Who is Savannah Guthrie, the TV host whose mother Nancy is missing out of Arizona?

PHOENIX - A missing persons case out of the Tucson area has put the host of a morning television program with Arizona ties in a different kind of spotlight.

Here's what to know about Savannah Guthrie, whose mother, Nancy, is currently the subject of that search effort.

Who is Savannah Guthrie?

Savannah Guthrie is the co-anchor of Today, which is a national morning television program.

Dig deeper:

According to her bio on the show's website, Savannah joined the show as a co-host of its 3rd hour in 2011, and then became the show's co-anchor in 2012.

The bio states that prior to her time on the Today show, Savannah worked in other reporting roles within the same company.

Savannah also has links to Arizona. According to the University of Arizona, Savannah was born in Melbourne, Australia, and moved to Tucson as a child. She also received a journalism degree from the school in 1993.

Who is Nancy Guthrie?

Nancy Guthrie is an 84-year-old who lives in the Tucson area.

According to a report by NPR on Feb. 3, Guthrie lives alone in the Catalina Foothills area of Tucson. Her husband, Charles, died in 1988. She and Charles had three children, including Savannah.

Big picture view:

In a 2023 segment on the "Today" show, Savannah talked about her mother.

"She always said, ‘When you came, I know my family was complete,’" Savannah recounted.

In a separate article published in the same year, Savannah talked about how her mother supported her when Savannah found her first job in journalism.

"My sister and I really felt like we should stick with my mom and not leave her alone," Savannah said in the article. "But when I moved to Butte, Montana, this was it. And it was really hard for me to leave her. That's when she said, 'If you can't leave me, then I didn't do my job right, Savannah,'"

What happened with Nancy?

On Feb. 2, we reported on Nancy's disappearance.

Nancy, per officials with the Pima County Sheriff's Department, was last seen on the evening of Jan. 31 near Skyline Drive and Campbell Avenue. She was reported missing Sunday, after someone at a church called a family member to say Nancy wasn’t there.

Per Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos, Nancy's family members searched her home, and called 911 afterward.

Why you should care:

"Sheriff Nanos has stated that he believes a crime has been committed. At this point, investigators believe she was taken from the home against her will, possibly in the middle of the night. Taken against her will includes possible kidnapping or abduction," department officials said on Feb. 2.

"We do in fact have a crime scene, we do in fact have a crime," he said.

While Nancy is not known to have any illnesses or cognitive issues, but authorities are concerned about her physical health due to limited mobility. Nanos also said that Nancy does not have her medication that she needs daily.

Has Savannah spoken out on her mother's disappearance?

In short, yes.

What She Said:

On the night of Feb. 2, Savannah posted a photo with the words "please pray" on her verified Instagram account. The photo came with a post, which reads:

"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.

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."

According to the Associated Press, Savannah hasn't appeared at the anchor's desk, as she has been in Arizona.

Other members of the show, like Al Roker and Dylan Dreyer, have also spoken out about Nancy's disappearance on social media.

What are authorities saying about Savannah's missing mother?

On Feb. 3, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos held a news conference on Nancy's disappearance.

"We have a lot of work in front of us. We have a job to do and we have someone’s life who is in jeopardy," Sheriff Nanos said.

When asked whether officials were looking for Nancy alive, Sheriff Nanos said "we hope we are."

Dig deeper:

In a statement, a spokesperson with PCSD also listed some additional information surrounding the case:

• Cameras: Nancy's home had several cameras. "Detectives are working with the respective companies to determine the number of cameras and whether any footage is available."
• DNA: DNA samples were collected from the home, and they have been confirmed as belonging to Nancy. "At this time, the Sheriff has not confirmed whether those samples were blood. He has stated that he does not want to get into specific details about evidence in order to protect the integrity of the investigation."
• Ransom Notes: Per the statement, PCSD is "aware of reports circulating about possible ransom note(s) regarding the investigation into Nancy Guthrie."
• Suspects: No suspects have been named at this time.

On the issue of ransom notes, Tucson television station KOLD reported on Feb. 3 that they had received one of the alleged notes via e-mail. Per their report, the note included a deadline, and requested a specific amount of money for Nancy's safe return. The e-mail has been sent to PCSD.

In a later statement, PCSD officials said "there is no credible information indicating this was a targeted incident."

What you can do:

Anyone with information should call 911 or (520) 351-4900.

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