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

[Cryptic]

It's such as weird thing to release. Sounds like the media is grasping at straws. Suspcious vehicle at a Circle K. Was it left over night or something? How do they even know if it's connected to the case?

Gas stations frequently have suspicious vehicles because well, there is lots of other crime or whatever....

I think your concerns are very valid. My bet is that the police are getting a large number of suspicious vehicle reports based on:

White panel van (n): A van with solid sides whose owners are always: a. serial Killers b. Kidnappers c. rapists d. child molesters e. generic creeps or.....f. Stud bad guys and one bad girl hottie engaged in some kind of over the top, ultra high tech heist.

 

[gammagirl]

So two return searches by LE shortly after getting ransom notes now? If this is real, did the abductor alter the house/property in subtle ways during the appx. 40 minutes between the disconnect of the camera and the stopped sync of the watch? And each note has contained a version of “hey LE, look for this at the house and you’ll know I’m the real deal.”?

And, perhaps this could be done over different visits to the house

 

[Charlot123]

Why do you say a thumb…?

Previous high-profile abduction cases? Getty Jr, etc.

 

[Fargo]

Shame on them if they are just searching for video there now.

That's what happens when you let yourself get distracted by red herrings.

 

[Megnut]

FWIW I don't think they're looking for a body.

I think they're looking for something that the ransomer manipulated.

GHI thinks maybe LE put a camera IN and was removing it.

JMO

 

[merrymary]

It looked like my camera with a solar charger.it looked like there were 2 up there.

Exactly

 

[Luna20]

If they aren’t verifying life what’s the point of these letters? Like do they really want the money or not? If it’s about ransom why wouldn’t they go about it like a legit ransom?

 

[whitelilac]

I fear she is in the duct work or whatever that is called with the heating and cooling system or in the planter. I can't take it, no way are they not looking for a body now. Please let my feeling be wrong

It would take more than 40 minutes to conceal a body in the ductwork on the roof. You'd need equipment to dismantle, put back together, not to mention getting her up there in the first place. Much easier to conceal her elsewhere, the septic tank for example, or off property, buried with lime so as not to attract birds and prey.
Hate considering these options.....

 

[Mauritius]

KOLD Ransom note was sent through newsroom tip system - so not an email after all.

No proof of life in message. Not calling it a "ransom note."

No further demands made.

Message did not offer a way for the family to communicate.

Does contain a detail that would perhaps allow investigators to determine it's the same person who sent the first note.

If I’m understanding this correctly…. A online tip form (probably allows “anonymous” tips so you don’t even need to type in an email address to submit) … that might explain the random “letters” going just to news agencies, and not being sent to family or even to police department - eliminates sending from an email address, and even less traceable apparently.

Also re no proof of life - tip lines may not have a feature for attaching photos (no idea) in which case can’t send a “holding today’s newspaper” photo. (And others here noted- photos can have embedded data, even though some of that can be removed, criminal may not want to risk sending a photo for that reason. )

 

[SlimPickens]

This link was posted here earlier today, but there was no discussion on the thread, IIRC. But Megan Kelly discusses it in her video at the link.

I feel like this is less about the perp requesting movie references than it is about typical FBI hostage negotiations language and protocols used in these types of cases. I'm sure the Silence of the Lambs director consulted with the FBI for scenes like this.

JMO.

 

[citizen_sleuth]

See this seems really strange to me. If they want their money why didn’t they send proof of life. They originally said there would be no more communication which they have now gone against but still haven’t given proof of life even after the 2 family videos requesting just that.

It seems whoever is sending the messages is very attuned to the digital forensic methods LE has access to. Assuming the sender does actually have NG (which is completely unknown at this point and IMO highly unlikely), they may be wary of sending images or video since LE can restore deleted metadata (including the location the photo/video was taken, the time, and the device used to take it). MOO.

 

[Jge24]

I keep wondering if she will be found in the heating/airconditioning system, this is obviously them looking for a body imo

I think her body is no longer in the house or on the actual premises (as in within her property line). I hope she’s alive but I’m so fearful she’s not - logic is stacked against what my heart wants!

 

[JoeFromLB]

I’m very behind with no hope to catch up on the thread. However, I really want to give my thoughts.

At this point, even if Nancy is still alive, this will be the end of her. I feel so bad about it; but at 84 years old to go through this kind of trauma, I don’t think you could recover. I pray for the family that they get her back. It’s a very bizarre case. I think that’s why it has everybody’s attention. It almost makes no sense.

It makes little sense to me. Seems that unknown person(s) are jerking LE around while an old lady who desperately needs daily medication is nowhere to be found.

 

[dotr]

Police probe new message in search for mother of Savannah Guthrie

Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of an NBC News presenter, is believed to have been abducted from her home in Tucson, Arizona.

www.bbc.com

 

[Jge24]

I feel like this is less about the perp requesting movie references than it is about typical FBI hostage negotiations language and protocols used in these types of cases. I'm sure the Silence of the Lambs director consulted with the FBI for scenes like this.

JMO.

I believe this and / or maybe the ransom note used specific wording from the movie as well? And they were trying to communicate back with them to say “we know what you’re referencing/ saying”. I do think SG seemed a bit awkward and paused, looked directly at the camera, and said those words so deliberately. However, it could have just been a moment of her trying to “humanize”.

 

[MassGuy]

If I’m understanding this correctly…. A online tip form (probably allows “anonymous” tips so you don’t need to out in an email address to submit) … that might explain the random letters going just to news agencies, and not being sent to family or even to police department eliminates sending from an email address and even less traceable.

Exactly. All these outlets have tip submission portals. They do log up addresses, but those can obviously be masked.

 

[toucan1234]

Random thought…is it possible that the FBI worked with KOLD to manipulate their tip submission link in order to better trace submitters? Obviously somewhat dicey given journalistic integrity but curious…

 

[Stunned]

i keep seeing this Fargo reference.... can someone tell me what you'all are talking about?

Fargo is a poster on here.

 

[nhmemorymaker]

I think in this case the name of the person writing the comment is Fargo

There have been plenty of references to the movie as well.

This is the gist of the movie Fargo (1996.. god, I forgot it was that long ago!)

Fargo (1996) is a dark, comedic crime thriller directed by the Coen Brothers, where a desperate, inept Minnesota car salesman, Jerry Lundegaard, hires two criminals to kidnap his own wife to extort a ransom from his wealthy father-in-law. The plan spirals into multiple murders, investigated by the persistent, pregnant police chief Marge Gunderson.

 

[osu]

It looked like my camera with a solar charger.it looked like there were 2 up there.

This looks like a little solar panel charger on the roof.