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

[avalonisland]

Right, which was a 2 minute time span. And that's why I thought they just pulled up and watched her go into the garage.

Two minutes does not seem like enough time to help an 84 yr old with mobility issues, using her walker or cane.

You'd have to pull into the garage, allow time to go open her car door and help her get out of the car and grab her belongings and cane or her walker, and then slowly walk w/her into her home, turn on the lights, and say good night ... then the driver needs to walk back to their car and pull out.

Can that be done in under two minutes time?

Right, but 2 minutes is not much time to get all that done with an 84 yr old with mobility issues, imo. And I took care of my mom for several years and I know that everything takes longer when helping an 84 year old move around, etc



Yes, however the most recent timeline by Nanos said "family members' dropped Nancy off. So I'd think maybe one was driving and the other would be helping her inside if they did help her inside.


Or possibly, the just drove up, used the app to open the garage door, and watched as she entered the doorway into her home...






Per Sheriff Nanos 9:48 p.m. - Family drops Nancy off at home & garage door opens.

9:50 p.m. - Garage door closes.

There is no way a family member say in passenger seat helped this frail 84 year old woman who requires a cane to walk in just 120 seconds to unbuckle seat belt, grab her belongings in the car, help walk to garage door leading into home, say good bye to love one, then bolt back to car in order to shut garage door 120 seconds after opening. Does not add up

 

[avalonisland]

If it’s a robbery goes wrong, they‘ll knock the victim out, unless they can identify the perp then it increases the chances they’re killed. You don’t break in to steal jewelry and iPads and leave with a human being that’s going to put intense heat on you and keep it there with an ongoing crime. Robbery is in-and-out then done.

I think kidnapping was the plan.

No robbery. I don't see kidnapping as proof of life is not really being shown after Uber driver 5:32pm pickup, and if robbery was the plan, wait til NG went to her regular mass.

 

[Strangeworld]

There is no way a family member say in passenger seat helped this frail 84 year old woman who requires a cane to walk in just 120 seconds to unbuckle seat belt, grab her belongings in the car, help walk to garage door leading into home, say good bye to love one, then bolt back to car in order to shut garage door 120 seconds after opening. Does not add up

This is what I've been pondering - I just can't imagine this interaction lasting only 2 minutes. I recall someone saying maybe they went through the garage door with her then exited another way. This could make sense except there is no mention of it in the timeline. It very specifically notes just the garage door.

She would likely move slowly or at least slower than someone with more stability on their feet, even just getting out of the car, saying goodbyes as you said. I just feel like 2 minutes doesn't seem right. Maybe it is, maybe the routine is she just likes to get herself in on her own and immediately turns and closes the garage door. But I'm thinking when someone drops me off, I will often wait until they are reversing or driving off to wave goodbye. Even that would add some time to it.

I keep bouncing between ransom versus these pieces of information and just can't make sense of it all

 

[mikeshanty]

Did anyone else notice that the Instagram appeal seemed to ask NG directly to come home? I understand they need to say something to the victim on the chance they are watching, but the language used was very interesting: AG: "Mama, mama, if you're listening, we need you to come home." This jumped out at me - if NG is under the control of another individual, this seems a really odd thing to say?

 

[TheDinks]

No robbery. I don't see kidnapping as proof of life is not really being shown after Uber driver 5:32pm pickup, and if robbery was the plan, wait til NG went to her regular mass.

Word is she hasn't gone in person to Church for ages and worships at the online service.

Anyway, from your queries... I'm feeling you're leaning towards Ms Guthrie not returning alive to her house.

Close ?

 

[Strangeworld]

Did anyone else notice that the Instagram appeal seemed to ask NG directly to come home? I understand they need to say something to the victim on the chance they are watching, but the language used was very interesting: AG: "Mama, mama, if you're listening, we need you to come home." This jumped out at me - if NG is under the control of another individual, this seems a really odd thing to say?

I took this as hang in there, do what you think will keep you safe while we work this out. Don't give up. Nancy sounds like a very capable and personable woman, maybe it was encouragement to look for ways to stay alive under the circumstances and to not lose hope.

If she has been kidnapped, imagine the pure fear and distress she would be experiencing. That can be totally debilitating but Nancy has her faith and her family want her to know that they don't just want her home, they need her home.

 

[TheDinks]

This is what I've been pondering - I just can't imagine this interaction lasting only 2 minutes. I recall someone saying maybe they went through the garage door with her then exited another way. This could make sense except there is no mention of it in the timeline. It very specifically notes just the garage door.

She would likely move slowly or at least slower than someone with more stability on their feet, even just getting out of the car, saying goodbyes as you said. I just feel like 2 minutes doesn't seem right. Maybe it is, maybe the routine is she just likes to get herself in on her own and immediately turns and closes the garage door. But I'm thinking when someone drops me off, I will often wait until they are reversing or driving off to wave goodbye. Even that would add some time to it.

I keep bouncing between ransom versus these pieces of information and just can't make sense of it all

My belief is the kidnap for ransom is not real... possibly even generated as a ruse to throw the scent off the person who took Ms Guthrie

 

[TheDinks]

I took this as hang in there, do what you think will keep you safe while we work this out. Don't give up. Nancy sounds like a very capable and personable woman, maybe it was encouragement to look for ways to stay alive under the circumstances and to not lose hope.

If she has been kidnapped, imagine the pure fear and distress she would be experiencing. That can be totally debilitating but Nancy has her faith and her family want her to know that they don't just want her home, they need her home.

Agree, well put!

 

[Ghostwheel]

Yep, sounds suspicious to me. No time for even goodbye, let me help you open the door and get you inside safe and sound. 2 mins bye, hurry, get inside, garage door closing in 120 seconds...run don't walk with cane. Does not add up.

My 2 cents. Depends on the mobility issue. My grandmother went "fast" short distances with a cane. She could go over the distance of that garage in less than a minute. And would not have wanted anyone to help her or needed anyone to help her at 87. My mother would have taken longer, not wanted help but get it anyway at 84. It just depends.

If Nancy felt safe, had no thoughts anyone would want to hurt her, she may have just gotten out of the car, walked in the garage, hit the "close" button next to the interior door on the way in the door. Or whoever drove her home got out and walked her to the interior door, and she hit the close button once they got back to the car. 2 minutes is a longer time than we always think. I doubt anyone stayed any amount of time as Nancy may have been tired.

Bottom line, my experience says 2 minutes could be plenty of time depending on type of mobility. YMMV.

 

[honestground]

A very common behavior if they live close by and take her out rather frequently. They are used to the area being safe, mom, for all mobility issues, being “with it”, and visits being similar. TBH, even now, we don’t understand the true reason for abduction. Her family probably couldn’t imagine it ever happening.

JMO.

Agreed. My brother lives on the same *street* as my elderly parents and often shuttles them back and forth from his house to theirs due to their mobility issues. He can open their garage for them, drop them off, and make sure they get into the garage/house door from his car, and then drive back to his house. He's a busy guy with a job, commute, kids, wife, etc...doing this back/forth I don't think unless a special circumstance he'd be there more than a couple of minutes or think anything of it. I think it's just really easy to examine every detail under a microscope when something like this happens but on any other day no one would think anything of it! (MOO)

 

[mikeshanty]

I took this as hang in there, do what you think will keep you safe while we work this out. Don't give up. Nancy sounds like a very capable and personable woman, maybe it was encouragement to look for ways to stay alive under the circumstances and to not lose hope.

If she has been kidnapped, imagine the pure fear and distress she would be experiencing. That can be totally debilitating but Nancy has her faith and her family want her to know that they don't just want her home, they need her home.

Ah yes you are most likely right. I maybe interpreted that too literally.

 

[Hexe]

There is no way a family member say in passenger seat helped this frail 84 year old woman who requires a cane to walk in just 120 seconds to unbuckle seat belt, grab her belongings in the car, help walk to garage door leading into home, say good bye to love one, then bolt back to car in order to shut garage door 120 seconds after opening. Does not add up

Why the assumption Nancy wasn't the one opening her own garage door?

 

[Strangeworld]

Ah yes you are most likely right. I maybe interpreted that too literally.

Everything is just a guessing game right now, for all we know there were hidden messages or statements directly linked to the ransom note. Noone is right or wrong right now, we are just exploring all the information (or lack of!)

It's so great when we can all just explore things together without any judgement, just open discussion knowing there's lots of ways to see all of this and put it together. Geez, I think I've changed my mind on what has happened to Nancy 100 times since I first heard she was missing

 

[Tortoise]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2020064358445744581

 

[Tortoise]

Authorities were investigating another car, possibly connected with Guthrie’s vanishing, after receiving a tip about a “vehicle of interest.”

Officers rushed to a Circle K store in Tucson, where employees provided security footage, according to NBC News.

Officials haven’t specified if the vehicle has a known connection to Nancy’s suspected abduction, or if the lead is still relevant.

Police tow SUV from Nancy Guthrie’s home, take down wired device from roof after tip from neighbor: report

Law enforcement agents confiscated a car parked inside the garage of Nancy Guthrie’s Arizona home Friday, where they also removed a wired device from the roof after they received a tip from a…

nypost.com

 

[Strangeworld]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2020064358445744581

Oh wow! What if this has footage? Could this camera work differently to the front door camera?

I wonder who installed it and why it hasn't been found until a neighbour noted it? Maybe family just forgot it was there? I HOPE it is set up as a standalone camera with footage available!

I do feel like they haven't particularly thorough in their crime scene processing. The to-ing and fro-ing seems a bit messy to me

 

[mikeshanty]

Everything is just a guessing game right now, for all we know there were hidden messages or statements directly linked to the ransom note. Noone is right or wrong right now, we are just exploring all the information (or lack of!)

It's so great when we can all just explore things together without any judgement, just open discussion knowing there's lots of ways to see all of this and put it together. Geez, I think I've changed my mind on what has happened to Nancy 100 times since I first heard she was missing

Love this, and this is a community I only just joined yesterday. I have been lurking here for years as I am investigator (non-US), but this case was so baffling to me I felt compelled to join the discussion. I personally lurch between the statistical likelihood that someone or group of persons known to NG are responsible, or this is one of the statistical outliers where it is a disturbed and fanatic individual that is less motivated by ransom but more infamy, control, and desire for the attention of SG. Similar to Jodie Foster.

 

[TheDinks]

Oh wow! What if this has footage? Could this camera work differently to the front door camera?

I do feel like they haven't particularly thorough in their crime scene processing. The to-ing and fro-ing seems a bit messy to me

I don't think it's been revealed who put the cam there. I was watching drone footage when the Agents were on the roof, there was a lot of speculation about who'd placed camera there. Someone mentioned LE may have put it there right away after first arriving to monitor whether perp returned to SOC

 

[Tortoise]

Screen grab from timestamp 8:39

 

[Strangeworld]

Love this, and this is a community I only just joined yesterday. I have been lurking here for years as I am investigator (non-US), but this case was so baffling to me I felt compelled to join the discussion. I personally lurch between the statistical likelihood that someone or group of persons known to NG are responsible, or this is one of the statistical outliers where it is a disturbed and fanatic individual that is less motivated by ransom but more infamy, control, and desire for the attention of SG. Similar to Jodie Foster.

Welcome! Its a great community, I often have long breaks because life gets in the way, but it always feels like home. Will be great to have your insights as an investigator!