Police say they have found blood inside the Tucson, Arizona, home of Nancy Guthrie, who has not been seen since about 9:45 p.m. Saturday night.
Nancy Guthrie, the 84 year-old mother of NBC’s Today Show so-host Savannah Guthrie, does not suffer from any kind of cognitive decline, so authorities are now treating the disappearance as a crime and believe she might have been forced out of her home in the middle of the night.
She was first reported missing on Sunday morning after she failed to show up for church and family members went to check on her.
More terrible news: Police say there are signs of a forced entry and that Guthrie’s wallet, phone, and other personal belongings, which most people take along with them, remained behind in the house.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said Guthrie requires a daily medication and that if she doesn’t receive it, the results could be fatal.
“We do in fact have a crime scene; we do in fact have a crime,” Nanos said. “She did not leave on her own, we know that. She’s very limited in her mobility.”
“At this point, investigators believe she was taken from the home against her will, possibly [in the] middle of the night,” department spokesman Kevin Adger told the Los Angeles Times Monday. “Detectives are looking into a possible kidnapping or abduction.”
Late Monday, Savannah Guthrie asked her Instagram followers to pray for her mom’s safe return.
“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,” she 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.”
Police say there are surveillance cameras outside the Guthrie home and that they are asking neighbors for access to doorbell footage and any further information.
Savannah Guthrie is reportedly in Arizona and has dropped out of NBC’s coverage of the Winter Olympics, which starts tomorrow.
So far, there are no reports of any kind of ransom request. Police have also done an extensive search of the area.
It’s unimaginable what the Guthrie family is going through right now. We all hope and pray for a positive outcome. In coordination with the authorities, a non-profit called 88-CRIME is offering a $2500 reward for any information that leads to the arrest of anyone involved in Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance.
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