Abducted Nancy Guthrie's pacemaker stopped communicating with her Apple Watch in the early hours of Sunday morning, law enforcement sources said. Police sources said the 84-year-old's pacemaker stopped transmitting data to her Apple Watch at around 2 a.m. on Sunday, according to Fox News.
Investigators told the outlet that Nancy's Apple Watch was found inside her home, suggesting the devices stopped "syncing" once the pacemaker moved out of Bluetooth range. Apple Watches can be connected to medical devices such as pacemakers, which allow users to track vital health data. Pacemakers are surgically implanted devices designed to regulate irregular heart rhythms and work by sending small electrical signals to the heart.
Shocking Revelations
Authorities believe the Apple Watch data may help narrow down the timeframe of the abduction, adding a chilling new detail to earlier reports that Nancy was dragged from her bed in the middle of the night. Officials previously said Nancy — the mother of Today show host Savannah Guthrie — was last seen at her home around 9:45 p.m. on Saturday.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos told the Daily Mail that he believes Nancy was abducted, saying investigators uncovered "concerning" signs of foul play inside her home.
She was reported missing the next morning after she failed to show up for church. When family members went to check on her, they found her wallet, cellphone, Apple Watch, and car still at the house — but there was no trace of the 84-year-old.
Later, blood was discovered inside the home, along with evidence of forced entry, sources told the Los Angeles Times
The search for Nancy remains intense, and the emotional toll was clear Monday night when the sheriff appeared close to tears as he was asked whether he believes she is still alive.
Nanos welled up after he was asked by AZFamily host Briana Whitney: "Do you believe you are still looking for Nancy Guthrie alive at this point? That she could be held somewhere? And if so, do you believe that is local in the Tucson area, or that she's been taken somewhere?"
Hopes Fading
Nanos struggled to find his words as he said he and his deputies were "not going to give up hope" of finding Nancy, who authorities have described as frail and in urgent need of daily medication to survive. The sheriff said investigators do not currently believe Nancy was targeted because of her rich and famous daughter, though he stressed that possibility has not been completely ruled out.
While the exact circumstances surrounding Nancy's disappearance are still unclear, Nanos said investigators believe they are "looking at a possible kidnapping or abduction." "She did not leave on her own, we know that,' he said. 'She's very limited in her mobility."
Speaking with NBC on Monday, Nanos made a direct, emotional appeal to whoever may be holding Nancy.
"Just call us. Let her go. Just call us. The family will tell you, there's no questions asked here," he said.
Officials said that Savannah's father died of a heart attack while she was still in high school, and that Nancy had been living alone at her home in Tucson. An NBC source told CNN that Savannah had been preparing to travel to Europe to cover the Winter Olympics and had spent much of the past week with her children ahead of the trip.
