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

[EJB123456]

I don't get how they have processed the whole house so fast , it looks to be 5-6,000 sq ft. it's HUGE.

3776 sq ft via realtor.com and that probably included the guest house. Large but not obscene for an upscale Arizona home.

 

[Absoluterubbish]

LE will definitely be telling them not to pay any of the ransom. I just can’t see a way out of this alive for NG which is so sad.
As someone said above, it’s not like whoever took her is just going to let her go once they get their money. That wouldn’t make any sense as then there is a high likelihood they would be caught. IMO

 

[HoveringWombats]

Most important, it says that this will be there only communication and lays out the demands.

There you go. That's what I was suggesting earlier, about the lack of communication not necessarily meaning that it's bogus. I understand the perspective of the family that they aren't willing to send a ransom without proof that NG is alive, but I think it could be the perspective of the kidnappers that they have already said everything they are willing to say, so further communication is not going to happen.

I'm still not convinced that the ransom note is real, but I don't think that the lack of communication from the sender really changes my opinion in either direction.

 

[Kemug]

I wonder if anyone in Nancy's circle has access to a cellar.

 

[dotr]

Wondering if the perp/s watched this 2024 film? speculation.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt27307826/

'A team of Redditors lose everything after a cryptocurrency scam leads them to plot to kidnap the "financial influencer" who screwed them over.'

 

[letsgostate05]

An opinion from a retired FBI agent.

“I feel that this was targeted,” former Special Agent Tracy Walder at the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office told The Post.

“Her house is set pretty far back… It’s on almost an acre of land. This isn’t a place where the houses are really close together and people are looking for whatever’s an easy opportunity,” she said.

“I don’t think some kind of botched robbery, because if it’s a robbery, you don’t want to burden yourself with a person that you’re taking out,” added Walder, who also previously served as Staff Operations Officer at the CIA’s Counterterrorism Center.

More at All the clues that Nancy Guthrie was targeted, as ex-FBI agent offers chilling new abduction theory

Sorry to go off topic, but Tracy Walder’s autobiography “The Unexpected Spy” is a good read. She also talks about current events from a CIA/FBI perspective on her instagram

 

[Van Helsing]

This is a supremely flaky longshot, but this whole situation is mental so I'm going to say it anyway. I wouldn't even dream of this sort of ridiculous reasoning if this wasn't already off the charts weird, but let's throw everything out there: Maybe the bitcoin details aren't even the perp's. Maybe he plucked some random details off the internet and added them to make the ransom note more plausible. Maybe the "send me cash now, or whenever, maybe next week, whatever" instructions seem to convey less of a sense of urgency about getting the actual money because the whole bitcoin thing is just about dragging out the ransom / kidnapper story as long as possible, and he isn't ever going to be connected with it anyway. See also choosing TMZ for publicity.

Yes, yes, I know. It's certainly not my best or most solid theory work.

That is absolutely plausible.

 

[emigrate]

Pardon me while I pick my jaw up off the !@/%$ floor. What the actual heck?! Does this neighbor not know how to use a phone?

I bet she has to be scared since we don't know who did what and where Nancy is.

 

[Bluewing3102]

I am watching Harvey Levin on Fox News right now.

As far as he knows, it's impossible to trace this email.

He thinks it's a local (because of something specific in the email, a phrase), says they could be in New Mexico?

He said it did say that it had exactly where the Apple Watch was left in the home.

He says it's not something thrown together in a few minutes. It was well put together, not AI written, and very clear. Not a crazy person (well, crazy but not). He said it is so very clear exactly what they are demanding, etc.

Most important, it says that this will be there only communication and lays out the demands. Even boldly says that the police are not going to be able to help them.

I have been watching for clips of these shows online to be able to share, but I can't find any yet!

I was leaning towards letter being illegitimate until I saw what Harvey had to say about the ransom. He definitely is a for releasing details of this letter but that's another dragon to slay. As much as I hate TMZ, if what he said is true I can see why LE are pursuing this lead. I mean look how quickly they shutdown the fake ransom.

And although historically ransoms are delivered or executed differently- it is 2025. There is so much technology in LE toolbox. I can see how a sophisticated criminal can anticipate this and prey on family's fear that a ransom would be paid out even without contact. Unfortunately though, if this person is both the author and abductor I don't see them returning NG if they are this fearful of being caught be LE.

 

[heli]

LE will definitely be telling them not to pay any of the ransom. I just can’t see a way out of this alive for NG which is so sad.
As someone said above, it’s not like whoever took her is just going to let her go once they get their money. That wouldn’t make any sense as then there is a high likelihood they would be caught. IMO

Exactly~ Caught! Do you really think they will let her go out of the goodness of their heart?

 

[Diddian]

This "pay ransom by Thursday at 5 pm unless you don't do it by then and then no later than Monday" provision of the ransom note is REALLY weird. Note that NG was also taken in the late night/early morning hours of Saturday/Sunday but the ransom notes were not sent until Monday (if I understand correctly). Also, proof of life has not been provided despite being asked for yesterday.

Is there some place that a supposed abductor could secret an 84 year old woman (whether alive or not) that is safely accessible to a supposed abductor on Thursday night, but not through the weekend, and then accessible again on Monday?

Is there anything that makes crossing the border on Friday/Saturday/Sunday more difficult than other days of the week? Is the border busier on weekend days?

Could the supposed abductor have two plane tickets, one for late Thursday and another for Monday (either from the local area OR from just south of the border)?

 

[emigrate]

but that's not their mom. for me, the bitcoin would have been transferred already.

As the cool kids used to say "word"

 

[browneyes]

How do you all feel? Do you think NG is alive? I hope so, but worry.

 

[Lawette32]

There you go. That's what I was suggesting earlier, about the lack of communication not necessarily meaning that it's bogus. I understand the perspective of the family that they aren't willing to send a ransom without proof that NG is alive, but I think it could be the perspective of the kidnappers that they have already said everything they are willing to say, so further communication is not going to happen.

I'm still not convinced that the ransom note is real, but I don't think that the lack of communication from the sender really changes my opinion in either direction.

My only qualm with this is… it's a lot of work obviously to kidnap an elderly woman out of her home and then hold her hostage for many days. One would think it would behoove the threat actor to compromise a tiny bit on his position and send proof of life if it means he will get what he intended to get this entire time, which is a big payday.

 

[auburnmomof2]

I am just really wishing I could go back to an innocent 5 year old with no idea what is going on in the world and just stay there.

Right!? Except when I was 5 living in Atlanta during the Atlanta children kidnappings! To this day I sleep with everything covered up except part of my face. I was terrified of being taken from my bed! And I absolutely can't sleep if anyone could possibly see in my window!
There's my childhood trauma side note for all yall internet sleuthers to disect lol

 

[Moonchime]

JMO, but the ransom note with verified bitcoin account info can only mean 2 things. Either it is a scammer completely unrelated to the disappearance trying to take advantage of the situation and get some free money into their bitcoin account. Or it is someone the family knows, who realizes there is a rich daughter worth millions and decided to kidnap NG to get that daughter to pay up. They may not have realized this would blow up nationally the way this has. Now they are scared and probably know they are being watched. Hence no further follow up on the ransom note.

If this whole thing is actually true, this person is not going to allow NG to give any form of info to ID this schmuck. Very dangerous situation, I don't think it would matter if they pay the whole thing or 1/2. IMO

Unfortunately, at this point, I don't believe NG is still alive. MOO

 

[EJB123456]

I wonder if anyone in Nancy's circle has access to a cellar.

Very few basements in Arizona. The ground is too hard (caliche) and too expensive to dig and the weather doesn’t require them so homes in that area will be on slab foundations.

 

[Absoluterubbish]

I am watching Harvey Levin on Fox News right now.

As far as he knows, it's impossible to trace this email.

He thinks it's a local (because of something specific in the email, a phrase), says they could be in New Mexico?

He said it did say that it had exactly where the Apple Watch was left in the home.

He says it's not something thrown together in a few minutes. It was well put together, not AI written, and very clear. Not a crazy person (well, crazy but not). He said it is so very clear exactly what they are demanding, etc.

Most important, it says that this will be there only communication and lays out the demands. Even boldly says that the police are not going to be able to help them.

I have been watching for clips of these shows online to be able to share, but I can't find any yet!

Wow thanks for this. This is the most information I’ve seen about the note so far. So it’s now seeming that this note is in fact from the person that has her?

 

[Moonchime]

Sheriff Nanos confirmed they DO have possession of other cameras from NG's house. They are "being analyzed as we speak". He said they sent in the doorbell cam to the company (didn't say who but it's a Nest cam) to try and pull up footage what they could. They are going to send the camera to another company and try again and "hope for the best" with it.

Thank you for posting this. It's wonderful news!

 

[Kemug]

I'm currently also following another case which is galloping along, of 4-year-old Gus Lamont, in Australia. Talk about extremes!