Nine months after 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie was abducted from her home in Tucson’s Catalina Foothills neighborhood, her daughter, “TODAY” co-host Savannah Guthrie, renewed a public appeal for information, as the Pima County Sheriff’s Department confirmed the investigation remains open with DNA analysis still underway.
Guthrie was last seen at her home shortly before 10 p.m. on Jan. 31 and was reported missing the next day. Authorities believe she was taken against her will. Doorbell camera footage from her home captured a masked, armed individual tampering with the device around the time of her disappearance. No suspect has been identified and no arrests have been made.
On Sunday, Savannah Guthrie shared an old drawing made by her daughter, Vale, depicting a blue umbrella in the rain with the words, “I know it might not seem like it, but I really need my mommy.”
“Found this old drawing from my daughter today,” Guthrie wrote on Instagram. “It says so much about how I feel.”
“The world goes on, things appear ‘normal’ — as we try to keep going and be strong, especially for our young kids — but it’s not and it never will be.”
Guthrie named her siblings and their families in the post, writing: “For Annie and Tommy, for Cam and Kristine, for Mike and me and for all of Mom’s beloved grandchildren: We ache for her, we cry out for answers, we cannot move forward.”
“We need someone to help us, tell us what you know. Our mom was a light in this world. We want to celebrate her and give her the dignity she deserves. The reward is still available. Please. We are begging you. Please help us.”
She also thanked supporters of her family and asked the public to “join us in praying without ceasing.”
Investigation status
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department said Friday that its Nancy Guthrie Task Force continues working with laboratories to advance DNA analysis in the case. “Earlier this month, investigators traveled to Florida to meet with lab scientists to see what more could be done to advance this case,” the department said on X. “A number of ideas were discussed, and we continue to work with all our partners to solve this case.” The agency reiterated that no tip is too small.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has previously said Guthrie “did not leave on her own.”
In July, authorities released the contents of two ransom notes connected to the case. The first, sent Feb. 2, claimed Guthrie was safe and demanded $4 million in bitcoin for her release. A second note, sent four days later, claimed she had died shortly after being kidnapped. Investigators said the notes contained distinctive writing patterns and asked anyone who recognized the style to come forward. A possible additional ransom text message reported in September was later deemed not credible by investigators.
Family has kept up public appeals for months
In June, during an appearance on “TODAY with Jenna & Sheinelle,” Savannah Guthrie pushed back on any suggestion she had moved on from her mother’s disappearance while continuing her television work. “I know maybe people wonder, ‘What’s going on? How is she able to do that job? Is she not thinking about it? Did she forget?’ No. Never,” she said. “It’s always with me. I cry every morning on the way to work, and I cry every morning on the way home.”
In August, six months after the abduction, Guthrie and her siblings issued a joint statement. “Every day, we wake up and try to be strong and go on — because that’s what our joyful and resilient Mom taught us to do. But make no mistake — our hearts are in ruins,” Guthrie wrote. “Cam and Kristine, Annie and Tommy, Mike and me — we spend every waking moment thinking of her, longing for her, looking for her.”
Anyone with information is asked to call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or submit an anonymous tip to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department at 520-882-7463.
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