Remote Setting Muddles Search for Nancy Guthrie

Sizable time window also makes for a wider search radius
Posted Feb 4, 2026 1:20 PM CST
Remote Setting Complicates Search for Nancy Guthrie
This image provided by the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, on Monday, Feb. 2, 2026, shows a missing person alert for Nancy Guthrie.   (Pima County Sheriff’s Department via AP)

Authorities hunting for Savannah Guthrie's missing mother have a few elements working against them. Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos says investigators believe 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie was taken from her rural Tucson-area home against her will, but they have no suspect, no clear motive, and limited surveillance to work with. CNN reports her house sits in a sparsely populated unincorporated community with no street lights, few neighbors, and homes tucked far back from the road, meaning even if doorbell camera footage is available, it might not be sharp enough to reveal anything. As CNN's Ed Lavandera recounts:

  • "I was incredibly struck by just how you could not see. This is not a traditional neighborhood where you have a row of homes very close to each other close to a sidewalk. There are no sidewalks. The houses are very spread apart. It's very secluded. Off of the main road you have to wind your way through a number of roads to get to where Nancy Guthrie lives."

Time is another problem. Guthrie was last seen around 9:30–9:45pm Saturday when family dropped her off at home; she was reported missing around noon Sunday after failing to appear at church. That gap dramatically widens the possible search radius. Nanos says the case is not dementia-related and that Guthrie, who has limited mobility and "couldn't walk 50 yards," likely did not leave on her own. She relies on critical prescription medication, and her pacemaker last pinged her iPhone around 2am Sunday; the iPhone was found inside the house.

Reports from other outlets say there were signs of forced entry and blood inside the home, though authorities haven't publicly confirmed those details. At least three outlets—TMZ and two Tucson TV stations—say they've received what appear to be ransom notes demanding millions in bitcoin and referencing details inside the home; investigators are treating them as potential evidence but have not verified them. In a Wednesday morning post on X, the sheriff's office reiterated that no suspect or person of interest has yet been identified.

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