Friends Recall Savannah Guthrie’s Mother’s Final Weeks Before Disappearance

In the days since Savannah Guthrie's mother vanished, small details about her final weeks have surfaced. Together, they paint a picture that makes the mystery harder to understand and easier to fear.

Nancy Guthrie, 84, disappeared from her Arizona home late Saturday night. While investigators focus on what may have happened during those hours, friends are now describing how normal life seemed right up until the end.

Savannah Guthrie appears with her mother during an episode of NBC's "Today" show on April 17, 2019 | Source: Getty Images

In the weeks before her disappearance, Nancy was not withdrawn or isolated. According to those who knew her best, she was busy, social, and fully engaged in her daily routines.

Friends told Page Six that she maintained a packed social calendar and rarely missed her regular gatherings. One of those was a long standing book club that had been meeting for years.

Mary Ann Blevins, a close friend and fellow book club member, said the group had last seen Nancy just weeks before she vanished. "We were together last month," Mary Ann recalled.

The group, made up of eight members, met monthly and stayed closely connected outside those meetings. Mary Ann said nothing seemed out of the ordinary when they last spent time together.

Mary Ann, who is 86, emphasized, "We've known each other for many, many years. I met her a long, long time ago when we first started up the book club."

She described Nancy as upbeat and engaged when they last met. Mary Ann said Nancy was "in really good spirits," a detail that stands out now given what followed.

Asked to sum up her friend, Mary Ann did not hesitate. "She's just a beautiful person."

According to Mary Ann, Nancy also spent time with her mahjong group and stayed closely involved with her grandchildren. That routine included helping care for Savannah Guthrie's nephew.

Savannah Guthrie and mom Nancy, laugh with Jenna Bush Hager on an episode of "Today" show on April 17, 2019. | Source: Getty Images

One of the most unsettling details from Mary Ann's account is what Nancy did not say. In their many conversations, fear never came up.

When asked if Nancy had ever expressed concern about being alone or about the possibility of being kidnapped, Mary Ann was direct. "No, never."

Security concerns were also absent from their discussions. "No, not at all," Mary Ann said when asked if Nancy had ever mentioned worries about her safety.

Blevins added that Nancy was widely loved in her community. "Anybody that knows her and met her loves her," she said. "I don't think she has any enemies, and that's why this whole thing is very scary."

Savannah and Nancy Guthrie on NBC's "Today" show on June 15, 2023 | Source: Getty Images

As friends remember a life that appeared calm and predictable, investigators are dealing with a far more alarming set of clues. Attention has turned to an alleged ransom note demanding cryptocurrency.

Former NYPD hostage negotiator Wallace Zeins told CNN that the circumstances suggest more than one person may be involved. He pointed to the ransom demand itself as potentially revealing.

"What does that tell you? It tells you that it's some type of group that knows what bitcoin is all about, and social media, and they know the system," he said during the interview.

He explained that the format of the note matters. If it was handwritten, Zeins said, it would require forensic testing.

"If it was on a computer, then that helps also because the FBI is so good at what they do when it comes down to electronic surveillance and electronic stuff of that nature, then they will be able to further that investigation," he said.

A sign is posted at the house of Nancy Guthrie on February 3, 2026 | Source: Getty Images

Further details about the note emerged in reporting by TMZ. On Tuesday, February 3, 2026, the outlet said it had received an alleged ransom note tied to Nancy's disappearance.

According to TMZ, the note demands a specific amount of Bitcoin that totals in the millions. It allegedly instructs that the cryptocurrency be sent to a particular Bitcoin address, which TMZ says it verified as real.

The reported note includes a deadline and an "or else" warning. It also references items inside Nancy's Tucson area home.

TMZ reported that the note mentions an item Nancy was said not to be wearing, as well as another item that the sender claimed was damaged inside the house.

The outlet said it forwarded the alleged ransom demand to the Pima County Sheriff's Department.

Pima County Sheriff, Chris Nanos, speaks to the media on February 3, 2026 | Source: Getty Images

For those who knew Nancy best, the contrast is jarring. Friends recall recent lunches, games, and book discussions, not fear or secrecy.

Nothing in her final weeks suggested she felt threatened or was preparing for danger. That normalcy has only deepened the shock surrounding her disappearance.

As investigators follow leads tied to the alleged ransom note, friends are left replaying their last conversations with her. They describe a woman who seemed exactly where she wanted to be.

As investigators work to determine what may have happened after Nancy vanished, previously reported details have helped clarify how the case first unfolded and why authorities believe it is no longer routine.

Family members realized something was wrong when they could not reach her the following morning. After searching the house themselves, relatives called 911 around noon on Sunday, February 1, 2026, authorities said.

By then, hours had already passed, and something crucial was missing. Investigators now believe Nancy went missing sometime after 10 p.m. that Saturday, January 31, 2026. That narrow overnight window has become the focal point of the case.

What happened during those dark hours is still unclear. But technology, the same kind many rely on for safety, may be telling part of the story.

According to reporting by the New York Post, the missing woman had a pacemaker. Nancy's implanted pacemaker stopped syncing with her Apple Watch and phone around 2 a.m. that Sunday.

A law enforcement source told a news outlet that the device appeared to be taken "out of range" at that time. "Investigators believe she was taken out of range around that time," the insider said.

When deputies reached the home hours later, her phone and Apple Watch were still inside. For investigators, that detail was impossible to ignore.

The sheriff later confirmed the search was no longer routine, saying the case was becoming more investigative, a shift that raised immediate alarm.

Then came the dispatch audio, and with it, a clearer picture of Nancy's vulnerability.

Recordings obtained by People revealed deputies were alerted that she has high blood pressure, cardiac issues, and relies on a pacemaker.

The audio also included a precise physical description: Nancy was a white female, 84 years of age, 5'2 ", medium build, brown over blue. The urgency in the call is unmistakable.

At a Tuesday press conference, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos delivered the most unsettling update yet. Authorities now believe "Nancy was taken against her will."

There are currently no suspects, and investigators do not know how many people may have been involved.

As the investigation deepened, a resurfaced social media post added another eerie layer. In 2021, before her disappearance, Nancy had asked neighbors on Nextdoor about outdoor security cameras.

She reportedly wrote:

"I'm thinking about buying ring or nest security/doorbell camera? Any suggestions? Which has the best camera?"

She said she wanted to monitor "activity at night." At the time, it seemed harmless. Now, it feels haunting.

For Savannah, the news arrived in the most brutal way possible. A family member called to say her mother was missing.

It was "the worst phone call of her life," an NBC producer who knows Savannah personally told CNN. With an international trip looming, Savannah immediately dropped everything.

Savannah Guthrie poses alongside her mother Nancy during a production break whilst hosting NBC's "Today Show" live at Sydney Opera House in Australia on May 4, 2015. | Source: Getty Images

A source familiar with the matter said she scrambled to fly to Tucson. By Monday morning, February 2, 2026, Sheriff Nanos confirmed that Savannah had been in contact with his office and that her security team had been coordinating with authorities throughout the night.

Savannah Guthrie and mom Nancy, are with Jenna Bush Hager on an episode of "Today" show on April 17, 2019. | Source: Getty Images

As of Tuesday, the search for Nancy continues across Pima County. What began as concern has hardened into fear.

Between the silent pacemaker, the abandoned devices, and the chilling dispatch audio, investigators are no longer asking whether something went wrong, but what, exactly, happened in that missing window of time.

And for Savannah and her family, the wait for answers is becoming unbearable.