A Complete Timeline Of Nancy Guthrie's Kidnapping & Savannah's Return To The Spotlight

Nancy Guthrie is the 84-year-old mother of "Today" co-anchor Savannah Guthrie and her two siblings, sister Annie Guthrie and brother Camron Guthrie. On February 1, 2026, the Guthrie family reported that Nancy had gone missing and, as of April 2026, she has yet to be found. Based on what investigators found at Nancy's home in the Catalina Foothills, just north of Tucson, Arizona, they believe that she was kidnapped in the middle of the night. Initially, it appeared as though Nancy may have wandered off on her own, but the Guthrie family was quick to tell authorities that their mom wasn't able to get around well on her own. Moreover, the family insisted that Nancy was of sound mind and wouldn't have just wandered off.

Despite receiving thousands of tips, neither the Pima County Sheriff's Department nor the FBI have been able to locate Nancy and the person or persons responsible for her disappearance. The case is still open, as of April 2026, and authorities are working hard to find answers for the Guthrie family and to bring Nancy home. This incident is yet another tragic detail of Nancy's life, and the more time that passes, the harder it is for the public — many of whom are greatly invested in this case — to not lose hope. The Guthrie family has asked that anyone with information contact the FBI (phone 1-800-CALL-FBI or visit tips.fbi.gov).

Nancy Guthrie was last seen on Saturday, January 31, 2026. According to the Pima County Sheriff's Department, Nancy took an Uber to her daughter and son-in-law's home about 10 minutes away. She arrived at 5:32 p.m. local time, enjoying dinner and some family time before she was driven back home. Sheriff Chris Nanos told The New York Times that Nancy's son-in-law, Tommaso "Tommy" Cioni drove her home, making sure that she was "safely" inside before he left around 9:48 p.m. Authorities confirmed that Nancy's garage door had closed at 9:50 p.m. What happened in the hours that followed is unclear.

Sheriff Nanos confirmed that Nancy's doorbell camera went offline at around 1:47 a.m. Roughly 25 minutes later, another camera picked up movement — perhaps a person or even an animal — but that footage wasn't available because Nancy didn't have a Google Nest subscription. Around 2:28 a.m., Nancy's pacemaker disconnected from her phone — and that's the very last timestamp that's been shared with the public.

Nancy Guthrie was supposed to go to a friend's house on Sunday, February 1 for a church gathering. When she didn't show up and she couldn't be reached, one of her friends reportedly called her daughter, Annie Guthrie. Annie went to her mom's house sometime around 12 p.m. and called 911 within minutes. By 12:15 p.m., officers from the Pima County Sheriff's Department were on the scene.

There have been very few details about what investigators have found inside Nancy's home. Authorities have not confirmed whether there were any signs of forced entry or if there was blood found inside the home. Additionally, DNA found inside Nancy's home has so far been inconclusive. While some people figured this was a burglary gone wrong, Nancy's personal items, including her wallet, were left behind. During a press conference held on Feb. 2, Sheriff Chris Nanos said, "We saw some things at the home that were concerning to us" (via CBS News). These factors led authorities to believe that a crime had taken place.

Just two days after Nancy Guthrie was reported missing, an apparent ransom note was sent to various news stations, including to TMZ. According to the outlet, the person who sent the alleged note demanded "a specific substantial amount of Bitcoin ... the amount is in the millions." A Bitcoin address was also provided in the note, along with a deadline for the ransom to be paid. The deadline was punctuated with an implied "or else" type of threat, per TMZ. 

Authorities have not confirmed or denied the authenticity of this note or any of the other notes from the same sender that followed. "We are aware of reports circulating about possible ransom note(s) regarding the investigation into Nancy Guthrie," Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said in a statement posted to X. "We are taking all tips and leads very seriously. Anything that comes in goes directly to our detectives who are coordinating with the FBI."

On February 4, siblings Savannah Guthrie, Annie Guthrie, and Camron Guthrie posted a video on social media, speaking out as a family for the first time since their mother's disappearance. In the video, which was posted to Savannah's Instagram, the emotional trio spoke directly to the would-be kidnapper(s) in hopes of having their mom safely returned to them. "We need to know without a doubt that she is alive and that you have her," Savannah said, flanked by her siblings. "We want to hear from you, and we are ready to listen. Please, reach out to us."

Later in the video, Savannah spoke directly to her mom. "Mommy, if you are hearing this, you are a strong woman. You are God's precious daughter, Nancy [Guthrie]. We believe and know that even in this valley, He is with you. Everyone is looking for you, mommy, everywhere. We will not rest, your children will not rest, until we are together again," she said with tears in her eyes. That same day, President Donald Trump took to Truth Social to share he had spoken to Savannah to reassure her that federal and local law enforcement are at their disposal to help find Nancy. "We are deploying all resources to get her mother home safely," he wrote.

On February 6, another ransom demand was sent out to news stations, including KOLD in Arizona. The outlet chose not to share information contained in the note, but did say that the new note contained "information the senders seem to think will prove to investigators they're the same people who sent the first note," according to the Los Angeles Times. TMZ received the same note and founder Harvey Levin spoke with CNN about its contents. "They began the letter by saying that Nancy is okay but scared," Levin said. "They went to great lengths in sending this email to us in making sure that it stays anonymous." In another CNN interview, Levin added, "It is a carefully crafted letter, and this is not something that somebody threw together in five minutes."

Despite issuing another deadline, there was no movement in the Bitcoin account. Many experts believe that the Guthrie family was not shown any proof of life, which may be why the ransom request wasn't completed. The next day, the Guthrie siblings released another video on social media. "We received your message and we understand. We beg you now to return our mother to us ... This is very valuable to us, and we will pay," Savannah said in the emotional Instagram post.

On February 10, a big break in the Nancy Guthrie case went public when authorities released some footage obtained from the Google Nest camera at Guthrie's home. The photos and videos supplied by the Pima County Sheriff's Department and the FBI showed an armed individual wearing a balaclava, black gloves, a full zip-up jacket, and a backpack. The person also appeared to have a bite light in their mouth.

"Working with our partners — as of this morning, law enforcement has uncovered these previously inaccessible new images showing an armed individual appearing to have tampered with the camera at Nancy Guthrie's front door the morning of her disappearance," FBI director Kash Patel wrote on X, sharing the images for the first time. Anyone with information on the perp, who has been dubbed "porch guy," was urged to notify the appropriate authorities. Tips poured in, but the person in the footage was not identified.

Since the day that Nancy Guthrie was reported missing, the public has been fully invested in the case. And while the majority of people want to be helpful, many were quick to point fingers, placing blame on the last people to see Nancy before her disappearance. In an effort to calm the masses, Sheriff Chris Nanos of the Pima County Sheriff Department (PCSD) released a statement clearing the immediate Guthrie family — and their spouses — of any wrongdoing in the case.

"To be clear ... the Guthrie family — to include all siblings and spouses — have been cleared as possible suspects in this case," Nanos' statement on X read. "The family has been nothing but cooperative and gracious and are victims in this case. To suggest otherwise is not only wrong, it is cruel. The Guthrie family are victims plain and simple ... please, I'm begging you, the media, to honor your profession and report with some sense of compassion and professionalism," he wrote, pleading both journalists and the public to act respectfully toward the Guthrie family.

On February 24, Savannah Guthrie took to Instagram to share a personal message with the public, this time without her siblings. "Every hour and minute and second and every long night has been agony," Savannah said. She went on to say that she and her family were hoping for a "miracle" when it comes to finding her mom. In the video, Savannah also voiced the quiet part out loud amid the search for Nancy — that her mother "may already be gone." The "Today" anchor also announced that the family would offer a $1 million reward to anyone who aids in bringing Nancy home.

"Someone out there knows something that can bring her home," she said in the video. "Somebody knows, and we are begging you to please come forward now." Despite the reward offered (which is up to $1.2 million when joined with money offered by the FBI and other money donated to the case), no one has come forward with a tip that has led authorities to Nancy or to the captor(s).

There has been plenty of chatter about the individual seen on Nancy Guthrie's front stoop in the surveillance video footage supplied by the FBI. One thing that many people have been wondering is whether all of the footage was taken on the same night. Authorities have a reason to inquire about January 11, even if they aren't telling the public why. "Google initially reported [the January 11] date as a 'possibility' then later retracted the statement," Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos told NBC. In fact, the Guthrie family even confirmed it. However, Google then said they were unable to identify with full certainty that the video footage was taken on "any specific date," which means that authorities cannot confirm that the captor visited Guthrie's house before the day she was taken.

In March 2026, KVOA News 4 Tucson aired a special titled "Bring Her Home: The Disappearance of Nancy Guthrie." At the end of the segment, there was a message from Savannah and the Guthrie family seeking "renewed attention" in their search for Nancy. Not only did they take a moment to thank the residents of Tucson for their support during this challenging time, but they also made mention of the January 11 date. "It's possible a member of this community has information that they do not even realize is significant. We hope people search their memories, especially around the key timelines of January 31 and the early morning hours of February 1, as well as the late evening of January 11," the family's statement read, which was also shared on Instagram.

Nearly two months after Nancy Guthrie's disappearance, Savannah Guthrie did her first sit-down interview and it brought the "Today" anchor to tears. The series was hosted by Savannah's longtime friend, broadcaster Hoda Kotb, and aired in three parts on "Today." Savannah was understandably emotional as she talked about her mother and how hard the last couple of months had been for her. "I wake up every night in the middle of the night, every night. And in the darkness, I imagine her terror. And it is unthinkable, but those thoughts demand to be thought. And I will not hide my face. But she needs to come home now," Savannah said.

In the same interview, Savannah said that she and her family believe that two of the ransom notes that were sent out were real. At the end of the sit-down conversation with Kotb, Savannah solidified her "Today" show return date but with a heartbreaking caveat. "I can't not come back because it's my family," she said of her co-anchors. "When times are hard, you want to be with your family," she later added.

On April 5, Easter Sunday, Savannah Guthrie spoke as part of the digital gathering for Good Shepherd Church New York. She began by talking about the joy of the resurrection of Christ, leaning on her faith, which she shared she had done throughout the past few months. However, things took a heartbreaking turn when Savannah spoke about her life. "Standing here today, I have to tell you there are moments in which that promise seems irretrievably far away, when life itself seems far harder than death," she said. "These moments of deep disappointment with God, the feeling of utter abandonment. For most of us, there will come a time in our life when these feelings hold sway."

The statement was an honest moment of vulnerability — one that showed just how much Savannah had been carrying since her mother's disappearance, while still trying to maintain hope that her mother Nancy Guthrie would be found. And for many watching, it likely resonated on a deeply personal level. She followed by suggesting her statement may be too grim a message for Easter morning. "But I have long believed that we miss out on fully celebration resurrection if we do not acknowledge the feelings of loss, pain and, yes, death," she added. "It is the darkness that makes this morning's light so magnificent, so blindingly beautiful."

On Monday, April 6, Savannah Guthrie made her highly anticipated return to "Today." Wearing a yellow dress with a floral lace overlay, Savannah smiled as she returned to work for the first time since her mom's tragic disappearance. "We are so glad you started your week with us, and it is good to be home," she said into the camera. Without missing a beat, Savannah resumed her role as an anchor. "Well, here we go, ready or not. Let's do the news," she said while seated next to co-anchor Craig Melvin.

In the show's second hour, Savannah took a moment to thank the public for their ongoing love and support. "You guys have been so beautiful. I've received so many letters, so much kindness to me and my whole family. We feel it. We feel your prayers," she said, getting emotional while sitting with "Today" co-host Jenna Bush Hager. Savannah is expected to continue on in her role on the morning program, though she may head back to Arizona if there are any major developments in the Nancy Guthrie case.