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

[Vegasgrl]

Because it wouldn’t just be one person who knows. Ransom payments involve multiple actors and create trails. And once a perpetrator believes a powerful third party is involved, it changes their behaviour, usually by escalating demands. That’s why this scenario doesn’t work in real life.

It's untraceable (if you want it to be). LE, three news organizations, and the family all have the Bitcoin account number for the transfer. BTW, I think SG started to prepare for a possible payment days ago. She can afford to pay.

 

[Sundog]

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.

I would think that there would be another copy of a newly revised will or trust, either with another family member and with an attorney.

 

[dogmom805]

On the contrary, I think the brother being a military guy, presents in a non-emotional way. Not to say he does not feel deep suffering. Surely all are short on sleep and in shock. Probably also was following a script given by LE or attorneys.

I also can't imagine how strange it would feel speaking into a camera thinking it may be someone who actually abducted and harmed and possibly killed your mother, vs in reality actually speaking to someone who faked a ransom note and is trying to cash in and feeding off the attention, and not knowing which it is. Chilling and so sad.

 

[KrisCo16]

Well now that is interesting. Why specifically next Thursday?

I heard this morning there wouldn’t be another unless something big happened? MOO.

 

[keek]

I have the opposite opinion.

IMO, can they really speak “man to man” when they’re not on an equal footing? At the moment all the power is in the hands of whomever took Nancy.

What you see as lukewarm, I see as tightly controlled rage, knowing his mother’s life is up to the kidnapper right now.

He’s career military but he’s a jet fighter pilot, not National Guard. I presume he is accustomed to being in control in dangerous situations, and to keep emotion in check so you can do your highly skilled job.

But right now, he is forced to “play nice” in order to have a mother again.

JMO

Tightly controlled rage all the way.

 

[Cassie P]

If there was no blood located inside. There is a good chance she never made it inside, and then it was made to look like a disturbance had happened inside.

There has been NO confirmation from the police if her medication was left at the home

The police are keeping this very close to their chest, understandable.

But I think they are moving very quickly with this, and the video footage from the gas station, any video clips from her home, and other streets, could be the final evidence they need

I think this was premeditated, and the person/persons are well-connected to her

I am still waiting, like others, for the Police to talk to the media and get more facts

I wonder the same. Did NG ever make it back to her home? Could it have been staged afterwards to make it look like she was taken from her home. When it fact she was not.

 

[dogmom805]

If anyone payed any kind of ransom they should never ever make this public because it opens up the road to so many other crazies thinking they can get rich quick through abduction.

Truth.

 

[shonyakay]

There's a lot of talk going around, but it's always best to hear from a law enforcement officer's mouth. Get to the facts

I get that but this Sheriff has been wishy washy.

 

[Napoli]

I have the opposite opinion.

IMO, can they really speak “man to man” when they’re not on an equal footing? At the moment all the power is in the hands of whomever took Nancy.

What you see as lukewarm, I see as tightly controlled rage, knowing his mother’s life is up to the kidnapper right now.

He’s career military but he’s a jet fighter pilot, not National Guard. I presume he is accustomed to being in control in dangerous situations, and to keep emotion in check so you can do your highly skilled job.

But right now, he is forced to “play nice” in order to have a mother again.

JMO

He was in the air national guard as a fighter pilot. Retired as a Colonel. Please recheck your sources.

 

[thefragile7393]

I thought the plea by her son yesterday was luke warm at best. I would have expected a former military guy, career National Guard is what has been said, would have spoken more man to man..

? I would expect him to be exactly as he presented himself.

 

[Ghostwheel]

To me between the two homes means they are tracing the activity of the comings and goings the best they can based on what they've been told happened last weekend.

Jumping off this post, it seems to me they might be looking for vehicles following the Uber leaving of Nancy and/or the family return of Nancy that night. If this was premeditated, maybe the same vehicle following both ways.

 

[missy1974]

It's untraceable. LE, three news organizations, and the family all have the Bitcoin account number for the transfer. BTW, I think SG started to prepare for a possible payment days ago. She can afford to pay.

This is the part that makes me feel for the family.

I think any of us that have lost a parent... think... if you had the means and opportunity, how much would you pay for a chance to see and talk and touch them again?

I can't even put a dollar figure on it.

I would have hit send already I'm sure.

 

[Wsimm]

Just because the daughter has money...i just dont think why ANYONE should think it is her responsibility to pay it. Plus, I am confident it isn't all sitting in a bank account somewhere. Stocks, bonds real estate etc. It takes awhile to liquidate assets. ALL OF THIS is a family matter. Whatever person has a will, trust, 40 million etc is family business. This is a CRIME. NO ONE ALONE should have to shoulder this, regardless of his/her worth. I predict an exotic twist to all of it. Some terrorist group, some political fringe, something along that line. This kidnaping is a statement, not really a ransom situation. JMO.

I’m also along the lines of “exotic twist”. This whole situation it utterly crazy!

 

[mikeshanty]

It's untraceable. LE, three news organizations, and the family all have the Bitcoin account number for the transfer. BTW, I think SG started to prepare for a possible payment days ago. She can afford to pay.

In my humble opinion, “untraceable” is being overstated here. You are right that Bitcoin can obscure identity at the surface level, but real-world ransom payments still involve intermediaries and behavioural signals that can and do lead to identification. Bitcoin isn’t truly anonymous; it’s pseudonymous. Identifies aren’t visible on-chain, but wallets can often be linked to real people over time through behavioural patterns, exchange touchpoints, metadata, and post-event analysis. This is why law enforcement frequently identifies parties later, even if not immediately.

 

[shonyakay]

I just feel so sad for Nancy. Whatever has happened.

 

[thefragile7393]

thank you! i found it. That was quite the rabbit hole to go down, that man is deeply upwell I ended up on his youtube page lol. If it ends up having anything to do with that Lisa Frank factory I think you found the guy lol

oh Lisa Frank....that's a whole other ball of wax....

 

[Bethan]

In response to the blueprint suggestion by @Bluewing3102…….Good idea!

Check the septic tank!!

 

[DizzyB]

Maybe Sheriff Nanos wasn't incompetent after all. Maybe witnesses were changing their stories.

He did not instill confidence. I felt he talked too much and put his own personal spin on things. He gave too many interviews, which I don’t think helped. When he said that he had no idea that the family recorded and aired a plea to the kidnapers until his wife showed him on Facebook, well… I would have preferred no comment. It made me feel that he was not in the loop, and therefore, should not be doing interviews.

 

[watson1]

Couldn't they also be blueprints?

or mine maps, just speculating?

 

[Synergizer Bunny]

It's possible but the county records show they bought their previous home in 2010 for only $140k. Then sold it 15 years later, last year in June for $379k. They then put down nearly $300k as a downpayment on their current home that they paid $650k. They obviously didn't need financial help and the only names on the title of the homes are their own.

$650k home purchased in Mar 2025. $140k home sold in Jun 2025. I don't know what they owed to their mortgage company to close out that loan. Plus, there are realtor and closing costs. If nothing else, they needed this $300k in the bank well before they closed in March. They had to get it from some place. Maybe, they saved that money. Maybe, they borrowed it from the NG with the promise to pay her back as soon as their house sold.

I do know that when we loaned our son a substantial amount of money to purchase his home, we had to sign a document stating that the money was a "gift" to him. The mortgage company wanted to make sure that there was not another major loan debt that had to be paid.

If NG lent them this amount of money, she surely would have had to do the same. Of course, some family members will honor their debts. Others stall and pay partial or won't pay at all. Who knows?

Just throwing that out there for consideration.

JMO.