Additional Coverage:
- Nancy Guthrie’s family visits tribute outside her home as sheriff says investigators are getting ‘closer’ (nbcnews.com)
Search Continues for Nancy Guthrie; Family and Authorities Remain Hopeful
TUCSON, Ariz. – Over a month into the intensive search for Nancy Guthrie, 84, mother of “TODAY” co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, investigators are actively pursuing thousands of leads while the family leans on an outpouring of “love and prayers” from their community and beyond.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos expressed optimism in an interview on Monday regarding the ongoing investigation. “I think the investigators are definitely closer,” Nanos stated, adding, “I’ve said this from the beginning: I have full faith, full confidence, they’re going to solve this.” He confirmed that “thousands” of leads have been generated since Guthrie’s disappearance.
Nancy Guthrie was reported missing on February 1st after failing to arrive at a friend’s home in Tucson for an online church service. She was last seen on January 31st around 9:45 p.m. after having dinner with her family.
The FBI has joined local law enforcement in the concerted search effort, and the Guthrie family has offered a substantial $1 million reward for her safe return.
On Monday, Savannah Guthrie, accompanied by her sister and brother-in-law, visited the growing tribute of yellow flowers and other tokens of support outside their mother’s home, adding their own contributions. Savannah Guthrie shared a photo of the memorial on social media, reiterating her gratitude for the love and support received from both the local area and across the nation.
“We feel the love and prayers from our neighbors, from the Tucson community and from around the country,” she wrote. She implored supporters, “please don’t stop praying and hoping with us. bring her home.”
The family left a poignant note at the memorial, which read in part, “Momma, We miss you so much! Our hearts are broken.
We are standing on ash, scorched earth! But, mom, though we are surrounded by so much darkness and uncertainty, our love burns bright.”
During the announcement of the $1 million reward on February 24th, Savannah Guthrie conveyed her family’s dual perspective, stating that while they believe her mother “can come home,” they also “know that she may be lost” and may “already be gone.”
Sheriff Nanos, however, remained personally optimistic on Monday. “I personally believe Nancy Guthrie is alive,” he said.
“That’s my personal opinion, but that’s because I put faith in. That’s just who I am.”
Last month, the FBI released surveillance video from Guthrie’s porch, showing a masked, armed man with a backpack appearing to tamper with a doorbell camera on the morning of her disappearance. Authorities have identified the man as a suspect, though he has not been publicly named. The video depicts him wearing a distinctive gun holster and an Ozark Trail backpack, a brand exclusively sold new at Walmart.
Nanos noted that while the backpack is exclusive to Walmart when new, investigators are also considering the possibility of it being purchased through a resell website, emphasizing that “there’s all kinds of angles.” He also highlighted the critical role of DNA evidence in the case, stating that authorities are “looking at a lot of DNA, but that’s still being researched and worked.”
The FBI has described the suspect as a male, 5 feet 9 inches to 5 feet 10 inches tall, with an average build, seen wearing a black, 25-liter Ozark Trail Hiker Pack backpack in the video.