Savannah Guthrie, the esteemed co-anchor of NBC's Today show, is confronting a deeply distressing family ordeal as her elderly mother, Nancy Guthrie, is suspected of having been abducted from her own home in Tucson, Arizona. The 84-year-old was last seen on Saturday evening near her residence, with chilling new details emerging that suggest a forced removal from her bed, given her limited mobility.
Authorities Voice Grave Concerns Over Disappearance
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanons addressed the media on Monday, confirming that aspects of the scene at Nancy's home have prompted "grave concern." He emphasised that Nancy, who has significant mobility restrictions, did not simply walk away. "She is very limited in her mobility. She did not just walk out of there," Sheriff Nanons stated during a press conference, underscoring the suspicious nature of the disappearance.
The alarm was raised on Sunday when a congregant from the Guthrie family's local church contacted relatives to report Nancy's absence from services. Family members rushed to her house, conducted a search, and subsequently reported her missing around noon, as confirmed by TODAY reports. The investigation is now actively treating the case as a potential abduction, with no clear indication yet as to whether Nancy was targeted due to her daughter's high-profile status.
A Close-Knit Family Facing Unthinkable Anguish
Savannah Guthrie, 54, has frequently spoken of the profound bond she shares with her mother, describing Nancy as her "world." Despite a successful career that took her from Georgetown Law School to prominent roles in Washington D.C. and New York, Savannah has maintained a deep-rooted connection to her Tucson roots, where Nancy has resided for over five decades.
"When people ask me, 'Where are you from?' I'm always proud when I say, 'Tucson, Arizona,'" Savannah shared on the Today show in November. "I grew up there, went to college there, my mom still lives there, and honestly, a part of me has really never left." An insider recently told People magazine, "Savannah and her mom are obsessed with each other. Nancy beams whenever she talks about Savannah."
Tributes to a Beloved Matriarch
In a 2012 interview with Today.com, celebrating Nancy's 70th birthday, Savannah praised her mother as "an amazing and noble woman" who inspires everyone with her intelligence, humour, integrity, and sense of adventure. More recently, in 2022, for Nancy's 80th birthday, Savannah paid a heartfelt on-air tribute, highlighting her mother's "daring and adventurous" spirit, grit, and unshakeable faith in facing life's challenges.
Savannah also reflected on the joy of watching Nancy as a grandmother to her two children, Vale and Charley. "I feel like watching my mom now with my kids is so profound. Because I'm seeing the mom that she must have been with me, just the everyday joys," she told co-anchor Hoda Kotb in 2018, appreciating Nancy's "spunkiness and her quirks."
Family Dynamics and Personal History
The Guthrie family's history adds layers of poignancy to this crisis. Savannah's father, Charles Guthrie, passed away suddenly from a heart attack in 1988 when she was just 16, an event she has described as "cracked open" her family. In her 2024 book, Mostly What God Does: Reflections on Seeking and Finding His Love Everywhere, she writes about relying on faith to cope with such devastating losses, viewing her father's death as part of a larger, albeit painful, divine plan.
Savannah is very close to her older sister, Annie Guthrie, who reportedly had dinner with Nancy and played mahjong with her just hours before the disappearance. Annie has appeared on Today multiple times, with Savannah once describing their bond by saying, "Annie's like the blood going through my veins." The family also includes an older brother, Camron Guthrie, a retired F-16 pilot whom Savannah has praised as "the pride of our family."
Savannah's Personal Life and Resilience
Savannah is married to public relations consultant Michael Feldman, with whom she shares two children. Their relationship had a rocky start, including a temporary breakup before Feldman proposed during a vacation. Prior to this, Savannah was married to BBC journalist Mark Orchard, divorcing in 2009 after four years—an experience she said made her feel like a "failure" but ultimately strengthened her faith.
As the investigation into Nancy's disappearance continues, the Guthrie family, along with law enforcement, are urgently seeking answers. The community in Tucson and viewers nationwide are holding the family in their thoughts, hoping for Nancy's safe return amidst this harrowing mystery.
