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

[SlimPickens]

I suspect the military planes have been over the desert the past week, and likely mostly over public lands or reservations, with ground penetrating radar and electronic signal sweepers that could determine whether she was being held underground somewhere. If this perp is as sophisticated as he evidently is, I imagine he already planned where to put her and how to give her back without getting caught. Coordinates to an HVAC'd bunker on public land, while movie-plot like, would be a decent escape plan. Dropping her off at a random place would be too risky at this point.

JMO.

 

[thefragile7393]

If this happened to Jane Doe’s mom in Wisconsin I’m guessing the majority of us wouldn’t be here posting our comments? Many who only watch their local news may have zero knowledge of this tragedy even occurring, depending on the news day in their area. That this is happening to SG’s mom I find a bit strategic and well planned. Jane Doe’s mom = no attention….SG’s mom = off the chart attention.

A lot of non famous cases have gotten national attention. ANd given the bizarre circumstances of this case, I wouldn't be surprised if it also got national attention even if she wasn't related to someone famous.

 

[Vegasgrl]

Maybe the "valuable" reference is a quote or message from NG that is very specific. They aren't getting the current proof of life they requested, but the information that was sent is valuable. They are acknowledging that and keeping the communication open.

 

[academyrd]

$650k home purchased in Mar 2025. $140k home sold in Jun 2025. I don't know what they owed to their mortgage company to close out that loan. Plus, there are realtor and closing costs. If nothing else, they needed this $300k in the bank well before they closed in March. They had to get it from some place. Maybe, they saved that money. Maybe, they borrowed it from the NG with the promise to pay her back as soon as their house sold.

I do know that when we loaned our son a substantial amount of money to purchase his home, we had to sign a document stating that the money was a "gift" to him. The mortgage company wanted to make sure that there was not another major loan debt that had to be paid.

If NG lent them this amount of money, she surely would have had to do the same. Of course, some family members will honor their debts. Others stall and pay partial or won't pay at all. Who knows?

Just throwing that out there for consideration.

JMO.

I’m not sure why the math of them going from a $140K house to a $650K house means they didn’t need money. Especially with kids, mortgage rates these days, inflation and with no significant income coming in for decades I imagine they would be quite strapped for cash. Down payment for the new house could have been a loan from NG.

 

[toucan1234]

That's so terrible and I'm sorry to hear that about her friend.

I hope Annie and Tommaso would keep tabs on her internet usage more but the fact that she didn't have a subscription to her cameras seems like she slipped through the cracks. Annie and Tommaso are creatives and they may not be the most organized with keeping up on subscriptions and all that. I'm saying this as someone who's also on the more creative side with ADHD!

If I tried to to “keep tabs” on my similarly aged mother’s internet usage she would ask if I’ve lost my mind and not so kindly tell me to mind my own business

 

[cathathorse]

Here is what is mind-boggling. How the heck does a perpetrator have 100% confidence that there aren't internal cameras? Its a fairly large home for an 84 year old lady. A lot of folks i know monitor their older parents, grandparents with an inside camera (sure creepy) in their living room, etc. It would be again, out of character of some mastermind "outsider" to boldly adopt a position that there is no ring subscription, no internal camera, no silent motion sensors that call cops. That is a hell of a lot of assumptions baked in that cake.

He doesn't have confidence in this, which is why he cut the cable that supplies internet to the house (that's what I took it to mean by "disconnected," plus on the CourtTV livestream last night the reporter mentioned that an adjacent neighbor also had her cameras "disconnect" that night).

 

[korncrasy]

Is there a reason this is all playing out over Instagram? And not privately?

Excellent question.

 

[raja]

I wonder if that was the nature of the two deadlines: the first for the return of her alive and the second would mean returning her body. They didn't explicitly say "return her body pls" but there's ambiguity there and I suspect that's deliberate for some reason or another.

That's the only explanation I can think of for a scenario in which the 'kidnapper' might have told them she was gone - and we don't know for certain that they did, of course.

Maybe it's just a desperate last attempt to grab some money when they realised they couldn't provide proof of life, either because she isn't alive or because they don't actually have her at all.

This is what I think as well. In the first ransom demand the first deadline was to return a live NG. The second deadline was to return the body. More money for live less money for body NG may have already been deceased at the time the demand was made so they couldn’t show proof of life but they thought they would try anyway. Whatever was said in the second demand showed proof they had her not proof she was alive. I am just so very sad for the family and all who knew NG. I don’t think they will get the body back from the perpetrators. I just hope LE can find her.

 

[Magic8Ball]

I agree that if a person sends a hoax ransom demand, they should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

I mentioned in an upthread from yesterday that a person who sends a hoax ransom demand should also be charged with extortion and obstruction of justice.

I now believe that person who sends a hoax ransom demand should also be charged with kidnapping or being an accessory to kidnapping.

And should a death occur from the kidnapping, then the person who sends a hoax ransom demand should also be charged with murder or being an accessory to murder.

I say the law should throw the book and play hardball against the durn fools that sends hoax ransom demands.

I'd co-sign this bill.

These types of measures would act as certain deterrents to a lot of criminals who might otherwise not think twice about piggybacking upon another's misdeeds, i.e., the "Never let a good crisis go to waste" losers.

JMO.

 

[Ellis' Mom]

Curious, has this been reported that the house is in a revocable trust (source)? TY

I haven's seen it "reported", but it's not hard to find:

Pima County - Parcel Detail

 

[watson1]

I don't think so. Those kidnapping clauses are if one is kidnapped while working, not in cases like this. You know, say a reporter goes to a war zone and gets taken for a randsome. Speaking from work experience, we had this kidnapping clause covered by insurance and it only applied to employees. You can't tack on family members because the coverage would never end.

Beg to differ. At SG's level, the policy is custom written given the exposures. You're correct for employees covered under a "standard" policy written for lower level employees.

 

[toucan1234]

This is what I think as well. In the first ransom demand the first deadline was to return a live NG. The second deadline was to return the body. More money for live less money for body NG may have already been deceased at the time the demand was made so they couldn’t show proof of life but they thought they would try anyway. Whatever was said in the second demand showed proof they had her not proof she was alive. I am just so very sad for the family and all who knew NG. I don’t think they will get the body back from the perpetrators. I just hope LE can find her.

I dont see them being so seemingly casual about the first deadline if this were the case

 

[MCB1151]

I believe that NG's body is close to her home. The abductor doesn't have her body nearby. MOO

I could see that as a potentiality. Does anyone know how any searches have been run in the area?

 

[waldojabba]

The amount of rage I would feel, I don’t think I could make a video telling you I will pay you for the body of my mother, whom you murdered.

Unless there is an alternative message in this video -
I believe the family is deeply religious and the sentiment is real / they want to give their Mom her send off back “home” to Jesus and celebrate her life properly. I think it’s invaluable to them.
JMO

 

[Interested Torontonian]

I agree. I think someone took her out to dessert and left back door open to make it look like she wandered off. We've seen aerial searches for her but nothing on foot. I would imagine she possibly could be under a bush or a tree to hope she isn't found very quickly so any DNA or evidence might be destroyed with the elements but quick enough to get inheritance. I thought suffocation with a bag would leave little evidence behind.

This is what I've been thinking happened. But then my question was where the blood out front came from - maybe it was already there?

 

[Derdew]

Has it been mentioned about the Silence of the Lambs quotes in the family’s videos and if so, what does everyone think ?

 

[whitelilac]

I should have clarified. I dont necessarily think she is dead.

Sorry for misinterpreting.....I hope you are right and I'm wrong.

 

[Puzzles8]

The silence of LE speaks volumes. The last press conference was before SG and family made their first video. I don't anticipate another press conference until Nancy's fate is known.

JMO

 

[Interested Torontonian]

I could see that as a potentiality. Does anyone know how any searches have been run in the area?

There don't seem to have been extensive searches in the area - which I thought was weird. They've gone out in the desert a few times but not for very long and it hasn't semeed like an in detail search.

 

[SlimPickens]

I suppose we'll all know fairly shortly the fate of NG. Sounds like they're paying, so I am hoping and praying that a sociopath is at least transactionally considerate enough to honor his (imposed) contract.