Authorities are currently offering a reward of $25,000 for any information that could assist in locating Nancy Guthrie.
The 84-year-old mother of Savannah Guthrie, the host of the “Today” show, has reportedly been kidnapped, abducted, or otherwise taken against her will, as stated by the police.
In the meantime, AI has highlighted just how exceptionally rare it is for individuals over the age of 80 to be abducted from their homes.
“She’s as sharp as a tack.”
Authorities are actively investigating the alarming disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, the mother of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie. Police suspect that the 84-year-old may have been forcibly taken from her residence in Arizona, which authorities are characterizing as a potential kidnapping or abduction.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos remarked that the case has turned into “a race against time,” expressing hope that “that window hasn’t closed” as investigators enter the third day of their search.
Sheriff Nanos indicated that Nancy Guthrie was last seen on the evening of January 31 at her home near Tucson. Her family reported her missing around noon on February 1. Authorities are now treating her residence as a crime scene, with Nanos informing reporters that certain findings there were “concerning.”
Nancy has restricted mobility, which has led investigators to conclude that she did not leave her home of her own accord. Authorities have also dismissed the possibility of cognitive impairments.
“This is not related to dementia. She is very alert and aware,” Nanos stated during a news conference on Monday. “The family wishes to convey that this is not a case of someone simply wandering off.”
Could she have sustained injuries?
Nanos stressed that Guthrie relies on daily medication and made a heartfelt appeal to anyone who might be holding her, urging them to release her without delay.
“I cannot recall a time when an 84-year-old woman vanished from her bed in the middle of the night,” he remarked.
Nanos later clarified that when he mentioned Nancy Guthrie being taken from her bed, he was using figurative language and did not intend for it to be interpreted literally.
Law enforcement sources informed NBC News on February 2 that they suspected Nancy Guthrie may have been injured during her removal from her home. However, when the Arizona Daily Star later questioned Nanos about this assertion, he stated that he had “misspoken or something” during the NBC News interview. He further commented, “I am not going to discuss that with you. I will neither confirm nor deny.”
Authorities are currently offering a reward of $25,000 for any information that could assist in locating her. The case has garnered significant attention, there is no doubt about that.
The statistics
Exact national statistics regarding the likelihood of someone over the age of 80 being kidnapped are not typically recorded in standard crime databases; however, the data that is available clearly indicates that abduction at this age is exceptionally rare.
In the United States, kidnappings perpetrated by strangers are already quite infrequent. For children, the annual risk is approximately 1 in 720,000 — nearly one in a million.
Since 2010, an average of fewer than 350 individuals under the age of 21 have been abducted by strangers in the United States each year. Federal crime statistics reveal that stranger abductions constitute a minuscule portion of total kidnappings, accounting for less than 0.02% of missing-child cases, for instance.
As noted by ChatGPT, the majority of research and statistics concentrate on younger demographics, as they are predominantly the ones who are targeted. Teens and children represent the vast majority of abduction incidents, resulting in adults, particularly seniors, facing a significantly lower risk.
When discussing older adults, there is a notable absence of official statistics. Individuals aged 50 and above constitute a remarkably small percentage of non-family abductions, and instances of random kidnappings involving individuals in their 80s are nearly absent from national data.
In summary: although reports of abductions can be alarming, the actual probability of someone over the age of 80 being kidnapped is extremely low. Nevertheless, this remains a profoundly serious matter, and for Savannah and her family, it is understandably an exceptionally challenging period. The Today host commented on the situation, stating:
“On behalf of our family, I wish to express our gratitude for the thoughts, prayers, and messages of support,” she conveyed. “At this moment, our priority is the safe return of our beloved mother. We appreciate the diligent efforts of law enforcement in this case and urge anyone with information to reach out to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department at (520) 351-4900.”
Additionally, she shared a post on Instagram on February 2, requesting her followers to keep her mother in their prayers and to hope for her safe return.
