TUCSON, Ariz. – Savannah Guthrie says the back doors to her mother’s house were found “propped open” when she and her family members arrived at Nancy Guthrie’s Tucson-area home.
What they’re saying:
In her first sit-down interview since her mother vanished from her home nearly two months ago, the “Today” show co-host recalled the “chaos and disbelief” surrounding Nancy’s disappearance after her sister called saying that their mother was missing.
‘I was in a panic’
“She said, she’s gone,” Savanah Guthrie told “Today” co-host Hoda Kotb. “And we – she was in a panic. I was in a panic. I’m, like, call 911. She’s like, I did. We’ve called them. They’re here. We thought that she must have had, like, some kind of medical episode in the night and that somehow, you know, the paramedics had come, because the back doors were propped open, you know, and that didn’t make any sense.”
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department believes Nancy was taken from her home against her will during the overnight hours of Feb. 1.
‘Something is very wrong here’
In the interview, Savannah said that her mother had been living with “tremendous pain” and that she had limited mobility.
“My mom, she was in tremendous pain,” Savannah said. “Her back was very bad. On a good day, she could walk down to the mailbox and get the mail, but most days not. So there wasn’t a wander off. And the doors were propped open, and there was blood on the front doorstep. And the Ring camera had been yanked off. And so we were saying, ‘This this is not OK. Something is very wrong here.’”
‘It’s just absolutely terrifying’
During the interview, Savannah described seeing the doorbell footage for the first time that showed a masked man standing outside her mother’s front door.
“It’s just absolutely terrifying. And I can’t imagine that is who she saw standing over her bed. I can’t,” she said.
Savannah says her family is in “agony” amid the ongoing search for Nancy.
“Someone needs to do the right thing. We are in agony. We are in agony,” Savannah said.
The backstory:
Nancy Guthrie went missing on the night of Jan. 31 and was reported missing on Feb. 1 when she didn’t show up for church. Since her disappearance, the FBI has released footage of her alleged abductor at her doorstep.
New photos released in search for Nancy Guthrie
The sheriff’s department asked for anyone within a 2-mile radius of Guthrie’s Catalina Foothills home to submit any footage they may have from Jan. 1 to Feb. 2 that they “deem out of the ordinary or important.”
Nancy Guthrie: Investigators seek help with video
As crews continue to search for Nancy Guthrie, investigators are also asking people who live in the area to check their surveillance video for anything unusual. FOX 10’s Nicole Krasean has more, from Tucson.
What you can do:
Savannah says her family is offering a $1 million reward for the recovery of Nancy. Anyone with information should contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department has also set up a tipline where the community can submit information. An online form is available for tips.
Nancy Guthrie remains missing. The 84-year-old mother of “Today” host Savannah Guthrie disappeared from her Tucson-area home. A masked suspect was captured on surveillance video outside her front door. (PCSD; Getty Images)
What’s next:
The third and final part of Savannah’s interview will air on the “Today” show on March 27.
Map of the area where Nancy Guthrie was last seen:
The Source: The Pima County Sheriff’s Department, the FBI, and previous FOX 10 reports.
