TODAY weekday co-anchor Savannah Guthrie is once again missing from her usual morning post, though for completely different reasons than her recent medical-related absence. Reports surfaced over the weekend identifying her mother, Nancy Guthrie, as a “missing vulnerable adult” in her Arizona community, and the journalist addressed the situation with a personal statement.
Savannah Guthrie Shares Statement About Her Missing Mother
When TODAY's February 2 telecast began, viewers saw Hour 4 co-anchor Sheinelle Jones sitting next to Craig Melvin in his second year as Hoda Kotb's replacement, and he wasted no time in addressing the “deeply personal story” that caused the shake-up. After stating Nancy Guthrie's current status, they read out the statement shared by their colleague, as seen below:
On behalf of our family, I want to thank everyone for the thoughts, prayers and messages of support. Right now, our focus remains on the safe return of our dear mom. We thank law enforcement for their hard work on this case and encourage anyone with information to contact the Pima County Sheriff’s office at 520-351-4900.
Savannah Guthrie
Savannah Guthrie obviously didn't address her morning job or any potential timing window for her return, as those concerns take a backseat to the more dire situation regarding her mother's whereabouts.
Nancy Guthrie Was Last Seen One Day Before Being Reported Missing
At the time of this writing, the 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie was last seen in the area of the Catalina Foothills at her residence on Saturday, January 31, around 9:45 p.m. It's unclear what occurred after that point, but according to KOLD News, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos noted that a family member called in to report her missing around noon the next day, Sunday, February 1.
At this time, foul play is still not being ruled out, though no details have been released that point one way or another. Rescue teams have reportedly been out to Nancy Guthrie's home, as have homicide detectives.
The Pima County SD held a press conference on Sunday night to address the importance of the case, saying:
This is very concerning to us. We don’t normally get the sheriff out at a scene like this, but it’s very concerning. . . . She has no cognitive issues at all. She’s very alert, and of good, sound mind. Just some physical…she’s 84 years old.
Pima County Sheriff's Dept.
On TODAY, Melvin and Jones were joined by NBC News' Tom Winter, who covers law enforcement and crime, and he noted more of the efforts that have been taken to try and find Guthrie.
They were able to get out helicopters last night that use infrared cameras. They’ve got drones up. They’ve enlisted the help of the customs and border protection — obviously, not too far from the border there in Mexico. They have some special resources. The FBI is also aware of this case as well.
NBC's Tom Winter
Regular TODAY viewers may remember seeing Nancy Guthrie on the air in November 2025 when Savannah Guthrie (who got her start back in 2012) took a visit to her hometown of Tuscon, where they shared tequila and Mexican food. Guthrie also honored her mom on-air to celebrate her 80th birthday. A year prior, the anchor spoke about her upbringing in a segment about lessons learned from mothers. That segment can be viewed below.
Savannah Guthrie only recently returned to her normal TODAY post, officially returning on January 26 after recovering from a vocal cord surgery that took place in December. She addressed her then-impending exit saying that non-cancerous growths were found that were in need of removal. She reportedly had to stay silent for upwards of eight days. She previously took a mini-break from on-air duties in 2023 when she was pulled mid-broadcast over a positive COVID test.
We at CinemaBlend send our hopes and condolences to Savannah Guthrie’s family and friends during this difficult time.
