Savannah Guthrie has spent years keeping one of the most painful chapters of her life out of the spotlight. But now, as officials confirm her mother has mysteriously disappeared and her home is being treated as a crime scene, Savannah is finally opening up about how her father died.

After Savannah Guthrie’s mom was reported missing, some people might be wondering what happened to the Today host’s father.

On Feb. 2, Savannah Guthrie’s mother, Nancy Guthrie, was reported missing by her family. The Today anchor was absent from the airing of the show and released a statement: “On behalf of our family, I want to thank everyone for the thoughts, prayers, and messages of support. Right now, our focus remains on the safe return of our dear mom. We thank law enforcement for their hard work on this case and encourage anyone with information to contact the Pima County Sheriff’s Department.”

NBC crime correspondent Tom Winter reported that Nancy’s disappearance is now treated as a crime. “They were able to get out helicopters last night that use infrared cameras. They’ve got drones up,” Winter said. “They’ve enlisted the help of the Customs and Border Protection — obviously, not too far from the border there in Mexico. They have some special resources. The FBI is also aware of this case… given the nature of what was found at the scene. That’s what has got them so concerned.”

Nancy didn’t have any reported health concerns like dementia or Alzheimer’s and had a “good sound mind.” However, officials were concerned about her physical health. “She has some physical ailments that limit her ability to move around,” Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said.

The Tucson Sheriff’s Department later made an update about the investigation. “We believe now, after we’ve processed that we do in fact have a crime and we’re asking the community’s help,” Nanos said.

Who is Savannah Guthrie’s father?

Savannah Guthrie’s father was Charles Guthrie. He died when she was 16 years old from a sudden heart attack.

The death of her father had a profound impact on her adolescence. “The loss of my father was shocking and devastating. It cracked open our family and crushed us,” Savannah shared in an interview with People in 2024 when promoting her book Mostly What God Does, which chronicles her grieving from the loss. “He was our center. We just idealized him and adored him. He was larger than life, and funny, and charming, and adorable. His loss was so sudden and so shocking.”

Savannah also uses Christmas as a tribute to her father and his selflessness. “I think the fact that I lost my dad when I was 16, it makes Christmas even more special to us, because it was his holiday and that’s how we felt and that’s how he felt,” Savannah said in December 2022. “I think we hold on to Christmas even harder now, because it’s a tie to him and a tie to the past and to our memories.”

She revealed that she didn’t want to leave her mom in the early stages of her career. “My father died when I was entering my senior year in high school. I then lived at home all through college. We didn’t have money to afford the dorm,” Savannah said on Today in 2022. “She said, ‘If you can’t leave me, then I didn’t do my job right, Savannah.’ She just gave me permission to go.”

The Today anchor often brought Nancy as a guest on the show and talked about her love for her mother in 2022. “She loves us, her family, fiercely, and her selflessness and sacrifice for us, her steadfastness and her unmovable confidence is the reason any of us grew up to do anything,” Guthrie said in honor of her 80th birthday.