Neighbor of Savannah Guthrie's missing mother knew something was wrong

A neighbor of NBC host Savannah Guthrie's missing mother, Nancy, has described the chaotic scene of authorities searching the neighborhood after she was reported missing. 

The neighbor, who spoke with azcentral and requested to not be named, recalled police driving up and down the street with their lights flashing on Sunday night as a helicopter circled overhead. 

Nancy lives in a $1million home in Tucson, Arizona's affluent Catalina Foothills area. The neighbor described the large police presence as 'very unusual.'

They said the area is usually quiet, and residents are used to walking their dogs, cycling and waving good morning to one another.

The description of Sunday's search came after Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said, 'We do in fact have a crime scene' at a press conference on Monday. 

Before that confirmation, it was unclear whether police suspected foul play. Scant details of 'concerning' evidence found by homicide detectives in Nancy's home and the FBI being made aware of the disappearance were all that had been revealed. 

During the press conference, Nanos explained that Nancy 'is very limited in her mobility. She did not just walk out of there.'

'There are other things at the scene that indicate she did not leave on her own,' the sheriff continued. 

Nancy's phone, wallet and car were all still at her home when police began looking for her and detectives searched her property.

She also disappeared without taking the medicine she needs to survive with her, Nanos said.

A source close to Savannah Guthrie told the Daily Mail that it did not seem like Nancy had chosen to leave her home of her own accord.

Police said that although Nancy has mobility issues, she does not suffer from dementia or cognitive decline. 

The Pima County Sheriff's Office has asked residents of the Catalina Foothills to check doorbell cameras and house cameras for anything that looks suspicious and call it in. 

Jeff Lamie, another one of Guthrie’s neighbors, said it was strange for her to disappear in such a quiet area. 

'It’s a very safe neighborhood. This is highly unusual, and we are very concerned about her,' he told azcentral. 

Lamie added that police have been going door-to-door to ask people if they can review footage from their doorbell cameras and search their backyards. 

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He also said that a volunteer rescue group has been combing the area, looking through the brush and desert on Sunday night, in addition to the police search.

Nancy was last seen near her home on Saturday night, around 9.45pm. She was reported missing by family members around noon on Sunday. 

Neighbor Paul Arnaud said he heard Nancy vanished shortly after being dropped off from a church function by a friend on Saturday night, and the alarm was raised after she failed to turn up for Sunday service the next morning.

Customs and Border Patrol have joined the search because of the relative proximity of Nancy's home to the Mexican border, which is located about 75 miles away. 

Helicopters with infrared cameras and drones have been deployed in the search. 

Savannah was not at work on Monday but issued a statement through NBC Today, which she hosts, saying: '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, anyone with information to contact the Pima County Sheriff's office at 520-351-4900.'