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

[Luna20]

My make-believe detective self would love for the siblings video to be a massive decoy that was just made as a distraction while the FBI gets what they need to make an arrest. I can see them disclosing the decoy just to SG. Rambling thoughts…

At the 2nd presser LE firmly said that no one in the family was a suspect. The next day a journalist asked him about TC, he said that they were looking at everyone.

Shifting statements.

 

[missy1974]

Yes -- you are so on the money. I covered both of those cases and sadly, I went to see McStay in jail with McStay's daughter, a sweet young woman who was SO DESPERATE to prove that her father was innocent. McStay lead me down a lot of rabbit holes. Another mess... But still, not as crazy as what happened to JBR and what's going on now with Nancy.

I think you mean Charles Merritt I followed the McStay case from day 1... I still think of them often.

 

[Cardgame]

The family member didnt take nancy home in her own car. She went to her daughter's via uber. Reportedly, she was driven back home after dinner by "family". They impounded Nancy's Subaru from her garage.

Although if the family member did take Nancy home in her car it might make sense.

Nancy has car accident near daughters house, car damaged.

Nancy doesn't feel able to drive any more. Leaves car at daughters house.

Nancy gets lift home.

[All before night of kidnapping]

Night of mahjong, no car so gets Uber.

Family drives Nancy home in own car.

Maybe?

 

[birdbox]

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.

Literally this could be a national security issue if this crap gets out of hand. Imagine terrorists orgs, China, Russia watching right now. They are already plotting who to kidnap.

 

[Christineeliz88]

I had that thought too. That they now know she is dead and they want to simply bring her home. But the "celebrate with her" seemed to suggest she is still alive. So I concluded the family have received a threat to NG's life and are now resigned to paying whatever amount is being demanded. But then the "this is very valuable to us" is a very odd thing to say about a live person being returned

I took “celebrate with her” to be a celebration of life and to bring her home.
All around awful and eery.
MOO.

 

[Chainspell]

Wow. Some of the wording feels intentional, probably to send a specific message to the person who wrote the ransom note? Been taking it apart to see if there were any media connections but not seeing any, but getting the Silence of the Lambs vibes again (no direct quotes though, from what I can tell).

So eerie. JMO.

 

[dogmom805]

I noticed 3 or 4 lines that seemed coded or responses or script lines the perp wanted to hear.

which?

 

[Stunned]

She will never be the same.

None of them will. IMO

 

[Fromeaster]

My mind refuses to accept it, I still don't believe it.

 

[EJB123456]

I was struck by the “this is very valuable to us”. Does that mean anything else on the surface? Seemed odd.

Wow. They will pay. This is crazy.

I know what it said to me

 

[Aphrodite Jones]

Oh my lord that is insane! Is unbelievable what some people are capable of.

I'm proud of you for putting this behind you. If you let it fester, it can harm your health and destroy your happiness. This is what I try to tell victims: by continuing to dwell on the tragedy, you are continuing your own pain. For your own sake, I hope you really have put this behind you. Money is the root of all evil, but karma is a .

 

[amelia65452]

I'm thinking "we've received your message and we understand" possibly points to them receiving proof of life (or in this case, proof of a body). Without it, the video makes absolute no sense.

 

[priyaya]

Does this mean the ransom notes are legit?

no telling until we get proof of life

 

[Aquabot13]

This video is interesting to me. If the message is just that they will pay, why wouldn't they pay ASAP and not release the video? Or do a video after to say that they've paid?

I get the impression that the kidnapper is requesting these videos and maybe even who appears in them/what they say. I know we thought that was true of the last one, but this one specifically strikes me as odd.

Did the kidnapper mention something about celebrating? Feb 16th is President's Day - if this ends up being politically motivated, maybe that plays into things?

MOO.

 

[Zeta74]

Huge mistake to pay. This will just lead to more moving targets and demands.

 

[Vaderman]

This was a gut punch. My immediate thought- they will pay for her body. They want her home regardless. IMO

Yeah, definitely sounds like a plea for a body. "Celebrate" as in "celebrate her life", "only way we will have peace".

 

[thefragile7393]

Just when I think things are headed in a different direction this gets posted and we’re back to a kidnapping. I’m entirely kerfluffled.

I can't even anymore. Oy vey.

 

[SeattleStew]

"We received your message, and we understand. We beg you now to return our mother to us so we can celebrate with her. This is the only way we will have peace. She is very valuable to us, and we will pay."

What I heard Savannah say on this most recent message.

 

[Charlot123]

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.

As the daughter said, there is AI and many ways to create an image. The family, too, needs some solid guarantees. Right?
Maybe it is some scammer sitting far away and having no contact with their mother?

 

[mikeshanty]

My make-believe detective self would love for the siblings video to be a massive decoy that was just made as a distraction while the FBI gets what they need to make an arrest. I can see them disclosing the decoy just to SG. Rambling thoughts…

At the 2nd presser LE firmly said that no one in the family was a suspect. The next day a journalist asked him about TC, he said that they were looking at everyone.

Shifting statements.

I posted something similar along these lines yesterday. That LE may have been giving asymmetric information to different family members. But then logically, I do not believe federal LE would operate this way - it breaches all sorts of ethics and puts SG in an impossible position.