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

[nhmemorymaker]

Yes, funerals are often called celebrations of life

I would suggest that Celebrations of Life are highly differentiated from funerals....
And I believe they are becoming more and more a replacement for funerals.

 

[mikeshanty]

i got the impression is "celebrate her life" ie memorial service. I thought it was just me but I think many here got that same message.

Where would a body even be deposited in this kind of scenario? It would have to be somewhere extremely remote and undetectable by cameras and to allow enough time for a getaway. It is truly unthinkable that someone's body could be dumped somewhere remote for LE to collect. My heart breaks for this family.

 

[RatFace]

I'm wondering if mom is having some health issues now due to not having her meds. Maybe the message was you better pay up quickly, mom's not doing so well. Maybe perp said something to the effect that since they haven't paid yet, mom must not be valuable to them or something along those lines. IDk--this is the strangest case I've ever followed.

Sadly I think she passed, probably due to health issues and the whole ordeal. That's why SG said "we understand". The celebration would be a celebration of her life, a common thing ppl do after death.

 

[katydid23]

I believe she did have a walker, correct me if I'm wrong.

I believe she had one but did not have to use it all of the time. Maybe took it when it was a long event, like an airport or museum or something? So she could last longer?

 

[PipeyRella]

I put the transcript of the latest SG video in to ChatGPT to get an analysis of it from the viewpoint of an investigator and here is what it said, very interesting:

"Every line feels carefully chosen.

The opening — “We received your message, and we understand” — stands out immediately. Saying “we understand” goes beyond acknowledging contact. It suggests they’re not judging, not challenging, not escalating. It’s a de-escalation move. In hostage or ransom situations, that kind of language is often used to keep the other person calm and engaged, not defensive.

The next part — “We beg you now to return our mother to us so we can celebrate with her” — is interesting for what it avoids. They don’t use words like “victim,” “crime,” or “wrong.” They don’t say “alive” or “safe,” which could backfire if the situation is worse than hoped. Instead, they frame it around family and a positive future moment. It subtly assumes she’s alive without forcing the issue.

“This is the only way we will have peace” is also notable. It doesn’t threaten consequences or mention law enforcement. It frames compliance as emotional closure rather than risk, which may lower the perpetrator’s fear of what happens next.

Finally, “This is very valuable to us and we will pay.” That sentence is doing a lot of work. It clearly signals compliance without turning their mother into a price tag or negotiating publicly. No timelines, no demands — just reassurance.

What really stands out overall is what isn’t there: no anger, no moralizing, no pressure, no ultimatums. That restraint feels intentional. The message reads less like a raw emotional plea and more like something designed to stabilize a volatile situation and keep the person on the other end from panicking or escalating.

Whether or not law enforcement helped shape it, this doesn’t feel spontaneous. It feels strategic — focused on keeping communication open and the situation from getting worse."

 

[whitelilac]

But "celebrate with us"? Idk, i'm not American so i'm not familiar with using celebration in combination with a deceased family member. Is this something common in US?

"A celebration of life" is a standard event among most Christian families.
It so happens I recently attended such for a friend who lost her husband last year.
And she said in fact during the beginning of it..."Come celebrate with us"

 

[Normancita]

How much bitcoin is the kidnapper demanding?

 

[Sakura2Sophia4Lucia]

One other interesting thing is that the Sheriff stated that there wouldn't be any more press conferences until next Thursday.

What might lead the Sheriff to say there won't be any press conferences between today, Sat, and next Thursday? Curious about his confidence in that statement.

 

[DS2021]

One other interesting thing is that the Sheriff stated that there wouldn't be any more press conferences until next Thursday.

When was this said?

 

[khaki]

I wonder if posting these messages on Instagram was a strategic decision by LE/FBI because this platform may be easier for them to surveil from a forensic crime perspective?

 

[KBlackRabbit]

Funeral, memorial, wake, and celebration of life are all basically the same thing, a ritual to mark someone’s death. A celebration of life often emphasizes the life they lived rather than the fact they are gone.

 

[shadowsc]

One other interesting thing is that the Sheriff stated that there wouldn't be any more press conferences until next Thursday.

Is this new, or is from earlier in the week when the Sheriff said he wouldn't be speaking again until this (past) Thursday?

Is this normal in ransom cases? Is anything normal in this case? Ah! I need the history of ransoms. This one just. Feels Off

No, definitely not normal. All the former FBI guys making rounds on media are saying kidnappers who ask for ransom go through backchannels to reach the family, and they have never seen a case like this or using major media.

I actually don't take this video to mean that whoever this is told the family that Nancy is deceased. Like.... the first "deadline" was only that the demand or price would increase. The second deadline for Monday was the one of serious consequence. Why if the kidnapper wants his money is he going to suddenly be honest and a good citizen and be all, "well actually she's deceased but if you pay me, I'll return her." They could just stay ambiguous, you know the family was already going to pay with or without proof.

I don't think the "celebrate" necessarily means a "celebration of life service." It could have just been something like the ransom note writer said, "Your mother wants to celebrate that you agreed to do x" or whatever.

I have no idea. I don't think it's the sister's husband. The siblings are all holding hands and look united.

Any idea what's on the brother's hat? He has worn that hat in all the videos.

 

[dogmom805]

Here is what is mind-boggling. How the heck does a perpetrator have 100% confidence that there aren't internal cameras? Its a fairly large home for an 84 year old lady. A lot of folks i know monitor their older parents, grandparents with an inside camera (sure creepy) in their living room, etc. It would be again, out of character of some mastermind "outsider" to boldly adopt a position that there is no ring subscription, no internal camera, no silent motion sensors that call cops. That is a hell of a lot of assumptions baked in that cake.

It was interesting they told the public they have no video. Zero. That lets the perp think he got away with it, so maybe they let down their guard. Perhaps, they actually do have video and don't want to tip off.

 

[Magic8Ball]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2020280366595281225

At this point, even if we're looking at two separate crimes and this evil creep turns out to be a hacker/hoaxer exploiting a tragic situation for personal gain but not the evil creep guilty of disappearing NG, he should receive just as severe a punishment as if he were.

NGs family has been put through sheer torture in the wake of NG's disappearance with these ransom demands.

The implication of SG's video appears to be that the person who contacted them has insinuated NG is dead.
If this ransom demand stuff proves to be a hoax, doing this to a victim's family is next-level sociopathy.

If it's not a hoax, it's every bit as evil.

This most recent contact may help the FBI to track/trace/apprehend this monster.
A sliver of a silver lining. But something, at least.

JMO.

 

[BreakingNews]

Dbm

 

[RatFace]

Ans the fact that SG said "this is valuable and we will pay" suggests she died. Getting her back alive is obviously valuable but not after death.

 

[Rush4087]

One other interesting thing is that the Sheriff stated that there wouldn't be any more press conferences until next Thursday.

Could you please provide a link for this?

I may have missed it, but the only comment I've heard from the Sheriff about there "not being any more press conferences until Thursday" was made by him this past Tuesday - and the Thursday he was referencing was Thursday, Feb 5 - two days ago

Tia

Jmo

 

[Jge24]

I agree it appears she’s no longer with us but what gets me is why do they say “celebrate WITH her” to me that indicates someone who is still alive. Again, I think they’re responding in some way to something the captor wrote in a message. But the word ‘with’ to me is really not indicating she’s deceased as of this moment. We can try and spin it in any way, but usually you’re not celebrating WITH a dead person, you’re celebrating the dead person.

 

[SlimPickens]

Yes, shifting!! This is hypothetical and crazy BUT...What if the ransom scheme is a secret diversional ploy by LE to flush out the real perp? Like maybe LE thinks it IS a fam member who has done this for financial gain/insurance, etc. and this phony ransom scheme was thrown in to flush them out. Maybe they're (the perp) getting a little twitchy worrying if the sibs use any of NG's money/assets toward paying a fake ransom scheme then there won't be any money left to really collect from her estate after they find her deceased?

Sounds outlandish ofc and this would be door #5 in reality lol but this entire situation is just so anything is possible at this point! Praying NG is still alive and in a hotel/motel room somewhere and they give up her location when they receive the bitcoin!

A diversion or decoy or ruse would seriously compromise prosecuting a case.

JMO.

 

[watson1]

My heart breaks for all of NG's grandchildren, who likely will never feel safe in their own homes ever again, given what happened to their beloved grandmother. Pray for them.