Savannah Guthrie’s 84-year-old mother went missing from her Catalina Foothills home on January 31, 2026. Amid the search for Nancy Guthrie , the Pima County Sheriff’s Department is now involved in a “Vail Death Investigation.
“Inside the residence, deputies located a woman deceased with an apparent gunshot wound. The woman’s identity is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.
“Upon arrival, deputies encountered a man exiting the residence and detained him without incident,” it added. The statement further said that “two children, ages 3 and 4, were also located inside the residence and were unharmed.”
Meanwhile, a 49-year-old man has been detained in connection with the incident. Detectives are investigating the incident as potential criminal charges remain under review. The Pima County Sheriff’s Department and Sheriff Nanos issued a warning in recent months against sending money to a QR code attached to posts circulating about the investigation. Nanos’ notice read, “The Pima County Sheriff’s Department is aware of posts circulating about the Guthrie investigation that include a QR code requesting money. PCSD will never ask for money related to this case, or any investigation. Please do not send money to people you do not know or scan QR codes requesting payments. If you see one of these posts, ignore it and report it. Stay alert and help spread the word.”
Sheriff Chris Nanos released a statement titled “Vail Death Investigation,” writing, “On October 9, 2026, at approximately 6:30 p.m., Pima County Sheriff’s Department deputies assigned to the Vail District responded to a report of a domestic disturbance at a residence in the 17000 block of South Ridgerunner Drive. As with Nancy’s case, they said it is an active and ongoing investigation.
