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

[CSIDreamer]

Tucson area has a lot of old mines. It would have been easy to take her there, and deep. MOO.

I'm still wondering if thats what the maps were for. JMO

 

[SeattleStew]

Wow that's nuts. It always amazes me how they were able to solve cases like that back then. Just good old fashioned detective work.

Fortunately, true kidnapping for ransom involving low-risk people has fallen off a cliff thanks to modern technology.

Indeed. That George later offered one of his kidnappers a job is gobsmacking.

 

[aafromaa]

It appeared to me that SG was reading a script.

At least reading some notes she had laying on the floor or a low table off camera

 

[txsleuth70]

NG chutes into the 50yrd line with Bad Bunny

That was in very poor taste.

 

[shadowsc]

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.

If you watch any of the clips of Harvey Levin of TMZ making the media rounds, he says that the ransom note stated that if the ransom wasn't paid by the first deadline, the demand would change. Perhaps the amount would go up or whatever the kidnapper was asking for. If the ransom wasn't paid by the second deadline, Harvey didn't come out and say it but left it at "serious consequences" would happen.

 

[MassGuy]

Anyone know why the family seemingly post these instagram videos around dinner time? Think there's any significance in that?

JMO

Might be maximizing the news cycle (nightly news broadcasts), and taking advantage of many people being home at that time.

 

[SlimPickens]

When it happens, it’s almost always criminal elements kidnapping other criminals.

I have never seen a true kidnapping for ransom in my life, and I still don’t believe I have.

I think this is an evil hoax.

I kind of wish I agreed with you, and I'm kind of glad that I don't. Your belief would mean that she never had a chance. I hope you're wrong, as I'm sure that you do as well. Logic, probabilities, and experience dictate your beliefs about the cases we comment about on here, and you're usually right. I usually lean as heavy as my intelligence will permit to that side myself. But if there ever was the possibility of an outlier, you have to admit this case sure has all the components to be one!

Indeed, the tiny strand of hope I'm clinging to is that there was obviously something in those ransom emails that led authorities to believe that the writer of them perpetrated the act in which he purports. I pray we'll all know shortly if that was the case.

Good reporting and insights as usual, MassGuy.

 

[unresolvedmystery]

Hey, longtime lurker, don’t really post, but something’s been bugging me:

It seems like there is a lot of predictions that the perpetrator is someone close to NG, perhaps even close family. If this is the case, SIL or otherwise, why would they set up a weeklong kidnapping event, knowing NG can’t survive without her medication and the ability to track her pacemaker? If we are assuming that the perpetrator is close to NG, why would they have expected her to be able to sustain herself without her important medical items until a Monday deadline? Why would they have not brought her medication as she is, and I do hate to say this, probably worth more alive than deceased to them? It just seems to me that if the horrible person who did this knows NG as well as we suspect, they must have known that what we are all hoping didn’t happen was a possibility. All respect to the family, but I do wonder if the “Thursday was the deadline for life” theory was correct, or if she was never intended to be returned alive. It’s devastating, prayers to the Guthrie’s. I can’t imagine.

It's a pretty simple explanation really, if you are someone close that accidentally or intentionally harmed her you know you will be scrutinised as a close family member. These supposed ransom demands are a simple way in the modern age to make it appear this was a different kind of crime to what it actually is.

I still remain convinced this is close to home and likely to be solved as its unlikely LE are convinced by this.

 

[Lore Listener]

I could see both results from this video. Maybe they are willing to pay now that they indeed have "Proof of Life?"

That was my first thought when I heard "This is very valuable to us."

That they were not referring to the return of Nancy dead/alive as valuable, but instead whatever the second note contained that could be considered "proof of life" or simply possession of Nancy. Especially because it was said immediately prior to "We will pay." The two sentences taken together meaning: What you sent us was of a quality to convince us you indeed have our mom--now we will send you the money."

 

[katydid23]

And do we (i.e. - You all) know if she actually ever made it into the house after being "dropped off"?

rsbm.

AFAIK there is zero independent confirmation that she ever made it back to her house. Period.

moo.

The garage door was opened and then closed 2 minutes later. So it seems like the driver who dropped her off, at the very least, would have watched her go inside the access door of her house, before the garage door was closed. imo

 

[GMG1999]

Hey, longtime lurker, don’t really post, but something’s been bugging me:

It seems like there is a lot of predictions that the perpetrator is someone close to NG, perhaps even close family. If this is the case, SIL or otherwise, why would they set up a weeklong kidnapping event, knowing NG can’t survive without her medication and the ability to track her pacemaker? If we are assuming that the perpetrator is close to NG, why would they have expected her to be able to sustain herself without her important medical items until a Monday deadline? Why would they have not brought her medication as she is, and I do hate to say this, probably worth more alive than deceased to them? It just seems to me that if the horrible person who did this knows NG as well as we suspect, they must have known that what we are all hoping didn’t happen was a possibility. All respect to the family, but I do wonder if the “Thursday was the deadline for life” theory was correct, or if she was never intended to be returned alive. It’s devastating, prayers to the Guthrie’s. I can’t imagine.

Call this crazy, but if this was done by someone close to the family or knowing of her, then it's entirely possible they grabbed enough meds for the time they were planning?

 

[Fromeaster]

I don't see any chance they'll return the body, it's just too risky for them.

 

[LRinCA]

Maybe the roof camera that was recovered showed she was not alive when she was abducted? It didn't sound like second note confirmed she was dead--unless there was specific info in that communication hat only the family could interpret this way. Very sad. I really can't imagine the family's pain.

I hesitate before posting this, but it's something I can't really shake from my mind and your post reminded me of it again.

The first day the photos were shown to the public I went to the Daily Mail online website and scrolled through some of the comments, taking most with a huge grain of salt; however, one of the comments stood out. It was about the blood by the front door. Someone (who may have not know what the heck they were talking about) said with some degree of confidence (again, stranger on the internet so consider the source): the blood appears to have been blood that was aspirated.

My apologies to any and all if this is inappropriate speculation.

 

[TheDinks]

Hey, longtime lurker, don’t really post, but something’s been bugging me:

It seems like there is a lot of predictions that the perpetrator is someone close to NG, perhaps even close family. If this is the case, SIL or otherwise, why would they set up a weeklong kidnapping event, knowing NG can’t survive without her medication and the ability to track her pacemaker? If we are assuming that the perpetrator is close to NG, why would they have expected her to be able to sustain herself without her important medical items until a Monday deadline? Why would they have not brought her medication as she is, and I do hate to say this, probably worth more alive than deceased to them? It just seems to me that if the horrible person who did this knows NG as well as we suspect, they must have known that what we are all hoping didn’t happen was a possibility. All respect to the family, but I do wonder if the “Thursday was the deadline for life” theory was correct, or if she was never intended to be returned alive. It’s devastating, prayers to the Guthrie’s. I can’t imagine.

I think those who believe the abductor is someone close to Ms Guthrie also believe the kidnap for ransom is an opportunist who was not involved in taking her. That or a ruse to throw scent away from the real perp.

Those are the most widely speculated alternatives being discussed.

 

[turaj]

I could see both results from this video. Maybe they are willing to pay now that they indeed have "Proof of Life?"

that did not look like a family that just saw Proof of Life

 

[shadowsc]

FBI says that today's Guthrie video was in response to yesterday's message. Just wanted to share since I know some of us were curious whether a new/additional message was received today.

Snips from source: "Savannah Guthrie told the potential kidnappers of her mother Nancy Guthrie on Saturday that the family is prepared to pay for her safe return." [...] "Guthrie was referencing a message that was sent to the Tucson-based television station KOLD on Friday afternoon, according to Kevin Smith, a spokesperson for the FBI office in Phoenix."

Source: 'We will pay,' Savannah Guthrie says in desperate video plea to potential kidnappers of her mother

Interesting. Because that anchor woman Mary Coleman at KOLD who saw the letter and spoke of what she could say about it, did not give off a vibe that Nancy was deceased.

 

[lilyk]

Friendly reminder there is a search button at the very top right of the screen where you can enter any key word or phrase you're interested in discovering or reviewing/following up on or seeing if it has "already been discussed" so as to not bog down the already lengthy and very fast moving thread by asking the group the question and then multiple nice people take time to answer the same question. The search will show you every time the phrase is used such as "silence of the lambs" or "white van" and the newest comment will show first chronologically. You can narrow the search to within this thread or any thread you're reading. Very handy, especially if like myself have to sometimes skip dozens of pages at a time just to keep up and are wondering what happened with something.....
IMO

 

[diggndeeperstill]

Sorry if discussed.

Why the video? Why not just pay?

Says to me that option to get body back wasn’t on the table initially OR they were told to make video with payment. It’s interesting.

Who has that kind of motivation? A sick individual, or a “group” or country wanting to terrorize other potential victims and USA as a whole by playing out this whole process in front of the country.

 

[SaraSmile]

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.

I think “ valuable” meant a person has worth alive or dead, as in the Christian faith. I know my grandma was the type of Christian that did not believe in cremation, the body needed to be honored, even open casket ( as much as possible).
At the end, Compete funeral, in a church, then go to gravesite, another complete ceremony there, actually watch the casket being lowered, put dirt on top, flowers. Then a big reception. This was considered “closure” seeing the person from a baby to the very end, body included.

 

[tillytatler]

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

My assumption would be that whoever was in charge of scripting the family's responses used AI to do it, and that the chatbot picked up learnt terminology that is associated with ransom notes. Either that or total coincidence.