The disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, the mother of the “Today” show anchor Savannah Guthrie, was being investigated as a kidnapping amid fears that she was without a medication she needed every 24 hours.
The search for Ms. Guthrie, 84, entered a third day on Tuesday, after she was reported missing from her home near Tucson, Ariz., on Sunday.
Chris Nanos, the sheriff, offered few new details about the investigation at a news conference on Tuesday, saying that it was unclear if the abduction of Ms. Guthrie was targeted or random, and that investigators did not know if more than one person was involved in it.
“We do believe that Nancy was taken from her home against her will, and that’s where we’re at,” Sheriff Nanos said.
Jon Edwards, the assistant special agent in charge of the F.B.I.’s Tucson field office, said agents were conducting interviews, reviewing cellphone information and getting information from cellphone towers. He asked anyone who saw anything suspicious near Ms. Guthrie’s home on Saturday night or Sunday morning to call the authorities.
Sheriff Nanos said at a news conference on Sunday that Ms. Guthrie was last seen at her home when she was dropped off by family members on Saturday night around 9:30 p.m.
Ms. Guthrie’s family learned on Sunday morning that she had not attended church. They went to her home but did not find her there, according to the sheriff’s office. Her wallet, cellphone and vehicle were at the house, the authorities said.
Sheriff Nanos said there were signs at Ms. Guthrie’s home that concerned investigators from the beginning of the investigation, but he declined to elaborate on what those were. He declined to answer a question about whether there was blood in the home.
Ms. Guthrie has limited mobility and needs daily medication, or she could die without it, the authorities said. She does not have cognitive issues.
She lives in Catalina Foothills, an unincorporated community just north of Tucson that is nestled against the Santa Catalina Mountains. Homes there tend to be more expensive than others in the area. Many houses are on large lots surrounded by desert, including vegetation like saguaro and prickly pear cactuses and thick desert shrubs. Her daughter Annie Guthrie lives nearby, according to public records.
Savannah Guthrie was absent from the “Today” show broadcast on Monday and Tuesday, which opened both broadcasts with coverage of her mother’s disappearance. She was set to be a part of NBC’s Winter Olympics coverage in Italy, but it was not clear on Tuesday morning if she was still involved.
On Monday night, Savannah Guthrie asked in a social media post for people to pray for her mother’s safe return. “Raise your prayers with us and believe with us that she will be lifted by them in this very moment,” she wrote, ending the message with the words: “Bring her home.”
Nancy Guthrie had been a part of “Today” broadcasts several times. In 2012, Savannah Guthrie called her mother live on air on her 70th birthday, and spoke about her mother’s “grit” in an on-air tribute on her 80th birthday. In November, “Today” aired a segment about Tucson, which featured Savannah Guthrie having lunch with her mother and sister.
Susan C. Beachy contributed research.
Amanda Holpuch covers breaking news and other topics.
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