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Phoebe Tonks
Police investigating the disappearance of Savannah Guthrie's mom, Nancy, have revealed they fear she may have been kidnapped ‘in the middle of the night’.
The 84-year-old was last seen in Pima County, Arizona, at her home in the Catalina Foothills area around 9.30–9.45 p.m on Saturday (January 31), the county's Sheriff's Office said.
However, authorities have shared a more chilling assessment of what may have happened, with the Sheriff confirming that Nancy’s home was being treated as an ‘active crime scene’ rather than part of a ‘search mission.’
Addressing the press at a press conference on Monday (February 2), PEOPLE reports Pima County Sheriff Nanos said: "At this point, investigators believe she was taken from the home against her will, possibly in the middle of the night. Taken against her will includes possible kidnapping or abduction.”
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He continued: "We have an 84-year-old woman who went to bed Saturday night and come Sunday morning, she's gone. We know, at least we believe, and I believe we know, she did not walk out of that home on her own."
The sheriff also noted that Nancy’s mobility was ‘limited’, meaning it was increasingly unlikely that she had ‘wandered off’.
"She is really just as sharp as a tack,” he told PEOPLE. “And that too is concerning that here you have this lady who's got all her wits about her, she knows what's going on.
"So yeah, somebody came into that home, and I believe took her out there without her permission. It was against her will."
As part of the investigation, authorities have begun to compile home security footage around the time of the disappearance, along with gathering DNA evidence from the scene.
Yet while Nanos admitted he was grateful for the public support and desire to help, he was quick to remind the public that preserving the integrity of the investigation was paramount.
With the whereabouts of her mom still unknown, Savannah, 54, was understandably absent from Monday’s episode of the TODAY show, with her colleague Craig Melvin publicly addressing her absence live on air.
"We want to get right to what is a deeply personal story for us, Nancy Guthrie, Savannah’s beloved mother, has been reported missing in Arizona,” he explained.
The show then shared a statement by the Guthrie family, which read: “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 Department at 520-351-4900.”