Neighbor Describes ‘Strange’ Scene As Police Probe Guthrie Disappearance

As investigators intensify their probe into the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, a neighbor of the 84-year-old described unsettling activity around her Tucson-area home that has only deepened fears of foul play.

Morgan Brown, who lives nearby, said residents were asked by authorities to review Ring camera footage for anything unusual in the early hours of Sunday morning, when investigators now believe Guthrie vanished.

According to US Weekly, law enforcement suspects the disappearance occurred sometime between 1 a.m. and 4 a.m. Sunday, though Brown said officials did not explain how they narrowed down that timeline.

“There were a lot of dark vans with blacked out windows. There were a lot of cop cars there at first, and then it was vans, so I assumed that maybe they came across something. My Ring cameras don’t face the street, but I went through them and haven’t heard that anyone found anything,” Brown said.

News broke Sunday that Guthrie — the mother of NBC Today show co-host Savannah Guthrie — had gone missing in Arizona. Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos quickly labeled the case “very concerning,” confirming that foul play has not been ruled out. Savannah Guthrie was notably absent from the Today show on Monday and has since been confirmed to be in Arizona with her family.

Brown said law enforcement activity escalated rapidly Sunday afternoon.

“They had a helicopter up looking for her,” he said, adding that multiple vans and aircraft converged on the property.

The physical environment surrounding the home has fueled skepticism that Guthrie could have left voluntarily. Brown described the area as rugged desert terrain with no sidewalks and little room for safe travel on foot.

“There are no sidewalks in our neighborhood,” Brown said. “You just walk on the street and then there’s desert.”

He noted that Guthrie relies on a cane and that the landscape is filled with mesquite trees, cactus, and rocks — conditions that would be especially dangerous for someone in poor health.

“This is the foothills of Tucson,” Brown said. “If you step two feet off the road, you are basically in the thick of the cactus.”

While neighbors occasionally walk the area, Brown said it would be highly unusual for anyone — especially an elderly woman — to be out during the early morning hours.

Authorities have described Guthrie as a “vulnerable adult,” though they emphasized she does not suffer from cognitive impairment. Officials have also warned that she is in poor physical health and requires daily medication, noting that going more than 24 hours without it could be fatal.

Brown described the neighborhood as typically quiet and uneventful.

“You don’t hear of a lot of weird stuff in the neighborhood,” he said.

During a second press conference Monday, investigators said it is unlikely Guthrie left on her own. Officials stated she could not walk even 50 yards without assistance and confirmed that her home is now being treated as a crime scene. The sheriff also indicated the situation is no longer considered a search-and-rescue mission.

“I can’t imagine what someone would want with an 84-year-old woman,” Brown said. “The thought comes to my mind is maybe they are trying to get to Savannah somehow.”

Adding to the alarm, law enforcement revealed that Guthrie’s pacemaker stopped syncing with her Apple Watch early Sunday morning. Fox News was informed that the heart device ceased transmitting data around 2 a.m., while investigators later found the Apple Watch still inside the house — suggesting Guthrie was separated from the device.

Apple Watches can connect via Bluetooth to medical devices like pacemakers, allowing users to monitor vital signs. The loss of connection indicates the pacemaker moved out of range, offering investigators a possible window into when Guthrie may have been taken.

The data has made reporting that Guthrie was allegedly dragged from her bed in the middle of the night even more disturbing. Authorities say she was last seen at her home around 9:45 p.m. Saturday.

Fox News contributor and former FBI special agent Nicole Parker said the circumstances point away from a random crime.

She argued that Savannah Guthrie’s mother was more likely abducted by someone with a “deep grievance” rather than a “stranger,” as investigators continue working to piece together what happened in the dark early hours of Sunday morning.