The disappearance of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, mother of NBC “Today” co-host Savannah Guthrie, is now being examined alongside acknowledged early missteps by local authorities. Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos admitted that errors were made in the crucial first hours of the investigation, including removing crime scene tape too soon and delaying outreach to outside law enforcement agencies. According to reporting from The Arizona Republic, Guthrie’s home was released as a crime scene prematurely, only for investigators to return days later to collect more evidence. In hindsight, Nanos conceded the scene should have stayed secured longer and that other agencies could have been brought in earlier. Apparently, hindsight works faster than procedure.
Fox News Digital obtained a statement showing that the county’s high-tech search aircraft was also grounded for hours because its pilot had been disciplined after a dispute with Sheriff Nanos and reassigned to street patrol. Local law enforcement sources said the plane’s launch was delayed for several hours after Guthrie was reported missing around midday Sunday.
“Three hours in a search for a vulnerable adult is an eternity,” a law enforcement source told Fox News Digital. And they weren’t being poetic.
The Pima County Deputies Organization criticized the decision to reassign the pilot, saying it opposed the move at the time because it left a critical law enforcement asset understaffed. According to the group, the pilot personally appealed to Sheriff Nanos but was still transferred to patrol. The organization described the decision as part of a broader pattern, pointing to another case last year when the department’s most experienced Search and Rescue deputy was also reassigned without replacement.
Those staffing decisions, the group said, left key units short-handed during what became one of the highest-profile searches in the department’s history and during one of the busiest times of year for Search and Rescue operations. Timing, it seems, was not on their side.
Nanos said investigators initially believed they had completed processing the crime scene, but later realized that assessment was premature. Authorities now believe Guthrie was forcibly taken from her home in Tucson, Arizona, though no suspects or persons of interest have been publicly identified. Nanos said investigators are continuing to pursue all leads.
“Everybody is still a suspect in our eyes,” he said.
Investigators laid out a timeline during a Thursday news conference. Guthrie was dropped off at her home around 9:48 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 31, after having dinner with family. Authorities said the home’s doorbell camera disconnected from the security system at 1:47 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 1. About 25 minutes later, movement was detected near the home, but no video footage was recorded. At 2:28 a.m., Guthrie’s pacemaker application disconnected from her phone, which was later found inside the residence.
Nanos confirmed that blood found on the front porch was tested and DNA results showed it belonged to Guthrie.
The FBI has since joined the investigation and is offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to her recovery. Federal authorities said they are reviewing ransom notes linked to the case and confirmed that at least one person has been arrested in connection with what investigators described as an “impostor ransom demand.”
Nanos said the case has evolved into a possible kidnapping and that multiple agencies are now sharing resources and intelligence. He added that it does not matter which agency is leading the investigation, stating the main priority is finding Guthrie.
Her son, Camron Guthrie, released a new video appeal Thursday directed at whoever may be holding his mother.
“We haven’t heard anything directly,” he said. “Whoever is out there holding our mother, we want to hear from you.”
Authorities have not released further details, citing the ongoing investigation. Despite early mistakes and delays, law enforcement says all efforts are now focused on one goal—bringing Nancy Guthrie home safely. And with federal support and expanded resources now in play, the search continues with renewed urgency and determination.
