Savannah Guthrie’s family is facing a terrifying ordeal after her mother, Nancy Guthrie, vanished from her Arizona home under what authorities now believe are criminal circumstances.

Nancy Guthrie, 84, the mother of Savannah Guthrie, co-anchor of the Today, was reported missing on Sunday morning, February 1, after she failed to turn up following the previous night at her home in the Catalina Foothills area north of Tucson.

According to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, Nancy had gone to bed Saturday night and was gone by morning. Search-and-rescue teams were quickly deployed across the surrounding desert terrain, but efforts to locate her have so far been unsuccessful.

On Monday, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said investigators now believe Nancy’s disappearance is the result of a crime.

“At this point, investigators believe she was taken from the home against her will, possibly in the middle of the night,” Nanos said. “Taken against her will includes possible kidnapping or abduction.”

He added that investigators are confident Nancy did not leave the house on her own.

“We have an 84-year-old woman who went to bed Saturday night and by Sunday morning, she’s gone. We know — at least we believe, and I believe we know — she did not walk out of that home on her own.”

Authorities have been reviewing nearby home-security footage and have collected what they described as biological DNA-type evidence from the scene.

According to a report from the Los Angeles Times, citing law-enforcement sources, blood was found inside Nancy Guthrie’s home, and there were signs of forced entry. Officials have not confirmed whose blood was discovered, and no further details have been released.

Sheriff Nanos emphasized that Nancy was mentally sharp and physically limited, which deepened investigators’ concerns.

“She is really just as sharp as a tack,” he told People. “That too is concerning. Here you have this lady who’s got all her wits about her — she knows what’s going on. So yeah, somebody came into that home and I believe took her out of there without her permission.”

The Sheriff’s Department is offering a reward of up to $2,500 for images, videos, or information that leads to the arrest of whoever is responsible for her disappearance.

While officials have released few confirmed details, a neighbor has described unsettling activity around the home. Morgan Brown, who lives roughly a quarter mile away, told Us Weekly that multiple dark vans with tinted windows were seen in the area as the investigation unfolded. Residents have been asked to review Ring and other security-camera footage for anything unusual.

Brown also noted that the area is rugged desert terrain, making it unlikely Nancy could have wandered away on her own.

“If you step two feet off the road, you are basically in the thick of the cactus,” Brown said. “It’s not gated at all. It’s desert-y, scrubby mesquite trees and cactus and rocks everywhere.”

Authorities echoed that concern, stating Nancy “couldn’t walk 50 yards by herself” and uses a cane.

Brown added that the neighborhood is typically quiet and uneventful.

“There are quite a few retirees and people who have lived here a long time. You don’t hear of a lot of weird stuff in the neighborhood.”

As the investigation continues, speculation remains limited, though the circumstances have alarmed both neighbors and the wider public.

“I can’t imagine what someone would want with an 84-year-old woman,” Brown said. “It’s horrible news.”

The Guthrie family has not made a public statement beyond earlier acknowledgments, as authorities continue to pursue every lead in what they now believe is a possible kidnapping.