The disappearance of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, mother of NBC’s “Today” show co-host Savannah Guthrie, has gripped the nation with its eerie details and rapid escalation into a suspected abduction case. On February 5, 2026, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department released a precise timeline of the critical 12 hours leading up to when Nancy was reported missing, spotlighting a mysterious anomaly at 1:47 a.m. involving her doorbell camera: an alert indicated someone approached, but no video footage exists, leaving investigators—and the public—frustrated by a crucial gap in evidence.

Nancy Guthrie vanished from her home in the Catalina Foothills area north of Tucson, Arizona, sometime in the early morning hours of February 1, 2026. Authorities treat the case as a criminal abduction, believing she was taken against her will while asleep. She suffers from heart issues requiring a pacemaker and daily medications; without them, her health could deteriorate quickly, heightening the urgency of the search involving hundreds of officers, the FBI, and other agencies.

The timeline begins on the evening of Saturday, January 31, 2026:

5:32 p.m.: Nancy takes an Uber to a family member’s home for dinner. Investigators have interviewed the driver, confirming this leg of her journey.
9:48 p.m.: After the meal, her son-in-law, Tommaso Cioni, drops her off at her residence. Surveillance shows the garage door opening as she arrives.
9:50 p.m.: The garage door closes, marking the last confirmed sighting of Nancy entering her home safely. Family members report she seemed in good spirits and routine.

For the next few hours, nothing unusual appears to have occurred. Nancy likely went to bed as normal in her secluded, single-story home. Then, in the dead of night, events turn ominous.

1:47 a.m. (Sunday, February 1): The doorbell camera—likely a Ring device mounted near the front entrance—disconnects or is removed. Sheriff Chris Nanos described this as deliberate, noting the physical device is missing from its mount. Authorities are not confirming it was smashed or destroyed but emphasize it was tampered with or taken. This action deprived the home of its primary front-door surveillance.
2:12 a.m.: Approximately 25 minutes later, the camera’s software detects movement or a person in its field of view. The system triggered an alert indicating activity at the door. However, no video footage is available. The reason: Nancy did not have an active subscription to the cloud storage service. Without it, the device operates on a loop—recording over old footage after a short buffer period. Analysts explained that any potential clip would have been automatically overwritten, erasing any visual record of who or what triggered the detection.
2:28 a.m.: Nancy’s pacemaker app disconnects from her paired cellphone. This is a pivotal clue: the device requires proximity to her phone for connectivity. The sudden loss of signal suggests she was moved out of range—likely removed from the home—around this window. Her cellphone was left behind at the residence, along with her medications, reinforcing the abduction theory.

The gap between 1:47 a.m. and 2:28 a.m.—roughly 41 minutes—represents the most probable timeframe for the incident. The doorbell tampering at 1:47 a.m. appears premeditated, possibly to eliminate eyewitness evidence from the entrance. The subsequent motion detection at 2:12 a.m. hints at someone (or something) present after the camera was disabled, but without saved footage, investigators cannot confirm identity, appearance, vehicle, or actions.

The home had multiple cameras, but the front doorbell was key for capturing approach or entry. Blood evidence—confirmed as Nancy’s—was found near the front door, adding to signs of foul play, though details remain limited to protect the investigation.

Nancy was not discovered missing until later that morning:

11:56 a.m.: Family members check on her (possibly due to her not attending church or routine contact).
12:03 p.m.: 911 is called to report her missing.
12:15 p.m.: Patrol officers arrive at the scene, discovering the unsettling signs: no Nancy, phone and meds left behind, blood spatter, and the missing doorbell camera.

The release of this timeline on February 5—five days into the search—came amid a press conference where Sheriff Nanos stressed belief that Nancy is “still out there” and alive. The FBI announced a $50,000 reward for information leading to her recovery or arrest/conviction in the case. No suspects have been named, and no one has been ruled out. Investigators urge neighbors to review any home surveillance from that night and ask the public for tips.

The doorbell camera mystery has fueled widespread speculation. Why target the camera specifically? Was the perpetrator aware of its presence and the lack of subscription? The 25-minute delay between disconnection and motion detection raises questions: Did the intruder disable it quietly, wait to ensure no alarm response, then return or proceed? Or was the motion from an animal, wind, or unrelated factor?

Online discussions on forums and social media highlight the frustration: a modern security device rendered useless by a simple subscription oversight, turning what could have been definitive proof into a haunting “what if.” Family pleas, including from Savannah Guthrie, emphasize urgency for her mother’s safe return, with messages directed at any abductor for communication or proof of life.

As the investigation intensifies—with searches, forensics on the home, analysis of pacemaker data, and review of nearby cameras—the 12-hour window before Nancy was reported missing remains the focal point. The eerie 1:47 a.m. disconnection and the phantom 2:12 a.m. alert stand as the most cryptic clues: evidence of intrusion without visual confirmation. Every passing hour raises stakes for an 84-year-old grandmother in fragile health, while authorities and a worried nation cling to hope that leads will surface to bring her home.