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

[tlcya]

With the modern proliferation of artificial intelligence tools and deepfake videos, the family of Nancy Guthrie — along with the investigators trying desperately to find her — are on high alert for possible forged messages from whoever took her.

“You could imagine a really ugly scenario where someone could try to create a ransom note or a proof of life video that was AI generated,” CNN chief media analyst Brian Stelter said this morning.

Savannah Guthrie alluded to this in a video message released yesterday to whoever may be holding her mom.
https://www.cnn.com/us/live-news/sa...on-02-05-26?post-id=cml9fv8xm00053b6phzx4cnzd

 

[thefragile7393]

Asking Sheriff Nanos to speak clearly is like asking a sloth to sit up straight.

JMO.

Thank you for that. I needed that today.

 

[CrimeDawg123]

That was my immediate thought when I heard this: SG's political views. (I didn't know NG's views matched until a couple days ago when I was looking at her FB page which is full of political posts.)

A good percentage of America has those views so you'd have to ask why this particular person. She's not super outspoken about it.

 

[Inthedetails]

That was my immediate thought when I heard this: SG's political views. (I didn't know NG's views matched until a couple days ago when I was looking at her FB page which is full of political posts.)

SG, as far as I know, has never indicated personal political views.

Please cite a source.

 

[Curiousobserver]

I do find it curious that Nancy goes missing just 2 months after an episode featuring SG visiting her mom in her home town.

Not victim blaming, but IMO she was very exposed. The home is registered in her name (a trust named after her). It takes seconds to locate her entire family in Tuscon. She lives alone, she had no security system, no gate, no life-alert style pendant etc... And she has been on the Today show multiple times where her home location was made well known. She has social media that you can geolocate where she lives.

She is the mother of one of the most well-known media personalities in the world.

I would not be surprised if this turned out to be a crazy fan.

 

[MassGuy]

"We are ready to talk."
I don't know why that statement bothers me.

The FBI spent hours with the family prior to this statement being released, and it was scripted, no doubt by them (not to say the family's words about her weren't their own).

This was very likely choreographed by people from the BAU (behavioral analysis unit). There's a reason for how that was worded.

 

[LAborn]

I guess what I'm unsuccessfully trying to say - not everyone watches TMZ. Not everyone follows celebrity news, while everyone does know about news stations. But maybe I'm wrong, and I accept that.

I find it significant that the ransom-note writer of a crime in surburban Tucson picked TMZ to send the note but perhaps it's what would be expected. ?

jmo

The ransom note was sent to MSM news outlets too--CBS and a local Arizona news station among others. Alleged ransom notes sent to news outlets as Nancy Guthrie search enters 4th day - National | Globalnews.ca and Sheriff says ransom note being investigated in disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, Savannah Guthrie's mother

"At least three different media outlets, TMZ and two of CNN’s Tucson affiliates, KOLD and KGUN, reported receiving the purported ransom notes demanding millions in bitcoin for Guthrie’s release."

 

[Izzylizzy]

"We are ready to talk."
I don't know why that statement bothers me.

It's telling the possible kidnapper(s) let's cut to the chase and the ball is in your court.
If the family is ready to talk and get proof their mother is alive and with the kidnapper then I would think it's on to ransom arrangements.
They still don't know if the ransom notes are a hoax.
imo

 

[PipeyRella]

I may be reading too much in to this, but I find it curious that Craig Melvin (SG's co-host) will not be going to Milan to cover the Olympics. The most realistic assumption is that he is staying stateside in solidarity with SG... but that seems odd to me. There has been no mention as to why he's staying, just they they had to shuffle things around. Does he feel unsafe or concerned for people in his circle?

 

[Inthedetails]

The ransom note was sent to MSM news outlets too--CBS and a local Arizona news station.

Yes, I know and mentioned that.

jmo

 

[Magic8Ball]

Did the perp want money? Or to monopolize a celebrity's attention?

Or neither, and the crime is something different?

I have no working theory.

jmo

I do have a working theory and in it, the motive is a financial one.

I'm confident at this point that LE has at least one or two theories of the case they're working on, while of course remaining open to moving in any direction the evidence takes them.

Theories must be proven by evidence BARD.

JMO.

 

[curiouscatinoc]

I agree with you that picking TMZ is telling of... something. At the very least it tells us the perp is someone who is knowledgeable enough with pop culture to know that TMZ is for celebrity "gossip" and that Savannah is a celebrity. The TMZ bit is honestly the only thing that has me leaning obsessed fan of SG. JMO

Or they had actually previously sent the ransom letter to SG and since SG didn’t publicly acknowledge it while it was being verified they got annoyed and sent it to news outlets. If this was the work of an SG stalker they wanted a direct response from her. A stalkers goal usually is to get attention from the victim no matter if it’s good attention or bad. SG saying “we are ready to listen” in her video was strategic. I think it’s a good possibility that there had been previous attempts to contact her and they wanted the perp to know they weren’t being ignored. I guarantee there is so much going on privately.

Edit: typo

 

[Izzylizzy]

The FBI spent hours with the family prior to this statement being released, and it was scripted, no doubt by them (not to say the family's words about her weren't their own).

This was very likely choreographed by people from the BAU (behavioral analysis unit). There's a reason for how that was worded.

I think it was all very confusing how it was presented if it was specifically meant for making contact with the possible kidnapper(s).
imo

 

[LAborn]

Yes, I know and mentioned that.

jmo

Your comment sounded like you didn't, as you mentioned TMZ not being broadly watched. In America it's known as one of the main "news" outlets now and often gets breaking stories before MSM gets them. Then it's broadcast elsewhere. I don't watch TMZ either, but their stories get picked up by Google News, etc. because they're reliable for this sort of thing. Pretty certain that's why the note writer sent it to them also.

 

[Inthedetails]

Your comment sounded like you didn't, as you mentioned TMZ not being broadly watched. In America it's known as one of the main "news" outlets now and often gets breaking stories before MSM gets them. Then it's broadcast elsewhere. I don't watch TMZ either, but their stories get picked up by Google News, etc. because they're reliable for this sort of thing. Pretty certain that's why the note writer sent it to them also.

I apologize for not being as clear as I thought I was when I started this train of thought this morning.
jmo

 

[MassGuy]

I think it was all very confusing how it was presented if it was specifically meant for making contact with the possible kidnapper(s).
imo

Humanize the victim. Deliver a message of hope to mom. Encourage the potential abductor to communicate. When I break it down, that's what I see.

 

[PipeyRella]

Your comment sounded like you didn't, as you mentioned TMZ not being broadly watched. In America it's known as one of the main "news" outlets now and often gets breaking stories before MSM gets them. Then it's broadcast elsewhere. I don't watch TMZ either, but their stories get picked up by Google News, etc. because they're reliable for this sort of thing. Pretty certain that's why the note writer sent it to them also.

I just think it's telling the note was went to TMZ as well. The local news stations makes sense. I'm a millennial living in America and while I am very aware of TMZ, many people I know wouldn't think twice about TMZ as a "main news outlet" or consider it if they ever had to contact the media. I think including TMZ tells us something about the perp. JMO

 

[investigatoroffacts]

If this was truly a planned ransom, you’d think they would’ve taken her medications. Leaving the phone makes sense (tracking), but leaving meds feels like someone didn’t know her routine or didn’t plan to keep her long.

 

[Izzylizzy]

BE last night
Uploaded 2 hrs ago

 

[MassGuy]

If this was truly a planned ransom, you’d think they would’ve taken her medications. Leaving the phone makes sense (tracking), but leaving meds feels like someone didn’t know her routine or didn’t plan to keep her long.

There probably shouldn't be blood either.