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

[Vegasgrl]

So...why are billboards still going up? And how are they helpful? I don't get it.

 

[Vaderman]

Send a soldier 80 miles north with $500 worth of equipment and potentially extract $6 million in untraceable funds? Why not?

DBM

 

[emigrate]

So...why are billboards still going up? And how are they helpful? I don't get it.

That is what I am wanting to know

 

[jeff2034]

Long post, sorry, but I had to get my theory out.

I have suspected all along there were at least two suspects involved - one to restrain NG and the other one to grab the vehicle. The blood splatter IMO suggests NG stood on the porch for a minute before being loaded into a vehicle, and certainly an abductor wouldn’t leave her there alone for that time while they retrieved their car. One suspect stands there with NG, restraining her, while the other drives there to pick them up.

Now here’s where my theory gets wild but hear me out. If we are to assume the SIL is one of these individuals, he cannot be sending the ransom notes since the FBI is literally breathing down his neck. However, the way things are panning out (evidence collection at his home, towed vehicle) it seems he has some part to play. At the same time, the ransom notes seem to provide proof that whoever is sending them also had a part in the crime.

What if the SIL planned this all with someone else? The goal was to collect as much money as possible from the Guthrie family, more than what just inheritance would’ve provided. SIL drove NG home and then returned back to his home. The second suspect went to NG’s property and carried out the abduction. SIL came and picked suspect # 2 and NG up (so no SIL DNA at the scene). They returned to SIL’s house where they harmed NG (so blood evidence at SIL house). Then, when the news all broke, the plan was for the second guy to send the notes with information about the crime scene and extort SG for money (providing a further alibi for SIL because there’s no way he could’ve sent them, and whoever sent them obviously did it). Then, SIL makes off with part of the inheritance and his cut of the eventual ransom and
he’s provided the perfect defense of “look this kidnapper did it for ransom!”

This is all JMO, please don’t come for me.

Interesting theory and thanks for taking the time to write it.
I think it has a few problems:
Why would SIL take NG back to his house to harm her? That seems foolish and a big risk for potentially implicating him. Why not instead take her somewhere in the wilds of Arizona?

SIL DNA at the scene (NGs house) should not be a problem. I’m sure that SIL has been in that house many times. Why would SIL DNA at the scene be a concern to SIL or LE for that matter unless it was in the context of trauma to NG (I.e. SIL DNA on a bloody knife at the scene)?

The whole scheme as you describe it has a lot of moving parts and many things have to go just right for it to work. Not sure why SIL would take such risks (no evidence that I know of that SIL is in some desperate financial situation etc)

Your theory would seem to imply that AG is in on this as well. To wit:
Not sure SIL can be doing all this without AG being aware at least that SIL was gone for most of the night of the event.
Won’t it look very suspicious if SIL suddenly “comes into a large amount of money” (far above what the inheritance is (and LE would be monitoring for that I’m sure). Again this implies that AG is in on this.

It seems improbable that AG would be in on this as well.

 

[Deleted member 117884]

Here on the east coast, it's Monday.

 

[nightowl2728]

Interesting theory and thanks for taking the time to write it.
I think it has a few problems:
Why would SIL take NG back to his house to harm her? That seems foolish and a big risk for potentially implicating him. Why not instead take her somewhere in the wilds of Arizona?

SIL DNA at the scene (NGs house) should not be a problem. I’m sure that SIL has been in that house many times. Why would SIL DNA at the scene be a concern to SIL or LE for that matter unless it was in the context of trauma to NG (I.e. SIL DNA on a bloody knife at the scene)?

The whole scheme as you describe it has a lot of moving parts and many things have to go just right for it to work. Not sure why SIL would take such risks (no evidence that I know of that SIL is in some desperate financial situation etc)

Your theory would seem to imply that AG is in on this as well. To wit:
Not sure SIL can be doing all this without AG being aware at least that SIL was gone for most of the night of the event.
Won’t it look very suspicious if SIL suddenly “comes into a large amount of money” (far above what the inheritance is (and LE would be monitoring for that I’m sure). Again this implies that AG is in on this.

It seems improbable that AG would be in on this as well.

Also thank you to OP regarding their theory. I think mine, based on all I've seen so far, is somewhere in this realm as well. Meaning, SIL being involved with other third parties (not AG) and some combination of locations the night she disappeared being involved. Possibly starting at AG's house including possible substances (not saying I definitely believe this, just as a possibility), keeping her there (socially, not under duress) for a long time to allow said third parties to get the rest of the evening's plans underway (not sure if that would mean being at NG's house yet or not - it could possibly), and SIL doing some sort of triaging while said third parties did the actual "abduction".

I think things may have gone wrong somewhere along the way in all of this and it escalated quickly or there were factors outside of their control that came into play. Maybe SIL lost control of the third parties. Which would maybe the explain the chaotic nature of the ransom notes, at least to the extent we're aware.

Also, the night may have started out with a conversation about money that, if didn't go SIL's way, would result in what happened.

And, if this is all the case, I think AG would be in denial.

The above is all speculation and JMO.

 

[Vaderman]

Here on the east coast, it's Monday.

I was trying to do the math to the alleged deadline. 18 hours?

 

[HoveringWombats]

So...why are billboards still going up? And how are they helpful? I don't get it.

My opinion only, I'm guessing that since they announced the billboards in the press conference (at the link below, which should take you to the exact time - 27:18), if they canceled it now it would raise questions they seem to not be ready to answer. I think they probably want to continue on with the plan that they have announced, until they are ready to officially release more information that explains why the plan has changed.

 

[Turkeytrot]

I was trying to do the math to the alleged deadline. 18 hours?

Correct

 

[HanniBJeter]

This is an exact quote. Any theories on what this person thinks a "Solution" would be?

Do you have a theory? My theory is that person speaks a zillion words a day and may have used the wrong word. I dunno, but I’m not interested in nitpicking every word that everyone says.

 

[Deleted member 117884]

I was trying to do the math to the alleged deadline. 18 hours?

Eternity, I'm sure it feels like to family.

 

[TheDinks]

Here on the east coast, it's Monday.

In New Zealand we are just over 5 hours away from Tuesday

 

[tbgo]

I’m still wondering how much blood was found inside the home. We know it was in there. How much would make a big difference. If it was a huge amount, she would have likely died at the scene. It doesn’t seem that that’s what their takeaway was from whatever they found inside the home. I wonder if anything was knocked over. That would indicate a struggle.

 

[Vegasgrl]

My opinion only, I'm guessing that since they announced in the press conference (at the link below, which should take you to the exact time - 27:18), if they canceled it now it would raise questions they seem to not be ready to answer. I think they probably want to continue on with the plan that they have announced, until they are ready to officially release more information that explains why the plan has changed.

Maybe, I guess. If they stopped adding more, I don't think anyone would notice.

 

[tbgo]

They did announce no news conference until Tuesday unless there are significant developments, correct?

 

[Monepone]

Send a soldier 80 miles north with $500 worth of equipment and potentially extract $6 million in untraceable funds? Why not?

A glorified CBP bounty hunter with <$500 of Temu equipment could do the same. Just saying.

 

[MassGuy]

They did announce no news conference until Tuesday unless there are significant developments, correct?

Nothing at all scheduled I guess.

https://twitter.com/x/status/2020557653588726267

 

[Gr3yW0lf78]

Why does everyone think this was a botched or bungled kidnapping? Seems pretty clean to me and all the leverage is in the hands of a completely anonymous party.

 

[tbgo]

What could they be looking for in a septic tank? A body? The only other thing I can think of is if the “kidnapper” said that they left something in there that would confirm that they’re telling the truth. I’m still thinking they were looking for a dead body. Can anyone else think of another reason they would have been looking in it?

 

[Luna20]

Send a soldier 80 miles north with $500 worth of equipment and potentially extract $6 million in untraceable funds? Why not?

I don’t know for certain but I have seen reports that the cartels score 50-100 million deals. It’s a high risk lifestyle and they are chasing more than 6 million.