Fact Check: Was Nancy Guthrie reported missing before she was officially declared so?

TUCSON, ARIZONA: After Nancy Guthrie, the mother of Savannah Guthrie, went missing, a claim began circulating on social media platforms that the missing person report was filed before she was officially declared missing. The claim has sparked outrage and confusion among many. Let us fact-check the authenticity of the rumor.

Claim: Nancy Guthrie was reported missing before she officially was

An X post on February 20 alleged that a Missing Endangered Adult Report for Nancy Guthrie was filed on January 31, 2026, at 7:00 PM local time, before she was publicly reported missing on February 1, 2026.

The post slammed the authorities, questioning how they could file such a report “before anyone officially reported her missing,” sparking debate and speculation online.

While some commenters wondered whether time-zone differences or administrative backdating explained the discrepancy, others said they could not find a case number in public records. The original post had 200,000 likes and hundreds of shares as of this writing.

Fact Check: Official timelines does not align with the claim

According to credible reports and official timelines, Nancy Guthrie, 84, was last seen on the evening of January 31, when she was dropped off at her home in Tucson, Arizona, after dinner with family.

When she failed to show up for a scheduled gathering and was unreachable, her family and friends became concerned, and she was reported missing at noon on February 1, 2026.

Police responded after she was not found at her home, where her personal belongings and essential medications were still present.

There is no credible evidence or statement from official sources or law enforcement supporting the claim that a Missing Endangered Adult Report was formally filed on January 31.

According to publicly available information, including statements from the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, the records consistently show that Guthrie’s disappearance was reported to authorities on February 1, and that is when missing-person alerts and investigative actions were triggered.  

Mystery deepens in Nancy Guthrie's disappearance

It has been 21 days since Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of NBC Today co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, went missing.

Surveillance footage from that night shows an armed man attempting to tamper with a camera outside her home, leading authorities to believe the case may involve a kidnapping for ransom.

Multiple ransom notes were reportedly sent to media outlets in the days that followed. The FBI has released additional details about the masked man seen in the footage, who is believed to be the primary suspect.

The suspect is described as approximately 5 feet 9 inches to 5 feet 10 inches tall, with an average build. He was also seen wearing a black 25-liter “Ozark Trail Hiker Pack” backpack.