AZ Nancy Guthrie (mother of TODAY Show host Savannah Guthrie) missing - last seen in the Catalina foothills area on Jan 31, 2026

[MadCowWisco]

Some info from Google on the Catalina Foothills:

Catalina Foothills is an affluent, unincorporated community north of Tucson, Arizona, known for its luxury homes, stunning mountain and city views, and low-density, suburban character. It's defined by its geography at the base of the Santa Catalina Mountains, featuring custom architecture, upscale shopping, fine dining, and outdoor recreation like hiking and golf. The area is considered one of Arizona's most desirable residential areas, with a high median household income and a focus on a refined, private lifestyle.

She was last seen at her residence.

 

[IceIce9]

Yes that's true. But a person on a blood thinner or heart medication could potentially survive days, weeks or more without the medication, and only experience worsening condition. An insulin dependent person would likely die within 24 hours not having it, or be completely unconscious and unable to help themselves. I'm thinking in terms of immediate risk with even one missed dose of medication. It would be dangerous and risky to go without these other meds, but insulin can be life or death immediately. I'm sorry if I confused anyone. This is only my own opinion and thinking on why there is such a focus on her medications. And we don't know what her medications are or are for at this time.

A person could possibly suffer a fatal blood clot after missing just one day of blood thinner medication.

 

[MadCowWisco]

agree

 

[IceIce9]

Even a blood thinner could be a critical medication --

JMO

Yes. The person could suffer a blood clot after just one day of missing their blood thinner medication.

 

[MadCowWisco]

Sorry I'm new to this. Hopefully, this will be a good frame of reference for people. The house was set pretty far back from the house. It looks like kind of hidden and the road it sits on is pretty remote.

 

[bestill]

Hopefully, this will be helpful as a frame of reference the house was set pretty far away from the road and looking up and down the street. It's pretty remote.

Welcome to WS!

 

[tlcya]

I also can't imagine a robber robs a house and comes across an elderly lady in the house and takes her with when they leave. You'd think they'd either harm her on site or just run off. If it was a kidnapping for money, I would think there'd be a ransom call or note by now. Maybe there has been and that hasn't been made public.

I suspect they took her to try to force her to use her bank cards to withdraw funds But if so, they would have no use for her if she failed to comply or after she had complied. Very worried it is already too late to find Nancy alive

 

[strawberry]

Do we know what family she had in the area? Children? Grandchilden?

That's what I'm wondering especially after the Rob Reiner tragedy

 

[WillenFan21]

Just got caught up. Gosh this sounds horrible. I'm hoping that cameras caught something for them to go off of!

 

[justtrish]

I apologize if this has been discussed but I'm just wondering what they noticed that immediately made them jump to crime scene rather than missing person.

Blood? Ransacked home? God forbid, a pet hurt or worse (the one picture shows her with a dog)...

Has anything been mentioned?

I was thinking about this also.

If family went to check and they didn't notice anything (assuming they didn't find a large amount of blood somewhere or the entire house ransacked) then maybe it's smaller less obvious things that LE put together. All I saw mentioned was someone called family to say she wasn't at church and then family briefly searched and then called LE.

If she didn't take her cane or walker, didn't take her medication, didn't take her phone, etc. That would be suspicious, but I don't know if I'd say a crime must have been committed based only on those things.

What else could it have been? Was something left on in the house? Was the bed slept in Sat night? Were her pajamas missing? I am only thinking of my grandma, and she always wore a nightgown and a house coat with house slippers. Younger generations might not be so much into bed clothing being specific pjs or night gowns, but I feel older people do still wear gowns or things like that specifically for sleeping. When my grandma took those items off she hung them up on a hook on the back of her bedroom door.

 

[Synergizer Bunny]

I suspect they took her to try to force her to use her bank cards to withdraw funds But if so, they would have no use for her if she failed to comply or after she had complied. Very worried it is already too late to find Nancy alive

I also do not have a good feeling about this. Very sad. I sure hope that someone has captured video of any vehicles coming or going. I read an article on Daily Mail. I'll link it for reference. I believe that it said that everything was left behind like keys, wallet, medicine.

I didn't read that blood was found. It's like someone had her leave with them. I also read that she missed a (church) service on Sunday and that is what sounded the alarm. She had attended a church function on Saturday night and was dropped off by a friend.

Who knows what details are accurate, but this is what I read from the article at the link.


https://archive.is/20260202180117/h...609/nancy-guthrie-missing-savannah-today.html

JMO.

 

[Alkali13]

I'm caught up. This is so very sad.

Like others here, I'm leaning to inside job. Though she lives alone, I had read that she had help with household chores and the garden. I don't suspect any of them, likely they were long term and thoroughly vetted. However they may have had a relative or acquaintance who was not so upright.

The family initially did a search, inside the house before she was reported missing. But it seems they didn't find anything obviously alarming, yet police state there was obviously a crime. Makes me wonder what alerted them to such.

Honestly, an employee could've mentioned something as simple as "I do work for Savannah Guthrie's mom," and most of us here could've easily found her address (MassGuy did it on page 1). Grab a buddy saying you're likely to make money if you break in and take her cards and such. Then something probably went off the rails.

 

[Curiousobserver]

Just got caught up. Gosh this sounds horrible. I'm hoping that cameras caught something for them to go off of!

LE said there are indoor cameras. Hopefully they don't need a warrant to get access.

I have elderly parents about that age. My siblings and I have cameras in common areas of the house, but not private areas, so we can check on them but they can still be independent (We can see if the stove is left on, or they are lying at the base of the dangerous stairs). We would know if they left and we all have the password.

 

[Alkali13]

I suspect they took her to try to force her to use her bank cards to withdraw funds But if so, they would have no use for her if she failed to comply or after she had complied. Very worried it is already too late to find Nancy alive

Whatever they found in the house made them call homicide. That being said, they also sound like they still have hope she is alive based on the presser, assuming they are able to get info from the public like they are asking for.

 

[LAhiker]

I was thinking about this also.

If family went to check and they didn't notice anything (assuming they didn't find a large amount of blood somewhere or the entire house ransacked) then maybe it's smaller less obvious things that LE put together. All I saw mentioned was someone called family to say she wasn't at church and then family briefly searched and then called LE.

If she didn't take her cane or walker, didn't take her medication, didn't take her phone, etc. That would be suspicious, but I don't know if I'd say a crime must have been committed based only on those things.

What else could it have been? Was something left on in the house? Was the bed slept in Sat night? Were her pajamas missing? I am only thinking of my grandma, and she always wore a nightgown and a house coat with house slippers. Younger generations might not be so much into bed clothing being specific pjs or night gowns, but I feel older people do still wear gowns or things like that specifically for sleeping. When my grandma took those items off she hung them up on a hook on the back of her bedroom door.

It could have been that there was blood that wasn't obvious. Might the detectives have sprayed Luminol around to pick up on possible blood? Would they need other clues (such as drag marks) to trigger their doing so?

JMO

 

[Puzzles8]

Do we know what family she had in the area? Children? Grandchilden?

Her children saw her Saturday night.

[...]
Nancy Guthrie was last seen Saturday night by family members, Nanos said. Her children brought her home, where she lives alone, around 9:45 p.m. local time,
[...]

'Today' show host Savannah Guthrie's mother missing in Arizona, evidence of crime at home: Sheriff

An 84-year-old woman who was reported missing in Arizona has been identified by officials as the mother of "Today" show host Savannah Guthrie.

abcnews.go.com

JMO

 

[whitelilac]

I was thinking about this also.

If family went to check and they didn't notice anything (assuming they didn't find a large amount of blood somewhere or the entire house ransacked) then maybe it's smaller less obvious things that LE put together. All I saw mentioned was someone called family to say she wasn't at church and then family briefly searched and then called LE.

If she didn't take her cane or walker, didn't take her medication, didn't take her phone, etc. That would be suspicious, but I don't know if I'd say a crime must have been committed based only on those things.

What else could it have been? Was something left on in the house? Was the bed slept in Sat night? Were her pajamas missing? I am only thinking of my grandma, and she always wore a nightgown and a house coat with house slippers. Younger generations might not be so much into bed clothing being specific pjs or night gowns, but I feel older people do still wear gowns or things like that specifically for sleeping. When my grandma took those items off she hung them up on a hook on the back of her bedroom door.

This is what I am wondering myself.
Family did not see anything in the house that would alert them to a crime, other that Nancy was not there.

She was described as "sharp as a tack", with no cognitive issues. But a sudden neurological event could happen, that could cause confusion or paranoia or whatever causing her to leave the house. We know she had difficulty walking, but who knows, a state of panic or dissociation might give her some weird strength to leave.

Yet, police immediately state a crime occurred, from the evidence in the house...or property outside.

 

[Curiousobserver]

I suspect they took her to try to force her to use her bank cards to withdraw funds But if so, they would have no use for her if she failed to comply or after she had complied. Very worried it is already too late to find Nancy alive

The criminal mind never ceases to amaze me- If I steal $300 from you by taking you to an ATM, I maybe don't even do any jail time if I get caught. If I kill you afterward to hide that relatively minor crime I go to jail for life. And yet... I never read about a case where someone forced someone to go to an ATM and withdraw funds, then drop them off at Taco Bell...

 

[bestill]

Seems that Nancy has a family connection to another public figure -

Nancy Guthrie is the aunt of Jimmy Eat World lead singer's wife. Here's what Jim Adkins posted: "My wife’s aunt from the Tucson area is missing. Please come forward if you have any information."

https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona/2026/02/02/nancy-guthrie-savannah-guthrie-mom-missing/88477029007/?taid=6980f0b5af018300012c6cf1&utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter

 

[Synergizer Bunny]

Whatever they found in the house made them call homicide. That being said, they also sound like they still have hope she is alive based on the presser, assuming they are able to get info from the public like they are asking for.

It sounds like a dire situation to me. You always have hope; however, leaving everything, including her medicine and her walker behind doesn't sound like someone willingly left.

Like another poster said, the only reason that I could see her being taken from the home would be to get cash from her account. If this happened, why hurt her? She is not going to be able to identify the perps. Take her back home and maybe take her phone. So, she can't call someone right away. Don't kill her.

I guess that's a rational way to look at it. I also wouldn't rob someone...

JMO.