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

[JDG]

All I know is, the face-covering while in the car, I maintain that that is very odd under the circumstances. It’s just not something someone would think of doing at a time like this, unless they were terrified, perhaps, of a killer coming after them next. But going in front of cameras on tv sort of throws that out of the window.

When a loved one is missing, family are in shock, and just trying to get through each day, going on no sleep but with an electric anxiety coursing through them. All thoughts are for the missing loved one and other family who may be impacted. Not on themselves.

Someone mentioned celebrities like Princess Diana, covering their faces. But she was hounded relentlessly, for years and years, by the paparazzi. That is a different scenario, IMO.

I have been thinking about this case and I just couldn’t reconcile that behavior. I don’t know. I could be wrong but that behavior felt off.

They’d draw less attention by using medical masks, a hat and sunglasses. IMO

It just adds to the weirdness of this case.

Something seems very fishy indeed.

 

[shonyakay]

I do not believe they ever received proof of life because (a) it wasn't possible; and (b) kidnap for ransom may not even be legit.

The last plea from the 3 siblings clearly shows they know their dear mum is not alive.

The first ransom note mentioned that Nancy was alive, scared, and knew what the demand was. They mention a Thursday deadline but gave another deadline Monday where something worse would happen. Monday hasn't came yet.

Someone obviously sent those notes and LE hasn't announced that they know who that is yet.

The FBI has stated that it was up to the family if they wanted to address these notes. Which seems like the FBI aren't convinced they are legit. Although, the family seems to believe that they are.

As time goes on it does seem more like a movie-style themed ransom / kidnap story to cover up a bigger crime.

I'm leaning that it may be an inside job, possibly acquaintance or worker, and I hate to say it, or a family member which we know is usually the case unfortunately.

I just don't understand the point of digital billboards.

If it is a family member and the ransom notes aren't from the perp and have nothing to do with this then the actual perp got lucky because someone chose to do that. Sadly this could hinder a successful prosecution if those notes aren't cleared up.

 

[nightowl2728]

It depends on the individual. My grandparents were early birds, dinner at 4:30, in bed by 9. My dad, on the other hand, absolute night owl. Even in his 80’s we’d stay up watching TV and talking into the wee hours, 2 or 3 am. As you can guess, I’m a night owl too.

I can see why many want to get off the roads before sundown, but if they’re not driving, who knows how late someone may stay up.

Yea I'd be curious to see what Nancy's normal schedule was. I'm sure LE has looked into that.

I think there's a big difference between someone who lives alone and in their mid 80s with mobility issues (and apparently having a 7am church service in the morning? not sure if that was confirmed), than someone just staying up late watching tv in their home, or being in their 60s or 70s, or being in their 80s but NOT having health issues, still living with a spouse, etc., as many people have been weighing in on with their various examples.

That said, I brought it up because I wanted to hear other's thoughts

 

[txsleuth70]

Well, as SIL ( TC) appeared to be the person that took NG back home from the dinner at the home of AG and TC, that would be a very natural person to be the prime suspect.

LE always has to look carefully at the "last known contact" and apparently that would be him.

Yes, goes without saying. Last known contact makes it easier, but potential family member should be considered from get go. Seems natural to think at least two lines of investigation almost every time. Fam - closest to them and Other - outside the perimeter. Baffling when people don't want to look at the family. Would HOPE it would never be family, but that's not reality at least a good deal of the time.

 

[Vegasgrl]

The first ransom note mentioned that Nancy was alive, scared, and knew what the demand was. They mention a Thursday deadline but gave another deadline Monday where something worse would happen. Monday hasn't came yet.

Someone obviously sent those notes and LE hasn't announced that they know who that is yet.

The FBI has stated that it was up to the family if they wanted to address these notes. Which would seem like the FBI aren't convinced they are legit. Although, the family seems to believe that they are.

As time goes on it does seem more like a movie-style themed ransom / kidnap story to cover up a bigger crime.

I'm leaning that it may be an inside job, possibly acquaintance or worker, and I hate to say it, or a family member which we know is usually the case unfortunately.

I just don't understand the point of digital billboards.

If it is a family member and the ransom notes aren't from the perp and have nothing to do with this then the actual perp got lucky because someone chose to do that. Sadly this could hinder a successful prosecution if those notes aren't cleared up.

Now that you mention it, the billboards don't seam to fit. This case doesn't need more awareness and she isn't a typical missing person. I think I remember reading that they were placed strategically? For what reason?

 

[nightowl2728]

Yes, goes without saying. Last known contact makes it easier, but potential family member should be considered from get go. Seems natural to think at least two lines of investigation almost every time. Fam - closest to them and Other - outside the perimeter. Baffling when people don't want to look at the family. Would HOPE it would never be family, but that's not reality at least a good deal of the time.

Yes I'm hesitant to join in any sort of 'witch hunt' against the SIL as I've seen that go south in other cases like with the Moscow Murders, Mollie Tibbitts, etc.

That said it is usually people close to a person, statistically, right?

If it is the case here, it's very upsetting.

 

[InVinoVeritas]

Has anyone mentioned NG's dog? On some local FB pages a lady has commented saying she has house sat for NG and "her precious pup" before. Also, in the Christmas photo NG posted on FB, TC is holding a dog.
I'm asking as, if the dog didn't know whoever took NG, surely they'd have made a hell of a lot of noise? Also, where is the dog?

 

[txsleuth70]

All I know is, the face-covering while in the car, I maintain that that is very odd under the circumstances. It’s just not something someone would think of doing at a time like this, unless they were terrified, perhaps, of a killer coming after them next. But going in front of cameras on tv sort of throws that out of the window.

When a loved one is missing, family are in shock, and just trying to get through each day, going on no sleep but with an electric anxiety coursing through them. All thoughts are for the missing loved one and other family who may be impacted. Not on themselves.

Someone mentioned celebrities like Princess Diana, covering their faces. But she was hounded relentlessly, for years and years, by the paparazzi. That is a different scenario, IMO.

I have been thinking about this case and I just couldn’t reconcile that behavior. I don’t know. I could be wrong but that behavior felt off.

IIRC Laundrie's mom hid or tried to hide her face in a vehicle?

 

[shonyakay]

Yes, goes without saying. Last known contact makes it easier, but potential family member should be considered from get go. Seems natural to think at least two lines of investigation almost every time. Fam - closest to them and Other - outside the perimeter. Baffling when people don't want to look at the family. Would HOPE it would never be family, but that's not reality at least a good deal of the time.

Sadly, that is almost always the case - I.E. Family.

 

[gitana1]

They’d draw less attention by using medical masks, a hat and sunglasses. IMO

It just adds to the weirdness of this case.

Something seems very fishy indeed.

True.

 

[gitana1]

IIRC Laundrie's mom hid or tried to hide her face in a vehicle?

I don’t know. But to me, that would be from a sense of shame.

 

[Vegasgrl]

Has anyone mentioned NG's dog? On some local FB pages a lady has commented saying she has house sat for NG and "her precious pup" before. Also, in the Christmas photo NG posted on FB, TC is holding a dog.
I'm asking as, if the dog didn't know whoever took NG, surely they'd have made a hell of a lot of noise? Also, where is the dog?

There was a lot of discussion about this for days. I'll save you some trouble - there isn't one connected to this case.

 

[InVinoVeritas]

There was a lot of discussion about this for days. I'll save you some trouble - there isn't one connected to this case.

Thanks!

 

[Ghostwheel]

Modnote:

Uber picks us up and drops us off at our front door. They like to stay on the road/not go down our driveway, so she may not have exited from garage for uber.

Still haven’t found anything confirming location of where her phone was found. The news nation article says her watch, car and phone were all found at her home. That doesn’t say phone was found IN the home or IN the car and listing it next to car further adds more uncertainty…

This is a fair point about the Uber, though a driver will do a lot for a good tip. I was just stating that if she DID exit that way, then there should have been an open/ close earlier, too. The only thing I noted was that going out front door IIRC is five steps down (small step door to porch, porch to ground, some space, then three steps to driveway.) Going out the garage is three steps down (small step from door to landing step, step to garage floor, space to edge of Garage, step to drive). In my experience, steps are terrible for mobility issues (generalization). Everyone I have ever known would rather travel twice the distance on flat ground to avoid extra steps. JME though.

I always find what they don't say and how things are said as important as what they do say. They noticed the cameras were missing they didn't remove them. That only means they didn't take them off their mounts, not that they did not pick them up from the ground somewhere. The watch, phone and car were AT the home, not IN the home. No mention of her glasses. At all. Those things matter.

 

[EncyclopediaBrownJr]

I wonder if Annie is still staying with her husband? I can't imagine she had any role in this and I know the cops have been to their home several times. If she had any inkling that he was involved, she'd be out of there and away from him.

 

[nightowl2728]

I wonder if Annie is still staying with her husband? I can't imagine she had any role in this and I know the cops have been to their home several times. If she had any inkling that he was involved, she'd be out of there and away from him.

If she has any suspicions of him, maybe she's in denial? He's the father of her child. It would be a very difficult thing to wrap your head around right away

 

[shonyakay]

Law enforcement aren't going to use a grief-stricken family as celebrity pawns to catch an unrelated makeshift extortionist, folks. And AG's home is not and has never been an established crime scene.

JMO.

These are good points but the FBI agent at the presser did state that the note hadn't been confirmed and they are letting the family decide if they want to respond to it. Time has passed and another note was received since that presser though.

 

[InVinoVeritas]

I wonder if Annie is still staying with her husband? I can't imagine she had any role in this and I know the cops have been to their home several times. If she had any inkling that he was involved, she'd be out of there and away from him.

IF TC is involved, I find it really hard that AG wouldn't have any inclination. Presumably this would be out of character for TC and therefore you'd expect some unusual behaviour. However I guess the stress of the whole situation could be blamed ...

 

[LRinCA]

I wonder if Annie is still staying with her husband? I can't imagine she had any role in this and I know the cops have been to their home several times. If she had any inkling that he was involved, she'd be out of there and away from him.

I don't think I'd be able to shut my eyes for a moment if I thought a loved one I was living with might have committed a crime of such magnitude. I keep thinking about how tender and loving my husband was with my mother and her last words were spoken to him a day before she died. He was also the one who sat by her side and said "it's okay to go, we will someday see each other on the other side." I just can't bear to think that the SIL brought harm to his mother-in-law. All evening I've been thinking "maybe something else happened, she fell and hurt herself and they panicked." Anything but the idea of killing her - on purpose.

 

[bajaflash]

I don't think I'd be able to shut my eyes for a moment if I thought a loved one I was living with might have committed a crime of such magnitude. I keep thinking about how tender and loving my husband was with my mother and her last words were spoken to him a day before she died. He was also the one who sat by her side and said "it's okay to go, we will someday see each other on the other side." I just can't bear to think that the SIL brought harm to his mother-in-law. All evening I've been thinking "maybe something else happened, she fell and hurt herself and they panicked." Anything but the idea of killing her - on purpose.

So glad she heard these words at the end.