Nancy Guthrie and Savannah Guthrie
Screenshot/X

Savannah Guthrie is preparing to leave Tucson and return to New York City this weekend, almost four weeks after her mother, Nancy Guthrie, 84, vanished from her home in Arizona in what investigators believe was a kidnapping.

The decision, according to sources, marks a painful turning point. Nancy has not been found. No suspect has been named. And the family is reportedly coming to terms with the possibility that the search could stretch on for years.

'She can't stay in Arizona forever,' a source told the Daily Mail. 'Her kids and her life are in New York City. It's what her mom would want her to do.'

The insider added that Nancy was her daughter's 'biggest cheerleader'. Her family has offered a reward of up to $1 million, and the FBI and local sheriff's investigators say they are still pursuing leads.

What Happened to Nancy Guthrie

Nancy Guthrie was reported missing on 1 February after her family called 911 at 12:03 p.m. local time, authorities later told People. She had failed to join friends for a virtual church service, which is the kind of small, ordinary routine that suddenly becomes a timestamp you cannot stop replaying.​

Investigators have said she was last seen the night before, with People reporting she was last seen going into her garage at 9:50 p.m. on Jan. 31 after dinner at her daughter Annie's nearby home. Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has publicly pushed back against the notion that this was a simple walk-off, telling NPR that they do not think she wandered away and that the case points to her being forcibly taken.

The sheriff's office is the local force leading the ground investigation, while the FBI brings federal resources and runs tip intake when a case has broader implications. In this one, both have been pulled into the same grim orbit.

A Family Betting On Hope

On 24 February, Guthrie went public again, offering a reward of up to $1 million for information on her mother's whereabouts. The Today show, where Guthrie co-anchors, reported that the FBI's Phoenix office confirmed the family's reward in a post on X the same day.

The BBC described her as fighting back tears while acknowledging, out loud, what every family in this position eventually has to face, that the missing person may already be dead.

Sheriff Nanos has also underlined why time is not an abstract worry here. NPR reported that he said Nancy Guthrie 'has a clear mind' and that 'this is not a dementia-related situation,' adding, 'She is as sharp as a tack.'

NPR also reported that she relies on a pacemaker and medication, and that missing those medications could have serious consequences.​

In the meantime, the family's practical life keeps tugging in the opposite direction. Guthrie's children and her husband are based in New York, and while there has been no formal statement about her schedule, the pressures of returning to routine are obvious to anyone who has ever tried to keep a household upright during a crisis.

Sources close to NBC told CNN that Guthrie, 54, intends to return to the Today show, though the timeline remains uncertain and entirely up to her. An NBC insider said her 'Today family will welcome her back with open arms on her timeline.'

Savannah's husband, Michael Feldman, recently visited the studio to thank staff before flying back to Arizona to be with his wife. Their two young children remain in New York.

The FBI and sheriff's office said the investigation remains active and urged anyone with information to contact the FBI's tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI.

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