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

[Friday Fan]

I’ve attached a photo of NG’s front door, which shows the flowers bordering the walkway. To my eye, JMO, they look like the same plant that’s lying close to the door. It’s a silly detail, but I don’t think it’s insignificant.

Photo from MSN, cropped by me.

The plant is purple trailing lantana. It's a very common plant and will grow where other plants won't grow. (Like Tucson) No one who grows it picks it. It's ubiquitous, utilitarian and it stinks. Doubt if she would pick it. I grow it next to my sidewalk.

 

[Marie A]

Ok now my brain is stuck on could the ransom email have been sent from NG’s computer as someone mentioned up thread? Can you program an email to be sent at a later time. I’m no techie so I don’t know. If so what a clever way to get around your ransom email not being traced back to you. “You won’t get any further communication” because I won’t have access to this computer again type thing. Remember the FBI gal carrying out something large wrapped in brown paper. I have heard speculation it was a computer. Also this could explain why the house was again cordoned off after it was released back to the family. The ransom email could have triggered that if determined to have come from her computer being it was received after the house was released to family. Just another thought.

This is SO CLEVER.
I hope there aren’t any crooks on here reading this and wanting to copycat- but wouldn’t that be amazing if they did send the note from her computer.
That may explain why they are looking at the SIL who I think is 100% innocent and has been very very unfairly named by Ashley Banfield
Just IMHO

 

[pixiepixel]

Targeted Scottsdale home invasion linked to alleged $66M cryptocurrency plot

Has anyone posted this yet? This happened on Jan 31 in Scottsdale, AZ and was posted 2 days ago. Two teens broke into a home by posing as delivery drivers and held a family hostage, demanding millions in bitcoin. While these two teens were caught, police did not believe they were the "masterminds" behind this plot. From the link above:

Investigators believe the teenagers met recently and were extorted by individuals known only as "Red" and "8."

This seems so similar to Nancy's case and the ransom note, in particular. It happened just the day before.

 

[priyaya]

some people have a usual Uber driver who drives them frequently- I imagine NG going to the airport, shopping, med appts, hairdresser? and maybe taking an Uber.

it was also reported that it was a female uber driver, so I could see that being her request

 

[HoveringWombats]

Ok now my brain is stuck on could the ransom email have been sent from NG’s computer as someone mentioned up thread? Can you program an email to be sent at a later time.

No programming or techiness is required. There's a button right in Gmail and many others to schedule an email to send at a later time.

I personally kind of doubt that the email was sent from her device, but if it was, it wouldn't imply any special skills or knowledge.

 

[thefragile7393]

I don't think they're the most scrupulous, but their info is usually if not always correct. For instance, if they say that a celebrity has died I know that person is dead. If they said I was dead I would probably believe them.

correct! And unfortunately that's also gotten them into trouble in the past, i.e. Kobe Bryant death.

 

[thefragile7393]

I've gotten TMZ push notifications since 2009 - IME they are almost never, if not never, wrong about facts, especially things like arrests and deaths.

Now, how they get that information is ethically questionable at best, but they do get it. Harvey is a lawyer and it seems like part of the reason he's still at the helm is his ability to quickly assess the legal liability, if any, of reporting breaking or fast-moving news.

Their "filler" content is tabloid trash, but I've found their actual reporting to be correct and usually at least a few minutes ahead of other news outlets. My guess would be that once they pass the legal hurdle they're free to report without the additional layers of review and approval that would be required by a more "reputable" news source.

Journalistic integrity is another conversation, but I personally feel comfortable believing stories they break.

MOO

sums up how I feel totally. You just said it more elequently.

 

[maskedwoman]

Also, If she ubered there why not uber home? Except for the dark and safety.

Maybe she didn't Uber from home? Maybe she was somewhere else. Maybe it's her way of maintaining independence or saving them from making 2 trips back and forth. Or maybe they didn't want her to Uber back home in the dark. Respectfully, not everything has to be odd.

 

[TwoBlueJays]

If NG was not related to famous daughter SG; and if LE rules out family...
Then the most probable explanation is that someone local broke into her house, assaulted her, she died unexpectedly and the assailant removed her body from the home in a panic. (The blood droplets on the porch could have fallen earlier in the day as she walked to the mailbox with a surprise bloody nose.)
This person may not know her celebrity connections. They may be attracted to elderly women. They may have seen NG in her front yard gardening or out in public and targeted her.
It seems unlikely that this was a late night random home invasion gone wrong. There are houses in that neighborhood with similar appearances so why choose hers.
And FWIW the ransom note seems like a red herring.
All moo

 

[Sessiebo]

Some of us consider those suggested actions polite!

Not age specific necessarily but we are known for our spoiling of our elders around here.

After a long night go in and help get set up for bed. Make sure her book is handy so she doesn’t have to get up again. Maybe offer a cup of herb tea to settle in.

My elderly mom although in decent health would get tired and I worried about a stumble and fall when she was. What I wouldn’t give to still have her to be able to spoil her still.

Our community is safe in general but my elderly Mom lived by herself in a big home on a wooded property and the affluent neighborhood had break ins despite paid security that drove through periodically.

So I would have definitely gone in, as she would assume I would, when dropping her off after dark especially that far after dark.

I never leave anyone I’ve dropped off after dark without a got in the door ok now I’m locked in wave from the window; at the least.

Just habit and expected behavior for a lot of us.

All imo

I agree 100%

 

[justwannahelp]

Ok, so let's say her source is correct. Then what is her purpose of releasing this information to the public, besides her own personal gain? It is not helping to find NG at all. In full disclosure, I have a deep disdain for "gotcha" reporting and Dateline type programming. It feels predatory to me. The pretending to care deeply about the family, etc. Nah. I ain't buying it. It's all about the $$$.

Oh I’m not speculating on the why. I’m just saying the sheriff’s answers seem to align with her reporting/theory. And LE is often onto someone when they say they aren’t. At least in most of the cases I’ve followed over the last 13 years they were. So them not telling us and his non answer answers aren’t super surprising

 

[missy1974]

Regarding the Media Ransom note... we don't know the time that the news stations received it. It's been said Monday morning. But that doesn't tell us the time. It could be anytime after midnight, and is that just when it was discovered? Depending on the email it was sent to, was that email checked on Sunday? could it have been sent Sunday but not opened until Monday morning? We have no idea.

I've watched some clips with a reporter from one of the news stations, but she gave very little info about specifics, other than verifying what the FBI stated yesterday.

a few clips I have been able to find:

https://twitter.com/x/status/2019534825640849613

https://twitter.com/x/status/2019226269653532773

 

[Izzylizzy]

Live now

 

[cady]

I hate to say it but I think it was to remove her body aka evidence.

As I said earlier, maybe for the utter thrill of cruelty and being able to savor the thrill for a long time, while a family is devastated

 

[acutename]

Question for Sleuthers: why do you think there are pieces of boxwood or other shrubbery by the front door? Near the doormat and drops of blood?

we think the kidnapper(s) hit a plant on the way out- ask the gardeners what was by the door.
I think it scratched NG- thus the blood. IMO

 

[thefragile7393]

Targeted Scottsdale home invasion linked to alleged $66M cryptocurrency plot

Has anyone posted this yet? This happened on Jan 31 in Scottsdale, AZ and was posted 2 days ago. Two teens broke into a home by posing as delivery drivers and held a family hostage, demanding millions in bitcoin. While these two teens were caught, police did not believe they were the "masterminds" behind this plot. From the link above:

This seems so similar to Nancy's case and the ransom note, in particular. It happened just the day before.

It's not similar at all TBH. IMO

 

[DizzyB]

Thank you, yours caused me to think perhaps the uber was to get from Mah Jong to Annie's. She could have ridden to Mah Jong with a friend or Ubered to that as well. I personally don't get the fuss and shock about her having Ubered to Annie's house.

Nancy may have used Uber, we are getting mixed signals about her abilities. She was in pain daily, in fragile health, with limited mobility. I use Uber fairly regularly, but I won’t Uber alone if I’ve had a cocktail. We grew up taught never to get in a car with strangers, and now we pay to get picked up by a stranger. I get that she was a capable woman, but could she remove herself from a bad situation easily? Did she share her Uber location, yet not pay a subscription fee for cameras?

 

[HoveringWombats]

The purported call from a fellow churchgoer to the family is starting to bother me more and more.

LE left it off the timeline completely in their most recent press conference. Why?

Has there been a single source for this element of the story other than the Daily Mail article? Serious question. Maybe there has and I missed it, but that's the only source I have seen. And if it is the only source, I think we might be putting way too much energy into a piece of information from a borderline trustworthy source. Maybe it's right, but it is surprising to me if it hasn't come up via any other channels if it's true.

 

[Bluewing3102]

No programming or techiness is required. There's a button right in Gmail and many others to schedule an email to send at a later time.

I personally kind of doubt that the email was sent from her device, but if it was, it wouldn't imply any special skills or knowledge.

Correct. But I do believe it would give credit to the perps thought process and planning ability. Assuming the letter is real and from the same person(s) who abducted Nancy. And albeit not too technologically advanced there is a lot of intelligence behind this criminal.

JMO

 

[missy1974]

Thank you for saying it....people talk like active seniors need some care. Some of us don't want or need all of that.

My Mom would be shocked to see how she "should" be behaving haha She never 'acts her age'