Article by Bogdan Fechită – Published on Thursday, 05 February 2026, 12:05 / Updated on Thursday, 05 February 2026 12:05
Savannah Guthrie, 54, a well-known NBC television presenter, will not be part of the broadcast of the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics for a sad and scandalous reason: her mother was kidnapped, the police found traces of blood and evidence of a break-in in her home.
Her mother, Nancy Guthrie, disappeared on January 31 from her home in Tucson, Arizona. She was last seen that day at around 9.30pm. The next day, police launched a search operation under the direction of the Pima County Sheriff's Office.
“We are considering Nancy Guthrie's home as a crime scene. We are convinced that a kidnapping took place. The evidence we have gathered supports this” Sheriff Chris Nanos said at a news conference on February 2. So the indications are that the 84-year-old woman was taken out of the house against her will, probably during the night.
Shocking kidnapping just before the Olympics: the star canceled his participation, blood found in the mother's house
Investigators are now reviewing security camera footage and data from license plate readers. On top of that, they warned that the victim's state of health requires regular administration of drugs, and their absence for a period of 24 hours could be fatal. Other forces, including the FBI, joined the search.
Under these circumstances, Savannah Guthrie canceled her trip to Italy for the Olympics.
“Savannah will not be with us at the Games as she wants to focus on her family during this difficult time. Our thoughts are with her and the entire Guthrie family as the search for her mother continues.” the NBC channel told the BILD newspaper, quoted by sport.sk.
