In a heart-stopping twist in the desperate hunt for Nancy Guthrie – the frail 84-year-old mother of beloved NBC Today show anchor Savannah Guthrie – police opened fire on a rogue drone circling her Tucson home… only to discover the horrifying truth: the kidnappers had slipped away with their elderly victim across the rooftop a mere 10 minutes earlier!
The dramatic scene unfolded in the upscale Catalina Foothills neighborhood late yesterday, as officers swarmed the single-story desert home where Nancy was snatched from her bed in the dead of night last weekend. Bloodstains on the porch, a disconnected Ring doorbell camera, and chilling ransom demands in Bitcoin had already turned this into America’s most gripping missing persons case.
But sources close to the investigation reveal the jaw-dropping moment that sent chills through the command center: just 10 minutes before heavily armed deputies and FBI agents breached the property in force, a suspicious drone was spotted hovering ominously overhead.
‘They shot it down!’ one law enforcement insider exclusively told Daily Mail. ‘Officers believed it could be the kidnappers scouting the scene or even relaying live footage back to them. Multiple rounds were fired – the drone crashed in flames in the backyard. But when teams rushed inside and onto the roof… they realized the birds had flown.’
Terrifying evidence emerged almost immediately: fresh scuff marks and disturbed gravel on the flat, white-painted roof suggested the abductors had dragged or carried the vulnerable pensioner – who suffers from heart issues, constant pain, and relies on daily medication – up a ladder or through an access point, then escaped across neighboring rooftops into the rugged desert terrain beyond.
‘This was no amateur job,’ the source continued. ‘They knew the layout, timed it perfectly, and used the roof as their getaway. Nancy is 84, frail, with a pacemaker – moving her like that could be life-threatening. The fact they got away so close to our arrival means they were watching us the whole time.’
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos, visibly shaken at a hastily called press briefing, confirmed the roof had become a focal point after a sharp-eyed neighbor spotted something odd in earlier drone footage from news crews – an unnaturally clean section amid the dusty Arizona landscape. That tip led investigators back to the home on Friday, where FBI agents climbed ladders and removed a mysterious wired device from the eaves.
‘We are treating this as a confirmed abduction,’ Sheriff Nanos said grimly. ‘Nancy was taken against her will. We found her blood. And now we know her captors used the roof to evade us by minutes. We believe she’s still alive – we have to – but time is critical. She’s without her meds, her heart is fragile. Every hour counts.’
The family – led by a tearful Savannah Guthrie – released yet another gut-wrenching video plea just hours before the roof drama exploded. Flanked by siblings Annie and Camron, the Today co-host stared straight into the camera: ‘We received your message and we understand. We beg you now to return our mother to us so that we can celebrate with her. This is very valuable to us, and we will pay.’
Ransom notes – some demanding millions in cryptocurrency and sent to media outlets – have been deemed credible by the FBI, though at least one hoaxer from California was arrested earlier this week. Authorities insist they’re pursuing every lead, with K9 units, helicopters, ground teams, and even more drones scouring the hilly desert surroundings.
Neighbors in the quiet, affluent enclave are reeling. ‘I never thought I’d see SWAT trucks and gunfire here,’ one resident, who asked not to be named, told us. ‘Nancy is the sweetest lady – always waving, always kind. To think someone dragged her across roofs while we slept… it’s terrifying.’
The timeline is chilling: Nancy was last seen around 9:30 p.m. on January 31 after a family dinner. Dropped off at her home, the garage door closed at 9:50 p.m. By morning, she failed to appear at church – triggering the alarm. Blood on the porch matched her DNA. Her cellphone was left behind. Security footage showed nothing – because the camera had been tampered with.
Experts say the roof escape explains how the kidnappers avoided ground-level detection in a neighborhood dotted with motion lights and watchful eyes. ‘It’s bold, it’s risky, but in single-story homes with flat roofs common in this area, it’s a classic evasion tactic,’ a former FBI profiler explained. ‘They likely had reconnaissance – perhaps that wired device was a camera they planted to monitor police movements.’
As night falls over Tucson once more, the search intensifies. Floodlights illuminate Nancy’s home. Drones – now under tighter control – buzz overhead again. And somewhere in the shadows, an 84-year-old grandmother fights for her life, while a nation prays for her safe return.
Savannah Guthrie, America’s comforting morning voice, is now living every family’s nightmare. ‘Mama, if you’re listening, we need you to come home,’ she said in an earlier emotional appeal. ‘We miss you. Our mom is our heart.’
The clock is ticking. The kidnappers slipped away by 10 minutes. Will authorities catch them before it’s too late?
