Authorities in Phoenix, Arizona, are investigating the discovery of a woman found dead near a canal while officials continue to search for Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of journalist Savannah Guthrie, who has been missing since early February.
According to the Phoenix Police Department, officers responded to a report on Friday indicating that an adult woman had been found unresponsive along the bank of a canal in the city. When emergency personnel arrived at the location, they located the woman and confirmed she was deceased at the scene.
Officials have not yet released the identity of the woman found near the canal, and investigators are working to determine who she is and what circumstances led to her death.
The discovery attracted attention because of the ongoing investigation into the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, who was last seen near her residence outside Tucson, Arizona, on January 31, 2026. Her disappearance was reported shortly afterward, prompting a large-scale search effort.
However, authorities from the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, which is leading the investigation into Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance, stated that they have not received any information linking the body found in Phoenix to the missing persons case.
Nancy Guthrie is the mother of Savannah Guthrie, the well-known co-anchor of NBC’s Today show. Since the disappearance, her children — Savannah Guthrie, Annie Guthrie, and Camron Guthrie — have publicly appealed for information that could help locate their mother.
The family has also offered a one million dollar reward for information that leads to Nancy Guthrie’s safe return or the recovery of her remains.
Investigators have been reviewing evidence from the home where Nancy Guthrie lived in the Tucson area. Security footage from a doorbell camera reportedly captured images of a masked man, and possibly more than one individual, standing outside the residence the night before she was believed to have disappeared.
Authorities also confirmed that evidence collected at the home, including possible traces of blood, is currently undergoing forensic examination. Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said that the analysis of DNA and other materials could take a significant amount of time.
Despite the discovery of the unidentified woman in Phoenix, investigators emphasized that there is currently no confirmed connection between that case and the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie.
The investigation remains active, with hundreds of personnel continuing to work on the case as authorities seek answers about what happened to Nancy Guthrie and the unidentified woman found near the canal in Phoenix, Arizona.
