Police Believe Savannah Guthrie's Mom May Have Been 'Kidnapped' From Her Home

Days after Savannah Guthrie's mother, 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, was last seen, authorities, treating her home as a "crime scene," now believe that she might have been kidnapped from her home. As the renowned Arizona journalist asks for prayers for her mother, police continue looking for Nancy in what has been labeled a "race against time."

As reported by PEOPLE, Nancy was last seen at approximately 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, January 31, at her home in Catalina Foothills,Tucson, Arizona. She was reported missing on February 1, after a friend noticed she had not attended church. The Pima County Sheriff's Office (PCSO) has since been investigating the elderly woman's home as a "crime scene," and now the police investigators are slowly piecing the puzzle together.

In a statement shared with the outlet, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said that he believes a crime was committed. While there is no certainty at this point about what might have occurred, investigators contemplate the possibility of a "kidnapping or abduction," with clues leading to the assertion that Nancy Guthrie, in the middle of the night, was "taken from her home against her will":

And that too is concerning that here you have this lady who's got all her wits about her, she knows what's going on. So yeah, somebody came into that home, and I believe took her out there without her permission. It was against her will.

Sheriff Nanos' abduction belief seems to align with reality: Nancy had limited physical mobility and was "as sharp as a tack." This means that the likelihood of her just suddenly wandering off from her house, never to be seen again, is extremely low.

For the time being, the PCSO continues investigating the incident. Sheriff Nanos has confirmed that they are looking to gain access to home security footage, and the PCSO has gotten hold of what they believe is "biological DNA type evidence." This evidence will be submitted to the crime labs to perform a "rapid search," Nanos added.

While evidence will probably bring the authorities closer to finding Nancy, Nanos told TODAY he believes it is a "race against time," and he hopes that "that window hasn't closed." After all, experts have consistently explained that the first 72 hours after a person goes missing are essential. After that, there are "fewer bread crumbs to follow," former FBI agent Dr. Bryanna Fox told ABC News.

In the meantime, Savannah broke her silence regarding her mother's disappearance on an Instagram post, asking for prayers. She called Nancy a "woman of deep conviction," and also a "good and faithful servant." While quoting an Isaiah verse from the Bible, the NBC anchor told her 1.2 million followers that her family needs them, as her mother, according to her, will be lifted by their prayers.