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

[Curiousobserver]

Thinking out loud...

When a body is taken, common motives (at a high level) include:

1. Delay discovery / buy time (to flee, establish an alibi, or avoid an immediate manhunt).
2. Prevent identification of the offender (e.g., the victim knew them or could tie them to the crime).
3. Control the narrative (staging it as a missing person instead of a murder).
4. Secondary-location crime (the main event wasn’t the burglary—it was the abduction/assault, and the house was just the first scene).
5. Panic/irrational decision-making after violence (offenders sometimes do illogical things under adrenaline and fear).

To me this suggests something more targeted than opportunistic theft, such as:

• the victim may have recognized the offender
• the offender may have had a prior connection to the home/victim
• or the intent may have been abduction from the start.

 

[aafromaa]

Can someone help me with a link or source? I’m behind and haven’t read every comment on the thread but I see several comments referencing the family going into the house and calling 911 after an hour. This is not info I have seen elsewhere - just in the comments. I’m sure that you all know where the info came from and it’s probably on this thread somewhere but I can’t find the first comment that references it - just comments from enough of you that make me think I should have found it by now lol. So could one of you help me out and post a link to that source again please?

 

[Izzylizzy]

Savannah Guthrie’s sister enjoyed dinner with their missing mom hours before alleged abduction: report

Nancy Guthrie, 84, has almost been missing for 48 hours and Arizona cops have warned timing is critical to the case. She was last seen by her daughter Annie – the sister of ‘Today&#8217…

nypost.com

Was the dinner at her daughter's home or at a restaurant?
A restaurant would then involve checking indoor security cameras,asking customers if they saw anything/anyone suspicious, checking outside CCTV to see if anyone left the restaurant soon after NG left etc.
imo

 

[Knitpicker]

You and I are on the same page. I'm glad it worked out so well for your dear mother (RIP). I have residents who it works out well but they also tend to be people with very active and involved family and friends. The woman who I conga with into the dining room was a teacher and has a man from her fourth grade class (remember, she is nearly 100!) still visit her. Truly remarkable woman.

There is also a big push for continuum of care which sounds safe/ideal but can also turn into a gilded cage:

Independent living - assisted living - rehab/skilled nursing - memory care - hospice.

(MOO, it's profit over people). We have far too many elderly who have no visitors (ever) and sit in their rooms staring out the window all day.

Loneliness and lack of free agency is a tragedy in itself. Working in this field has taught me to nurture my own village, prioritize and value healthy relationships and authentic communities. And it sounds like to me that Ms. Guthrie might have had that. I hope so. Hurts my heart so needed to vent a bit. Thanks kindly for hearing me out.

I spent a lot of time visiting an elderly friend of mine in a nursing home. First off, the smell from the plug ins gave me a headache and most of the poor people were medicated and nodded out in a wheel chair. Very sad. Yes the family hardly visited her. She had issues with some residents there so she didn't eat in the dining room-and sat in a chair in her room (only one room not an apartment) with a styrofoam container eating her meals, balancing it on her lap. One day, when I got there, I saw a huge soiled area on the carpet under her container -from past meals and I called housekeeping to shampoo the rugs and they did. I hadn’t been there in awhile and it was probably accumulating for weeks. A very depressing place to be.

 

[oceanverde]

Can someone help me with a link or source? I’m behind and haven’t read every comment on the thread but I see several comments referencing the family going into the house and calling 911 after an hour. This is not info I have seen elsewhere - just in the comments. I’m sure that you all know where the info came from and it’s probably on this thread somewhere but I can’t find the first comment that references it - just comments from enough of you that make me think I should have found it by now lol. So could one of you help me out and post a link to that source again please?

The sheriff mentioned in the press conference that the family got a call from someone at church or something like that when she didn't show so they went over there, looked for a bit themselves and then called police.

12:30 here

 

[Sunshynn]

How could she have walked a dog when she is non ambulatory? How do you know its her dog?

I was thinking this last night.
I also assumed that it was her dog but since a pet has not been mentioned and not being able to walk long distances makes a dog kind of improbable (unless its, perhaps, a service dog?).
It could also be one of her children's pets.

 

[justtrish]

It was not a gated community. If this is in reference to my comment, that is what I was mostly referring to. My mother had a 24 hour gate and no one could get in unless you lived here or were called in. Even me, a nd I was her daughter. That is how tight the security is there. There was no “family list”. Every single time I entered the gate I had to have been called in ahead of time. Even when I was there every day. At one point she got me a pass when she had hospice there bc she was unable to call me in.
They took security seriously there,
SG’s mom was not an ordinary woman. her daughter is a famous millionaire. Older women fall and break hips all the time
I am not saying living alone caused this.

My mother fell and broke a hip and bc she was so close to her front door, and she has neighbors on either side she was able to yell and be heard otherwise she would have been lying there who knows how long. She could have died lying there. I am just saying that at that age, I do not believe, for her healths sake alone, that she should be living alone without security/ medial care availability in a 3,000 SS ft home. Unless she had a medical aide there. We don’t know that. Her daughter had the means to supply her that unlike the average person.

No, I was going in order and was way back 10 pages when I commented this comment. I was referring to people asking why she was living alone. I just wanted us to remember this is not a fall or the case of someone dying because they were alone in their home and nobody checked on them. She was abducted and that can happen to anyone of any fitness level if a criminal wants to do something they will do it. Maybe she should not have been living alone, but this case is about her being abducted while sleeping. Even if she lived with someone that could happen, even if she was in great physical shape for 84 that could still happen. It seems this area she lived was safe and not a place where random crime is regularly occurring, which might cause alarm and for us to question why she lived alone in a dangerous area, but it seems pretty safe even though it wasn't in a gated community.

Ms. Guthrie also lived in that house since 1975, so well before her daughter was famous on TV. I'm sure she felt comfortable in that house because she's been there for 50 years and many of her neighbors might be also longtime residents so we just don't think this type of thing will happen in a place we've lived in for a long time and felt safe in. As for SG having the ability to pay for an aide, that is likely true, but if her mother didn't want it, what could she do? Sounds like her mom was of sound mind and if she refuses, then I doubt anyone could force her to have one in her home. Now if mentally, someone is not well, it's likely easier to force something like that, but what can someone do if their mind is sound and they don't want a live in aide? No matter how much money or resources someone has, they have to want the assistance unless they are deemed unable to make good decisions. IMO

 

[Izzylizzy]

Can someone help me with a link or source? I’m behind and haven’t read every comment on the thread but I see several comments referencing the family going into the house and calling 911 after an hour. This is not info I have seen elsewhere - just in the comments. I’m sure that you all know where the info came from and it’s probably on this thread somewhere but I can’t find the first comment that references it - just comments from enough of you that make me think I should have found it by now lol. So could one of you help me out and post a link to that source again please?

@17: 49
Sheriff: an hour delay until the family called police.

 

[nhmemorymaker]

I spent a lot of time visiting an elderly friend of mine in a nursing home. First off, the smell from the plug ins gave me a headache and most of the poor people were medicated and nodded out in a wheel chair. Very sad. Yes the family hardly visited her. She had issues with some residents there so she didn't eat in the dining room-and sat in a chair in her room (only one room not an apartment) with a styrofoam container eating her meals, balancing it on her lap. One day, when I got there, I saw a huge soiled area on the carpet under her container -from past meals and I called housekeeping to shampoo the rugs and they did. I hadn’t been there in awhile and it was probably accumulating for weeks. A very depressing place to be.

Some are fabulous places, and some are just horrendous..........
This is why so many seniors are so afraid.
But the costs are just so out of control now too.

The "Long Term Care" Insurance was probably a good investment.... but only if you get it early.... who thinks about these things when in their 50s ???

 

[Strangeworld]

So sad to hear there was blood at the scene - what on earth happened to Nancy. LE has to have more information that they aren't sharing. I hope the family are coping as best they can in a terrible situation like this. I can't imagine how they are feeling each day that goes on not knowing where their Mum is

 

[Knitpicker]

No, I was going in order and was way back 10 pages when I commented this comment. I was referring to people asking why she was living alone. I just wanted us to remember this is not a fall or the case of someone dying because they were alone in their home and nobody checked on them. She was abducted and that can happen to anyone of any fitness level if a criminal wants to do something they will do it. Maybe she should not have been living alone, but this case is about her being abducted while sleeping. Even if she lived with someone that could happen, even if she was in great physical shape for 84 that could still happen. It seems this area she lived was safe and not a place where random crime is regularly occurring, which might cause alarm and for us to question why she lived alone in a dangerous area, but it seems pretty safe even though it wasn't in a gated community.

Ms. Guthrie also lived in that house since 1975, so well before her daughter was famous on TV. I'm sure she felt comfortable in that house because she's been there for 50 years and many of her neighbors might be also longtime residents so we just don't think this type of thing will happen in a place we've lived in for a long time and felt safe in. As for SG having the ability to pay for an aide, that is likely true, but if her mother didn't want it, what could she do? Sounds like her mom was of sound mind and if she refuses, then I doubt anyone could force her to have one in her home. Now if mentally, someone is not well, it's likely easier to force something like that, but what can someone do if their mind is sound and they don't want a live in aide? No matter how much money or resources someone has, they have to want the assistance unless they are deemed unable to make good decisions. IMO

Didn't know she lived in that house 50 years. It looks brand new. Thx for the info

 

[nhmemorymaker]

I was thinking this last night.
I also assumed that it was her dog but since a pet has not been mentioned and not being able to walk long distances makes a dog kind of improbable (unless its, perhaps, a service dog?).
It could also be one of her children's pets.

She shouldn't really have to "walk" a dog... with so much private property there, she probably just lets it out...
Thats what i do!!

 

[nhmemorymaker]

So sad to hear there was blood at the scene - what on earth happened to Nancy. LE has to have more information that they aren't sharing. I hope the family are coping as best they can in a terrible situation like this. I can't imagine how they are feeling each day that goes on not knowing where their Mum is

They have not declared WHERE the blood was. Their reporting is really muddly on this... and I am sure it is intentional for various reasons.
From all that i have read, we don't know if the blood is Nancy's....

 

[Granny007]

Or killed in her home (intentional or not) and then had to hide the body?

idk, just thinking about possible scenarios.

jmo

Was there any sign of forced entry? If not, who had a key? Housekeeper? Handyman? Relative?Someone waiting when she came home? No car? Dragmarks? Did she have sensor lights outside? If not, why not...? so many simple questions...

 

[Knitpicker]

Was there any sign of forced entry? If not, who had a key? Housekeeper? Handyman? Relative?Someone waiting when she came home? No car? Dragmarks? Did she have sensor lights outside? If not, why not...? so many simple questions...

Her daughter had dinner with her the night before and dropped her off. They are reporting that they are looking at cameras.

 

[Inthedetails]

Thinking out loud...

When a body is taken, common motives (at a high level) include:

1. Delay discovery / buy time (to flee, establish an alibi, or avoid an immediate manhunt).
2. Prevent identification of the offender (e.g., the victim knew them or could tie them to the crime).
3. Control the narrative (staging it as a missing person instead of a murder).
4. Secondary-location crime (the main event wasn’t the burglary—it was the abduction/assault, and the house was just the first scene).
5. Panic/irrational decision-making after violence (offenders sometimes do illogical things under adrenaline and fear).

To me this suggests something more targeted than opportunistic theft, such as:

• the victim may have recognized the offender
• the offender may have had a prior connection to the home/victim
• or the intent may have been abduction from the start.

Thanks for bringing the convo back to the investigation.

I'm leaning toward someone who knew of her but not in a close circle, perhaps a relative of a caregiver or other support staff (but not the staffmember himself).

I lean away from a random stranger because I don't think a stranger would bother taking the person but would do harm in the house and leave.

I'm also not thinking relative but have no reason for that. Just wanting to avoid thinking about that additional heartbreak I suppose.

Thanks for the list - good items to ponder.

jmo

 

[nhmemorymaker]

Didn't know she lived in that house 50 years. It looks brand new. Thx for the info

The real estate listing for the property shows that the last sale was 1975. Sale price $85,000.
This jives with the reports of Savannah being born in Australia (1971) , and the family moved back to the States to Tucson when she was 2. Sounds like they were someplace inTucson, and then bought their "forever" home.
I would suspect that many renovations occured over the years , thus increasing the value along with the typical real estate inflation over these years.

 

[nhmemorymaker]

Thanks for bringing the convo back to the investigation.

I'm leaning toward someone who knew of her but not in a close circle, perhaps a relative of a caregiver or other support staff (but not the staffmember himself).

I lean away from a random stranger because I don't think a stranger would bother taking the person but would do harm in the house and leave.

I'm also not thinking relative but have no reason for that. Just wanting to avoid thinking about that additional heartbreak I suppose.

Thanks for the list - good items to ponder.

jmo

My thoughts are identical to yours.
Anyone and everyone can have "bad relatives" .... even if all the workers and caregivers were carefully vetted.

 

[Knitpicker]

The real estate listing for the property shows that the last sale was 1975. Sale price $85,000.
This jives with the reports of Savannah being born in Australia (1971) , and the family moved back to the States to Tucson when she was 2. Sounds like they were someplace inTucson, and then bought their "forever" home.
I would suspect that many renovations occured over the years , thus increasing the value along with the typical real estate inflation over these years.

85K was a lot in 1975. Pristine landscaping and such. Looks like there is an apartment near the pool. Maybe just a cabana but I’m wondering if she ever had any help that lived there.

 

[CuriousCricket]

I would have thought that in their position I would have called LE sooner rather than later. But I guess we're all different.

My guess is that they arrived and found the door open and her car there, so their first thought was that she had fallen somewhere on the property. Likely, they rushed to search the yard for her before they went inside. Once they went inside and she wasn't there, the family called 911 because she had vanished, or because she had vanished and there was something disturbing inside the home. Since their first thought on arriving at the house was that she was down somewhere on the property, emergency help might not have been required.