The search for Savannah Guthrie’s missing mother, Nancy Guthrie, has taken a more serious and unsettling turn, with authorities now openly voicing fears for her safety.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said Monday that evidence found inside Nancy’s home has deeply concerned investigators. As a result, the 84-year-old is now ‘believed to be in danger’.
Sheriff Flags ‘Something Unusual’ Inside the Home
“We don’t want anybody to lose hope,” Nanos told Us Weekly. “But in the same sense, just as there’s hope, there’s also things that point to us that say, ‘This lady’s in danger.’”
According to Nanos, investigators grew increasingly concerned after reviewing the condition of the residence where Guthrie was last seen.
“It does have to do with what was described to us about the scene,” he said. “I’ve been doing this for 50 years. When something doesn’t sit well, it doesn’t sit well.”
He added, “Something unusual at that house occurred that made us go, ‘Wow … something’s wrong here. Something doesn’t fit.’”
Those findings prompted a rapid expansion of the investigation.
Search-and-rescue teams were deployed with drones and dogs, while Border Patrol agents, volunteers, and homicide investigators were also brought in.
Why Homicide Detectives Joined the Investigation
Blood was reportedly found inside the Arizona home of Nancy Guthrie.
Law enforcement sources told the Los Angeles Times that investigators discovered blood along with signs of forced entry at the multimillion-dollar Tucson residence where Nancy Guthrie lives.
Authorities have not confirmed who the blood belongs to.
Nanos said involving homicide detectives in a missing-person case is rare and reflects the seriousness of what investigators are seeing.
“I get briefed on a daily basis, sometimes multiple times, of different search-and-rescue operations. And rarely do we ever, ever call out homicide,” he told US Weekly.
“But this one came across with some information that was concerning to me, that I just thought, ‘We need to do this from two angles.’ I need to do the search-and-rescue team [and] do their mission. But I need to bring in my homicide team because there’s something that’s not right here.”
Nanos stressed that authorities are still hoping for a safe outcome.
“We really do hope it’s a search-and-rescue mission and we find her and she’s safe and sound. But we’d be foolish — it would be unjust if we didn’t look at what’s in front of us and go, ‘We need to act, and we have to.’”
In a press conference held on February 2, Sheriff stated that Guthrie had been “safe in her own home asleep” before she was “taken,” adding, “And that should never happen.”
Medical Risks Heighten Urgency in Ongoing Search
Officials say Guthrie’s medical needs have intensified concerns as the search continues.
“We talked with her medical professionals … and we know the meds she needs, and going without her meds can be fatal,” Nanos said. “And 24 hours later, time is of the essence here.”
Guthrie was last seen Saturday night, January 31. Nanos confirmed that her daughter, Annie Guthrie, was the last family member to see her after dropping her off at home.
Alarm grew late Sunday morning when Guthrie failed to attend church. Police were notified shortly after noon, narrowing the investigation to a critical window between about 9:30 p.m. Saturday and late Sunday morning.
In a separate interview with CBS News, Nanos said investigators do not believe Guthrie left her home by choice.
“She didn’t walk from there. She didn’t go willingly.”
Authorities have not ruled out any scenarios but said there is no indication at this time that Savannah Guthrie’s public profile was a factor.
“It’s a possibility,” Nanos said. “But we’re not getting that sense.”
Savannah Guthrie was absent from Monday’s episode of “Today” as she remains in Arizona with her family during the ongoing search. Officials say hope remains, but time is critical.
