We're over a week into the investigation into the mysterious disappearance of Arizona resident Nancy Guthrie, and if the authorities are any closer to finding out where she is, what happened to her, who took her, etc., than they were when they started, that's not something they've shared with the public.
The 84-year-old mother and grandmother, whose daughter, Savannah, is the co-anchor of NBC's "Today Show," was last seen on Saturday, January 31, around 9:45 p.m. local time after being dropped off at her Catalina Foothills home by a family member. The family was alerted the next morning that Mrs. Guthrie did not show up for church. They then went to check on Mrs. Guthrie, didn’t find her, and called the Pima County Sheriff’s office.
Because of what has been described as “concerning” conditions at the home, including a trail of blood droplets on the walkway by the front door, Mrs. Guthrie, who uses a cane, has a pacemaker, and takes life-saving prescription medication, was declared missing. She’s been described as “sharp as a tack,” as someone who wouldn’t wander off, certainly not without telling her family.
When last we left you, one of the most significant developments was the updated timeline of events released by the sheriff's office, which included that a camera detected a person outside of Mrs. Guthrie's residence at 2:12 a.m. on February 1. Unfortunately, it recorded over itself because there was no subscription service that potentially could have saved the original footage. Further, given the area her home is in, it may have been an animal the camera detected.
Probably one of the most noteworthy developments over the weekend was that her septic tank was searched:
NEW: Cops Seen Searching Septic Tank Behind Nancy Guthrie’s Arizona House pic.twitter.com/j6uhHUDzYU
— Mr Producer (@RichSementa) February 8, 2026
As to why, they were likely looking for clues or evidence that potentially could have been flushed down the toilet:
“A lot of people forget that having a septic tank means wastewater doesn’t go into a city sewer, it goes into the tank,” former SWAT team captain Josh Schirard told the Daily Mail.
“So, somebody may have flushed something thinking that would get rid of it, but instead it would actually just be deposited in the septic tank. It is a possibility that [investigators] are now trying to make sure that there’s nothing in there that could indicate any kind of guilt,” he continued.
News station KOLD, which was one of the outlets that received two ransom notes, shared on Fox News that the level of detail in the notes was alarming, which is perhaps why law enforcement (and the Guthrie family) is taking the notes seriously:
“Once we saw the level of detail, we were alarmed pretty quickly.”
— FOX & Friends (@foxandfriends) February 7, 2026
KOLD 13 News anchor Mary Coleman tells @GriffJenkins about the moment her station received the first message about Nancy Guthrie and why its level of detail immediately raised concern. pic.twitter.com/ns46DS7kSV
One ransom note reportedly demanded $4 million in bitcoin by last Thursday, and, absent that, $6 million by 5 p.m. mountain time Monday. Authorities confirmed the note threatened grave harm to Mrs. Guthrie if the money wasn't received. The Guthrie family has released videos saying they are willing to pay, but they say they need solid proof that Nancy Guthrie was still alive.
Though detectives have spent much time at Mrs. Guthrie's home looking for evidence, they've also spent time in the neighborhood and home of Annie Guthrie, who is Nancy Guthrie's eldest daughter, and Tommaso Cioni, who is Annie's husband, in another noteworthy development. According to Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos, Mr. Cioni was the family member who dropped Mrs. Guthrie off at her home on January 31.
Nanos has denied they have any persons of interest or suspects in the case, despite a report from independent investigative journalist Ashleigh Banfield stating that a source told her Cioni "may be" the "prime suspect" in the case.
On Monday afternoon, ahead of that 5 p.m. mountain time deadline, Savannah Guthrie released a new video pleading for help from the public:
“We believe our mom is still out there,” Savannah said. “We need your help. Law enforcement is working tirelessly, around the clock, trying to bring her home. Trying to find her. She was taken and we don’t know where. And we need your help.”
“I’m coming on, just to ask you, not just to ask your for prayers but no matter where you are, even if you are far from Tucson. If you see anything. If you hear anything. Anything at all that seems strange to you that you report to law enforcement,” she said.
“We are at an hour of desperation. And we need your help,” the TV anchor concluded.
BREAKING - Savannah Guthrie to America: We Need Your Help
— Mr Producer (@RichSementa) February 9, 2026
"We believe our mom is still out there. We need your help .... If you see anything. If you hear anything. If there's anything at all that seems strange to you, that you report to law enforcement. We are at an hour of… pic.twitter.com/UjAgGMYPkX
The FBI announced Thursday that they were offering a $50,000 reward "for information that would lead to the return of Nancy Guthrie or the arrest of suspects." Anyone with information is urged to contact the sheriff's office tip line at 520-351-4900 or 1-800-CALL-FBI.
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