Police Say the Search for Savannah Guthrie's Mom is a 'Race Against Time'

The search for Savanah Guthrie's mom Nancy Guthrie is a "race against time" — and there's a lot at stake.

Nancy, 84, has been missing for more than 48 hours. In a February 3 interview on Today, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos told NBC News that tensions are rising. As he put it, "It is a race against time, and I hope that window hasn’t closed."

Nancy, a mother of three, was reported missing over the weekend. Authorities have worked tirelessly to trace her location, but so far their efforts have not yielded results.

Police believe Nancy Guthrie was "abducted"

Police, who still do not have any solid leads, have offered that they believe Nancy was kidnapped. Nanos explained, "When you’re taken from your bed and you don’t want to go somewhere, that’s an abduction." The Sheriff's Department later clarified Nanos' example was not meant to be taken literally and told NBC News that he "did not mean that she was literally taken from her bed."

Nancy was last seen at approximately 9:30 p.m. on Sunday, January 31, at her home, which is located near East Skyline Drive and North Campbell Avenue.

Nanos described the conditions at the home as "very concerning."

"We took some samples that we hope would have profile of a DNA, profile that gives us some identification as to what we’re looking at," he explained. Nanos also said that while Nancy has "no cognitive issues," she is not currently in good physical health.

Savannah Guthrie asked for prayer for her mother

Savannah, 54, has not appeared on Today so far this week. On Monday, February 2, she shared the news of her mother's disappearance on social media and asked for prayers. Savannah wrote, "we believe in prayer. we believe in voices raised in unison, in love, in hope. we believe in goodness. we believe in humanity. above all, we believe in Him."

She added: "thank you for lifting your prayers with ours for our beloved mom, our dearest Nancy, a woman of deep conviction, a good and faithful servant. raise your prayers with us and believe with us that she will be lifted by them in this very moment."

Sheinelle Jones filled in for Savannah on the daytime talk show. She and cohost Craig Melvin told viewers, "We want to get right to what is a deeply personal story for us, Nancy Guthrie, Savannah’s beloved mother, has been reported missing in Arizona."

Authorities describe Nancy Guthrie's home as a "crime scene"

Authorities initially explained during a February 1 press conference that a search-and-rescue mission began after a family member of Nancy's called 911 around noon. On February 2, the police department revealed they now considered Nancy's home a "crime scene."

Nanos asked for help from the public and added, "This is an 84-year-old lady who suffers from some physical ailments, has some physical challenges, is in need of medication — medication that, if she doesn't have in 24 hours, it could be fatal."

Nanos also added that authorities believe Nancy was taken from her home, and that camera footage reviewed by the department appears to indicate "she didn’t just walk out of there."

Related: Savannah Guthrie's Mom Nancy: Sheriff Makes Major Announcement