Savannah Guthrie’s Mother Nancy Was ‘Taken’ From Her Home Against Her Will: Police Reveal Evidence She Was ‘Harmed’ Before ‘Abduction’
“Today” host Savannah Guthrielate mother Nancy she was “taken” from her home in Arizona against her will, police said – after revealing evidence inside the property that the 84-year-old was “injured” when she was “kidnapped.”
Nancy was reported missing on Sunday lunchtime after she failed to attend her regular church service, last seen by her loved ones around 9:45pm the night before, when she was dropped off home following dinner.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department first revealed that police found “significant” evidence inside Nancy’s property in Tucson, AZ, during a search and have now revealed that they believe the “Today” star’s mother was “taken against her will.”
“I think you’ve been kidnapped,” the Sheriff said Chris Nanos he told NBC News. “If you’re taken from your bed and you don’t want to go anywhere, that’s kidnapping.”
Nanos’ department later clarified that he was speaking figuratively and not implying that Nancy was taken from her bed at home.
He also added that his police found evidence inside the house that showed that Nancy was “injured” before she was removed from the place, but did not provide any other details.
“We know that he was injured at home, but we don’t know how much it was,” he said.
However, law enforcement sources told the Los Angeles Times that blood was found inside Nancy’s home, along with signs of forced entry. It is not yet clear whose blood this is.
During an appearance on “Today” Tuesday morning, Nanos emphasized the urgency of the situation, describing Nancy’s case as “a race against time.”
He went on to say that the detectives took DNA samples found in the home, and revealed that they are using them to try to determine the identity of the suspect who may have entered the property.
“It’s a race against time, and I hope that window has not closed,” he said. “We’ve taken samples that we hope will have enough of a DNA profile to give us an identification of what we’re looking at.”
The 84-year-old is described as frail—and disappeared from her home without the medication she must take every 24 hours to survive. However, it is understood that he did not have a mental disorder and is described as being “of sound mind.”
Savannah, who was supposed to be in Milan to start watching the Winter Olympics when she received a call informing her of her mother’s disappearance, asked her fans and followers for “prayers” on Monday night.
In a letter shared on his Instagram account, the anchor wrote: “We believe in prayer. We believe in words raised in unity, in love, in hope. We believe in goodness. We believe in humanity. Above all, we believe in Him.
“Thank you for lifting up your prayers and ours for our beloved mother, our dear Nancy, a woman of deep faith, a good and faithful servant. Lift up your prayers with us and believe with us that you will be lifted up by them at this time.
“We need you.”
Savannah ended the post with a verse from Isaiah: “He will keep in perfect peace those whose heart is steadfast, trusting in Jehovah,” before writing, “Bring him home.”
The “Today” host is understood to have “scrambled” to fly to Tucson after learning of her mother’s disappearance, according to CNN.
Police are now offering a $2,500 reward for anyone who can provide photos, videos, or information leading to the arrest of Nancy’s alleged abductor.
Savannah, 54, was not on Monday’s episode of “Today” but released a statement on the show she is working with,Craig MelvinagainSheinelle Jonesthanking viewers for their messages of support—and urging anyone with information about her mother’s whereabouts to contact local authorities in Pima County.
“On behalf of our family, I would like to thank everyone for their thoughts, prayers and messages of support,” the statement began. “For now, we are focused on the safe return of our beloved mother.
“We thank law enforcement for their hard work on this case and encourage anyone with information to contact the Pima County Sheriff’s Office at 520-351-4900.”
Sheriff Nanos confirmed to reporters on Monday that authorities suspect foul play in the case, after previously admitting that police remained “deeply concerned” by the evidence found inside Nancy’s belongings.
“We actually have a crime scene, we actually have a crime scene,” he said, via CNN. “We know he didn’t just leave there. He didn’t go alone.”
According to the Daily Mail, a source close to the Guthrie family revealed that some of the evidence discovered in the house included a number of Nancy’s belongings, including her wallet, keys, ID and phone.
“It’s not a situation where he left voluntarily, because he didn’t take the things you usually take when you leave voluntarily,” said the insider.
Nanos revealed on Sunday that homicide investigators were called to work on the case, adding that certain information found inside Nancy’s home gave cause for “concern” among the police who attended the event, although he did not provide further details about the findings.
Later on Monday, the Savannah star and close friend, Jenna Bush Hagerhe shed tears as he revealed in the last hour of the show “Namuhla” that Nancy currently does not have the medicine she needs to survive.
According to a report by Today.com, Sheriff Nanos added that his department is very concerned about Nancy’s welfare due to her age and physical condition, although he noted that she is understood to be in full control of her cognitive abilities.
“She has a physical ailment that makes her unable to walk,” Nanos said, later adding: “Miss Guthrie is 84 years old and she is not physically well.”
Several law enforcement agencies responded to the scene, including homicide detectives, he said, adding: “You don’t usually get an officer out of a scene like this, but it’s more about what we learn from the house.
“I hope we find him safe, but we can’t ignore what’s in front of us.”
Missing persons posters describe Nancy as 5 feet 5 inches tall, weighing 150 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes.
Local authorities are using all the tools at their disposal in the search for Nancy, including drones, a helicopter, an airplane, and search and rescue dogs. Volunteers also combed the area around the Guthrie home looking for Savannah’s mother.
“We did the best we could,” Nanos said.
Speaking to “Today” Monday morning, the NBC crime reporterTom Winterhe revealed that the FBI had also been brought into the search.
“They asked for the help of Customs and Border Protection—obviously, not too far from the border there in Mexico. They have special resources. The FBI is also aware of this case,” he said.
