing an unimaginable nightmare as authorities in Arizona reveal a deeply troubling theory about what may have happened to her mother, Nancy Guthrie, who has been missing since the weekend. And the more details that emerge, the heavier this situation feels.
Police now officially believe that Nancy, who is 84, was likely taken from her home while she was asleep. Let that sink in for a second: a woman in her mid-80s, apparently taken from her own bed in the middle of the night, from what should have been the safest place in the world.
Related: Nancy’s Neighbor Recalls Seeing Her Day Before Disappearance — Details
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos did not mince words when he spoke to CBS News on Monday:
“I believe she was abducted, yes. She didn’t walk from there. She didn’t go willingly.”
Hearing that out loud is devastating. There had been quiet speculation about this possibility, but for the sheriff himself to say it so plainly makes the situation feel far more dire and painfully real.
As we’ve been reporting, Nancy was last seen at her Arizona home on Saturday night, and she was officially reported missing around midday on Sunday.
By Monday, authorities confirmed what everyone feared: this is no longer being treated as a simple missing persons case, but it is now considered a crime. Speaking later on Monday night on OutFront with host Erin Burnett, Sheriff Nanos emphasized that while Nancy has physical limitations, her mental state was not a concern:
“Her wits are about her. This isn‘t somebody who wandered off. This is an elderly woman in her mid-80s who suffers some ailments that makes her mobility, her ability to walk around very difficult.”
According to Nanos, Nancy could not have walked more than about 50 yards on her own. He also referenced undisclosed details at the scene that suggested she was removed from her home against her will — something he says experience has taught him not to ignore.
Nanos said:
“I‘ve been doing this for 50 years. I have a gut feeling, but it came to me yesterday… that she was abducted… something about that scene made me believe that there’s more just a missing person. Today we still hope she’s alive… but you can’t ignore what you’re seeing at the scene. Time is of the essence.”
Wow…
Now, neighbors are now being urged to review any home surveillance footage from Saturday night that could help piece together what happened. Authorities are also working closely with Savannah’s security team, though they’ve thus far said this is not being treated as a ransom situation.
Related: Savannah Guthrie Makes Startling Career Move As Mother Remains Missing
What ultimately raised the alarm was heartbreakingly ordinary. Members of Nancy’s church noticed she didn’t show up for Sunday morning services and became concerned. To that end, Nanos said:
“This is a big case to this community because it‘s not often… that we see somebody in the middle of the night in their safe home environment and bed all of a sudden disappear.”
Nancy Guthrie is described as 5 feet, 5 inches tall, with brown hair, blue eyes, and weighing around 150 pounds.
Per Nanos on OutFront, anyone with information is urged to contact the Pima County Sheriff’s Department at (520) 351-4900.
And for now, a family, a community, and so many millions more are watching from afar are holding onto hope in the middle of something truly terrifying.
[Image via Savannah Guthrie/Instagram]
