UPDATED, 7:21 AM: Possible DNA evidence found at what is now being considered a crime scene — the Tucson area home of Nancy Guthrie, mother of Today anchor Savannah Guthrie — will be tested for clues in the likely abduction of the 84-year-old woman.
In an interview this morning on Today, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said, “We took some samples that we hope will have a DNA profile that gives us some identification as to what we’re looking at.” Testing could take up to a few days, Today reported.
The Los Angeles Times is reporting that, according to law enforcement sources, blood was found at the scene, though it is not yet known whose blood.
Law enforcement has all but confirmed that Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance is an abduction or kidnapping. “I believe she was abducted,” Nanos has said. “She didn’t walk from there. She didn’t go willingly. This is an 84-year-old lady who in the middle of the night, while she’s asleep, is taken from her home.”
PREVIOUSLY, 6:35 AM: The sheriff of Pima County, AZ said that the mother of Savannah Guthrie may have been abducted, as authorities continue to ask the public for tips on the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie over the weekend.
Guthrie was last seen at 9:45 p.m. on Saturday, and reported missing midday on Sunday, according to authorities.
Sheriff Chris Nanos told CBS News, “I believe she was abducted. She didn’t walk from there. She didn’t go willingly. This is an 84-year-old lady who in the middle of the night, while she’s asleep, is taken from her home.”
The elder Guthrie also needs life-saving medication, and has limited mobility, Nanos said. Citing law enforcement sources, the Los Angeles Times reported that blood was found inside her Tucson home.
Savannah Guthrie was to travel to Milan to help anchor NBC’s coverage of the Winter Olympics, with opening ceremonies on Friday. The network has not yet announced plans given the current situation.
Savannah Guthrie has been absent from Today, with Sheinelle Jones co-anchoring along with Craig Melvin. The show provided an update on the investigation on Tuesday, reporting that Nanos did not mean that Nancy Guthrie “was literally taken from her bed,” but was “Taken from the home against her will,” which could include possible kidnapping or abduction. The sheriff told NBC News that while they are not ruling out the possibility that Nancy Guthrie could have been targeted because of her connection to a prominent media figure, it was not a main focus of the investigation.
The sheriff’s office set up a tip line for any information.
Savannah Guthrie posted on Instagram, “we believe in prayer. we believe in voices raised in unison, in love, in hope. we believe in goodness. we believe in humanity. above all, we believe in Him.
“thank you for lifting your prayers with ours for our beloved mom, our dearest Nancy, a woman of deep conviction, a good and faithful servant. raise your prayers with us and believe with us that she will be lifted by them in this very moment.
“we need you.
“He will keep in perfect peace those whose hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord.” a verse of Isaiah for all time for all of us.
“Bring her home.”
