The desperate search for “TODAY” co-anchor Savannah Guthrie’s mother stretched into its fourth day Wednesday as local and federal authorities continue to investigate her possible abduction.
Nancy Guthrie, 84, was reported missing Sunday afternoon from her home outside Tucson, Arizona, after she did not show up at church, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos told NBC News. She was last seen around 9:45 p.m. the previous day, when family members dropped her off at home.
The sheriff’s department believes Guthrie was taken “possibly in the middle of the night, and that includes possible kidnapping or abduction.”
Investigators are probing what appears to be blood found outside Guthrie’s home, two senior officials briefed on the investigation told NBC News. The officials said Guthrie’s pacemaker appears to have disconnected from its monitoring app early Sunday.
The FBI is now involved in the investigation, which also includes about 100 detectives from the sheriff’s office.
President Donald Trump said Tuesday he would commit to sending more federal agents to assist. Trump called Savannah Guthrie after a White House interview with NBC News' Tom Llamas on Wednesday afternoon, offering words of support for her and her family.
In a statement Wednesday, the sheriff’s department said investigators have not identified a suspect or person of interest in the case. The statement added that detectives are speaking with anyone who may have had contact with Guthrie and working closely with the family.
Authorities previously said they have received “hundreds of leads” and have no credible information that this was a targeted incident.
There are some technological challenges that occurred with the cameras at Guthrie’s house, making it more difficult for authorities to find any video from those overnight hours when it’s believed that she was taken, according to two senior officials briefed on the investigation.
Nanos said Tuesday that authorities are also trying to find any usable footage from neighbors’ homes, though the landscaping and lack of streetlights in the area make it even harder to capture anything.
Guthrie has limited mobility and is without her necessary daily medication. Nanos said that she has no cognitive issues and her disappearance was not linked to dementia, describing her as “sharp as a tack.”
"We have nothing else to go on but the belief that she is here, she’s present, she’s alive, and we want to save her," Nanos said in an interview with NBC News.
Reports indicate that ransom notes have been sent to two news outlets referencing Guthrie. NBC News has not seen copies of them. No law enforcement agency has substantiated the reports, but law enforcement officials have said they are investigating them.
In a statement, the Pima County Sheriff’s Office said that it was “aware of reports circulating about possible ransom note(s) regarding the investigation into Nancy Guthrie,” and added that it is “taking all tips and leads very seriously.” It added that anything it receives is shared with its detectives and the FBI.
At a news conference Tuesday, Nanos declined to answer specific questions about the investigation, including which evidence was found at the scene. He previously confirmed that law enforcement officials have Guthrie’s cellphone and car found at her home, where she lives alone and employs part-time staff members.
The sheriff’s office previously said that DNA samples confirmed to be those of Guthrie were collected from the home, but it said it has not confirmed that they were blood. The DNA samples, some of which were still being tested Tuesday, have not pointed to any person of interest, it said. Detectives are also working through any pacemaker information that may be available, the sheriff’s office said.
As the search continues, Savannah Guthrie is set to remain in Arizona and will not be in Italy as planned for coverage of the Olympics, NBC Sports announced Tuesday. Mary Carillo will fill in for Savannah Guthrie as co-host of the opening ceremony alongside sportscaster Terry Gannon, NBC Sports announced Wednesday afternoon.
"Mary is one of the most experienced Olympic commentators ever and a master storyteller. She and Terry will lead the American audience through one of the world’s greatest global moments," said Molly Solomon, the executive producer and president of NBC Olympics Production.
