Mother of NBC News journalist and Today co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, Nancy Guthrie, is believed to have been abducted from her home during the wee hours of Sunday morning.
Police say Guthrie, 84, disappeared from her Tucson home overnight, sometime between the evening of Saturday, February 1, and the early morning hours of Sunday, February 2. Authorities are treating the case as a suspected abduction.
Savannah Guthrie has stepped away from her on-air duties at NBC News, and has asked the public for prayers and to offer up any information they may have about the likely abduction.
Now, NBC News reports that investigators have used data from the elder Guthrie’s Apple Watch to help pin down the time of her abduction.
Law-enforcement sources tell the outlet that Guthrie’s Apple Watch and iPhone stopped communicating with her implanted pacemaker at around 2 a.m. on February 2. Both devices inside her home when police entered the home midday Sunday.
Investigators say it appears that Guthrie arrived home around 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, February 1. Her Apple Watch, although it was removed from Guthrie’s wrist sometime later that evening continued syncing pacemaker data.
The device lost connection with Guthrie’s pacemaker at around 2:00 a.m. Sunday, no longer receiving data. Police says the data collected by the wearable does help narrow down the abduction timeframe.
Police discovered signs of forced entry and blood at the scene, indicating there was an abduction. In addition to the Apple Watch data, police are using forensic analysis and surveillance data to investigate.
The cops wouldn’t speculate as to what injuries may have cause the blood to be at the crime scene. Police commonly keep certain details under wraps in this type of investigation.
Message have been sent to multiple news outlets, claiming responsibility for the abduction, with what appear to be ransom demands. The messages reportedly include details about the victim’s personal life and home. Investigators are attempting to confirm the authenticity of the messages.
Both the Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Customs Border and Protection are assisting local investigators and search-and-rescue personnel.
If you have information about the abduction, you are urged to call the Pima County Sheriff’s Department directly at 520-351-4900, or call 88-CRIME (520-882-7463) to submit a tip.
A photo of Guthrie is included at the top of this article. (Credit: NBC News)
