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

[PacoElFlaco]

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My theory. Speculation only.

Persons close to Nancy Guthrie who were in dire financial difficulties concocted a hare-brained and desperate plan to hire pro criminals to kidnap her, forcing a wealthy relative to pay the ransom.

They were assured the old lady would be treated well and merely spend a couple of days watching TV in Mexico until the ransom was paid.

Instead, the kidnappers botched the job and Nancy lost her life during the abduction.

The kidnappers continue to issue demands, despite no longer having her alive, and the people who hired them are left holding the bag.

Nancy will likely never be seen or found again.

 

[Emerald1328]

Wait. First people were saying the 2 minutes between garage door opening and closing was too long to just get Nancy in the house, and now it wasn’t long enough? I give up.

 

[dogmom805]

Those crypto ATMs are commonly used in scams with the elderly - Crypto ATM Scams: Don’t Let Fraudsters Drain Your Wallet

However, the scam usually involves the victim being directed to insert cash (sometimes they also take debit/credit). I'd wager that the amount the kidnapper is asking for in the ransom letter is far beyond what could be reasonably scammed at one of those machines.

Maybe, though, she had been doing smaller transactions for a while and this was a final escalation? Maybe a smaller-scale scammer realized how connected she is and decided to go for a big payday?

I don't think that's the case, but it makes about as much sense as anything else (so minimal). I do think that, even though NG is reportedly "with it," anyone can fall into these traps. AI can impersonate voices and there's so much data available online for scammers to leverage.

Either way, they should be able to see any transactions or large cash withdrawals on her bank account, and there would almost definitely be security footage on the way to/at the ATM. I'm sure they've checked financials already.

MOO

Now that's an idea I haven't heard much of yet, the possibility of NG being the target of monetary scams directed at the elderly.

 

[wibbleflea]

I’m interested in what time the email was sent. Was it before or after the news of NG missing and her daughter was a well known newscaster, hit the headlines? The timing may well indicate whether the ransom demand is genuine or not.

Details here:

What we know about the ransom notes in the Nancy Guthrie case

Both TMZ and KOLD representatives said wording in the messages suggests the sender has familiarity with the Tucson area.

www.newsnationnow.com

They were sent using tip-submission forms and contact forms (via each station’s website) rather than by email.

 

[tkcrockett]

i keep meaning to ask this but get caught up with reading more posts:

so the blood at the front door... people saying they think it may have come from her when taken out the front door.... but has anyone said was the front door and security door UNLOCKED!? that's FOUR locks that would have needed to be locked behind them. i don't see that being the case. IMO

the more likely scenario is she was taken out the back (which is probably the way they got in? again IMO

haven't seen this asked before. good thinking!

 

[Warwick1991]

door numero uno for me, Monty

I agree, because even if there's no immediate gain, it's possible that a newly revised will or trust was destroyed, or even anger about being denied money. Perhaps an initial attempt to make an incident appear to be a natural illness or death went wrong. There might have been long simmering anger that we aren't aware of. Much of what happened appears very carefully premeditated. It's baffling though, and other scenarios are possible.

 

[boredetective]

If the person of interest is not within the family, I'm inclined to believe our suspect is in the 40-59 age range and single.

1. The median age of those who watch NBC news is 57, and older Americans are far more likely than younger Americans to get news on television. Older people are generally more familiar with Savannah Guthrie. Younger people primarily get our news online. (could suspect have seen the episode with Nancy four months ago?) Some sort of superfan?

2. If Nancy is truly being held hostage, you need a place to hold her. So I suspect this person has a place of their own and lives alone, to be able to hold someone for so long without someone suspecting him/her.

I also believe that if the suspect worked on house or roof (like people are saying) he/she would know about the camera on the roof. I also think the SIL would know about the camera on roof. So I'm starting to think the suspect surveilled the house a few times from the street, visiting inconspicuously, and I think from the street you wouldn't be able to see the camera on roof.

If the suspect IS in the family, then waiting in garage with Nancy's body in car, makes more sense for them to go out the front door at 1:47am turning the camera offline, vs. triggering the camera on the roof. Possibly carried body out, that easily cut on doorframe, into other car.

 

[Magic8Ball]

Spitballing:

It's tax season.
Financial institutions including banks, brokerage firms, charitable organizations, etc., are sending out end-of-year statements detailing interest income, capital gains, etc.

Many people, seniors included, get help with managing their finances, and some even turn the keys over to trusted individuals...even when people don't volitionally give people access to their financials, sometimes people gain access to credit card numbers, SSNs, etc., and withdraw, i.e., steal, money without the account owner's knowledge or consent.

Financial exploitation of the elderly is a real thing. The consequences of financial crimes are also real.
People will sometimes commit unthinkable acts in order to avoid the prospect of serious consequences.

I hope LE is doing their due diligence to look at NG's finances and ticking off the boxes to ensure she hasn't been victimized financially as well as whatever else has happened to her.

JMO.

 

[ab01]

Wait. First people were saying the 2 minutes between garage door opening was too long to just get Nancy in the house, and now it wasn’t long enough? I give up.

way too much being made about the garage door opening imo.

I believe the only reason it was shared was to prove that they know she made it home from AG house.

When this is solved i’ll be surprised if it has much if any significance at all.

 

[ttjo]

Do we have any proof that a note was NOT left at the home night of abduction?

To me the proof is that it went to TMZ, assuming since they are the ones that broke that story I dont think L/e would send it to them .

 

[dogmom805]

I have a speculative answer not based on any fact whatsoever. My husband's parents once loaned their car to my neice (their granddaughter) for a couple weeks. Then they took an Uber to my SILs house to go pick up the car and drive it back home later that night.

Maybe the perp was hiding in her car, in the garage from an earlier time?

 

[Nikynoo]

You are right. KOLD got it at 5PM on Monday. Media didn't report it until the 4th. "The first ransom note in the case of missing Nancy Guthrie was received by the Tucson television station KOLD News 13 at approximately 5:00 p.m. on Monday, February 2, 2026. "

So is it possible that because it was sent after the news of NG going missing but the headlines (24 hours later?) that the ransom request is a hoax? Surely if it was a genuine kidnap ransom the request/email would have been more or less immediate?

 

[Moonchime]

My inquiring mind wants to know, if the kidnappers can send a note to the local news station, why can't they also send a generic photo of NG to show proof of life? What would be so hard about that?? I mean, they can print it off and send it along with however they are sending the note or email.

JMO.

If there truly is a kidnapper, I can think of only two reasons they might refuse to provide proof of life. Either NG is no longer alive, or she is being held in a location the kidnapper no longer has immediate access to, such as a climate-controlled storage unit. In that scenario, the kidnapper may already be out of the area and planning to reveal NG’s location only after receiving the Bitcoin.

 

[Warwick7]

Evening news Tucson anchor.
Residents in Nancy Guthrie's neighborhood received this letter yesterday.

https://twitter.com/x/status/2019907474103693377

 

[Sadi]

DBM

 

[SUNchips]

I am not very informed in bitcoin either, can they identify a wallet and if there was an activity on it and from where? Maybe they are looking at the cameras outside of that gas station, looks like the atm is not inside the gas but 120 ft away? Based on this map below. The highlight on the chevron camera looks like they were looking outside

That map is of Chevron though, not circle K

 

[Starkville]

And... (speculating that NG's car might have been captured outside of NG's property) if NG drove her car home, opening her garage at 9:48 pm to drive her car in, why did she uber to dinner? Why was her car not available at 5 pm? And if NG drove her car, why did the police say family dropped her off?

The unanswered question -- was NG's car driven at any point that day/night? It's a fair question because LE seized it.

JMO

If there was front-end damage to the car, IMO it’s possible that Nancy had had a fender-bender and was spooked about driving. And of course, I don’t see anything weird about SIL driving her home at night. Many older people don’t drive at night. MOO

 

[Moonchime]

Oh gosh, they even taught us about watching out for white vans without windows in the 80’s… to this day i’m still weary!

I am too. If I see a windowless white van in a parking lot, you can bet I'm not parking anywhere near it.

 

[dogmom805]

I have a speculative answer not based on any fact whatsoever. My husband's parents once loaned their car to my neice (their granddaughter) for a couple weeks. Then they took an Uber to my SILs house to go pick up the car and drive it back home later that night.

I wouldn't think LE would have said family brought her home, though, if NG actually drove her car home. Unless someone is not being truthful. Perhaps she drove home herself and the family followed her, making she made it in the garage?

 

[Simply Southern]

I'm curious about any thoughts about the timing of this crime? Feb 1st feels very intentional.

I've done some looking into Feb 1st such as the obvious holidays, but can't seem to find anything of importance. The date being the 1st of Feb may have nothing to do with anything, but it's been bothering me.

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