Nancy Guthrie, 84, (mother of TODAY Show host Savannah Guthrie) missing - last seen in the Catalina foothills area on Jan 31, 2026

[KonaHonu]

Something that hasn't gone unnoticed by me this whole case is that the FBI hasn't assumed jurisdiction. The only way they can do that here is if an abduction occurred and a component of the crime involved interstate commerce, or crossed state/national boundaries. So which of these two things is holding them up? For example, do they have strong evidence that NG was likely deceased prior to be removed from the home? Conversely, if they have compelling evidence that she was abducted and she was alive when removed from the home, then do they not already have evidence of interstate commerce via the ransom email(s) that almost certainly used proxy IPs that bounced through other states/countries?

So which component is restraining them? And which component is giving Pima county jurisdiction still?

These are important questions to ask, because the public has been given a ton of information alluding to an abduction and an as far untraceable (likely proxied/spoofed) ransom email, which implies federal jurisdiction, and yet Pima county still leads the investigation.

JMO.

There is no reason for the FBI to "assume jurisdiction." They can assist, advise, and get the evidence they need for a potential federal case while leaving PCSO in charge. Federal charges can always be filed later if a federal nexus is identified (and I'm sure it will be since the ransom demand and communication means involve the US financial system and telecommunications wires.)

I've defended PCSO although I agree and the sheriff admitted that mistakes have been made. But if the PCSO were screwing up in a way to compromise the investigation I think we'd see the FBI take over. That could certainly happen over the next few days and it would not surprise me. But for now I don't think there is anything to read into the PCSO staying in charge.

 

[MassGuy]

I totall agree. My mother was adopted. I recently had my DNA done and a collaborator and I were able to identify my biological grandmother and her extended family back several generations in less than 2 hours. But after more than a month there is a half aunt we cannot place and an entire branch of the family that matches but we cannot find a connection.

Based on my personal experience with it, I think judges need to be far more restrictive on issuing warrants based on genetic genealogy. My partner has several close cousin matches that we know are impossible. I don't think DNA lies. But there are factors like pedigree collapse and endogamy that exist in many populations and the impact of these factors is far too complicated for a judge or jury to understand, yet far too easy for a prosecutor to misrepresent out of ignorance.

The same factors make genetic genealogy high preducial against certain ethnic groups.

We've all been trained that DNA is so overwhelmingly reliable that a match can't be questioned. That's true in most situations but not when it comes to genealogy.

Typically there is no warrant, as police usually (surreptitiously) collect discarded trash in order test the crime scene DNA against the suspect.

If there is a match they can get an arrest warrant, and a confirmation sample is taken after that.

IGG is almost never presented in the courtroom, because it's confusing and irrelevant with the direct match.

My position is that if IGG gets it wrong, who cares? Because that person is not going to be a match to the DNA sample. Of course if people's lives are somehow adversely affected, that's another issue.

 

[Wsimm]

Yes, I agree, they do seem to keep going back there, probably to verify the initial story (my assumption?). But I guess I just *have to believe* that this many days into the investigation, they have that verification. I wonder if they are looking for other activity to focus on, other cars in the neighborhood, someone targeting this daughter and/or SIL. Or, I suppose you could say, a frequent visitor to their house could indicate some level of "planning". Hmmm. Wouldn't they start with the most inner circle and branch out? I hope they're "branching out" now and have eliminated the "inner circle". Which should have been done IMO within about a day or less.

Your last part, people kill their spouses, remove, etc... Yes, because they are hiding evidence IMO of something that occurred in anger and heat-of-the-moment, not for inheritance or money purposes was my point. In this case though, we have a person on camera coming to the house hours after NG (allegedly) arrived home, when she was (allegedly) sleeping. So, my theory is based on that she was in fact at home at that time. So if it were the family member in question, whatever state NG was in at that time, they would have returned to the house at that time (of the video) to remove the body, if that was the situation.

Thank you!

The other thing is that AG and SIL have only lived in their home 9 1/2 months. It would be telling if any of the neighbors from their previous neighborhood have been interviewed…about anything?

 

[EJB123456]

That might be a valid hypothesis were the intruder we saw on video not obviously a tall white guy. Somalis are generally shorter and darker skinned.

We must have different definitions of what a tall white guy looks like. The men in my family would not consider 5’9” - 5’10” to be tall.

 

[rosesfromangels]

Just my amateur opinion, I speculate there will be arrests and NG will be recovered very soon. Very soon. Hope my spidey sense is right on this one.

Amateur opinion and speculation only

 

[Mistermagoo]

RSBM.

Great point, there is that! I don't believe we've heard that anything was missing (right?).

To your next point.... if it was a targeted kidnapping, then I think "something went wrong", because as far as we know there has been no proof of life. Which IMO is key to receiving a ransom.

If the ransom notes (one, some or all) were valid, then the perpetrator(s) screwed up. Badly. Obviously this family would have paid. But have been unable to show proof of life If this is the case, I believe NG died in the initial invasion or shortly thereafter and they are just screwed. Along with the poor family.

Good points being made. So with all of that being said, if the ransom letters are indeed real and from the perps, money, or in this case bitcoin, is what they wanted. If, God forbid something happened and they were unable to show proof of life, they could have walked away but instead still tried to get the money.

Which brings me to one more thing. If the ransom letters are real, it puts the perp(s) in a different category. Everybody obviously has heard of bitcoin but very few people, imo, are aware of how to do transactions that would virtually make it untraceable. I understand that the nature of it is untraceable but I have NO IDEA how that works. To have the stones to demand that kind of money and have high confidence that you will receive it and not even the FBI will catch you (or so you think). I mean if a crime happened near me, I would not be able to name one person as a suspect that I personally know that would know how to do that.

 

[submarine7]

RSBM.

Great point, there is that! I don't believe we've heard that anything was missing (right?).

To your next point.... if it was a targeted kidnapping, then I think "something went wrong", because as far as we know there has been no proof of life. Which IMO is key to receiving a ransom.

If the ransom notes (one, some or all) were valid, then the perpetrator(s) screwed up. Badly. Obviously this family would have paid. But have been unable to show proof of life If this is the case, I believe NG died in the initial invasion or shortly thereafter and they are just screwed. Along with the poor family.

They definitely were not operating in good faith regarding the ransom.

 

[Desperate Howswif Detec]

Why? If this is a well regarded lab?

Whyyyyy wouldn’t the local Sheriff not want the National Federal Lab to process this? This is nutts!

 

[MesquiteO21]

Why? If this is a well regarded lab?

It’s standard…if you’re doing your own investigation it just doesn’t really make sense to take the findings of someone else. Every investigative step should be done by you.

moo

 

[subaw0067]

We must have different definitions of what a tall white guy looks like. The men in my family would not consider 5’9” - 5’10” to be tall.

5’9”- 5’10” is above average male height in the United States. I figured the Somalia angle was just xenophobia and I really wanted to be wrong.

 

[Mistermagoo]

Just my amateur opinion, I speculate there will be arrests and NG will be recovered very soon. Very soon. Hope my spidey sense is right on this one.

Amateur opinion and speculation only

Lets hope

 

[MassGuy]

Just my amateur opinion, I speculate there will be arrests and NG will be recovered very soon. Very soon. Hope my spidey sense is right on this one.

Amateur opinion and speculation only

I said that on day one. It did not go well.

 

[ilgirl]

Yup, it does vary though. It depends on how close the matches are and how complex the family tree is.

In the Kohberger case it took less than a month.

Yep. Put Othram on it! I was hoping they sent the DNA to them, but I don't think they're in Florida.

 

[submarine7]

Whyyyyy wouldn’t the local Sheriff not want the National Federal Lab to process this? This is nutts!

This is purely heresay that was taken from a BE video and article, but apparently the sheriff had a very public issue with the feds over a decade ago. I don't recall any further details but it was a case of feds working with SO and it got very ugly and very public. The former Undersheriff suggested that was part of his motive.

 

[RayVon]

Are you sure that wasn't for the other prominent Nancy Guthrie? I think she's a Christian author.

As much as Nanos is getting flack, this discovery doesn't look too good for the FBI either. To miss such an important piece of evidence speaks to incompetence across the board.

I guess I keep thinking that I have a variety of single gloves in my basement. How does anyone know that this was the glove from the masked figure on the porch?

 

[MesquiteO21]

According to Tuscon's former Undersheriff, the Sheriff is driven by ego. He claims the Sheriff has a long history of weird behavior and of not wanting to cooperate with other agencies.

My source was the same BE video.

Wow. Nancy didn’t deserve whatever happened to her and she doesn’t deserve a bungled investigation into it either…this is so sad

moo

 

[Bodhi]

I totall agree. My mother was adopted. I recently had my DNA done and a collaborator and I were able to identify my biological grandmother and her extended family back several generations in less than 2 hours. But after more than a month there is a half aunt we cannot place and an entire branch of the family that matches but we cannot find a connection.

Based on my personal experience with it, I think judges need to be far more restrictive on issuing warrants based on genetic genealogy. My partner has several close cousin matches that we know are impossible. I don't think DNA lies. But there are factors like pedigree collapse and endogamy that exist in many populations and the impact of these factors is far too complicated for a judge or jury to understand, yet far too easy for a prosecutor to misrepresent out of ignorance.

The same factors make genetic genealogy high preducial against certain ethnic groups.

We've all been trained that DNA is so overwhelmingly reliable that a match can't be questioned. That's true in most situations but not when it comes to genealogy.

I appreciate you sharing this. TIL.

 

[Diddian]

2 sides to every story. Sheriff's explanation makes sense. Use the same labs and the one they use in FLA has an excellent reputation. Just seems to be a lot of people badmouthing him - this FBI person who said Sheriff wasn't sharing key evidence, former 40 year employee, etc. Not sure what that's about but it's not necessarily about competence. JMO

Makes me furious that ANYONE (whether FBI, or PCSO, or former PCSO, or media capitalizing on conflict) is introducing this crap right now with an 84 year old woman’s life potentially on the line and her family in some kind of horrible suspense waiting for some answers and accountability.

Incredibly selfish and flawed perspective.

 

[subaw0067]

Okayyy, so VET ME! My husband is retired Detective from a large US City and served over 30 years! I am a DAR with a clean background for 60 years! Vet me baby!!!

This is an actual career field. You should inquire with your state bureau of investigation about their requirements.

 

[submarine7]

I guess I keep thinking that I have a variety of single gloves in my basement. How does anyone know that this was the glove from the masked figure on the porch?

They don't but it's worth testing.