Nancy Guthrie kidnapping suspected as wealth‑motivated theft by local worker

Eighty‑four‑year‑old Nancy Guthrie, mother of "Today" co‑host Savannah Guthrie, was abducted from her Tucson, Arizona home in the early hours of Feb. 1, 2026. No credible ransom demand has been received.

Veteran forensic scientist Barbara Butcher told Fox News Digital that she believes the suspect was a local handyman or service provider who assumed the Guthrie family was wealthy. She said, "I find it flabbergasting that anyone would take a woman her age... probably a handyman who thought she must be rich." Butcher added that the lack of a ransom demand suggests Guthrie may have died shortly after the abduction from shock or a medical condition, with the kidnapper possibly moving her body to the desert.

The FBI and Pima County deputies continue to canvass the neighborhood, and a combined reward of more than $1.2 million has been offered for information. The family urges anyone with tips to call 1‑800‑CALL‑FBI or contact Tucson Crime Stoppers.