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

[toucan1234]

I'm not understanding the decision not to pay by the Thursday deadline when you believe there's a chance of your Mom being alive, but now they are will pay knowing she is not alive? I don't get that. I don't believe the last note told them she died. It doesn't make sense to tell them before the second deadline Monday.

To be fair…we don’t necessarily know that they didn’t pay by then.

 

[shadowsc]

I feel like the message is very coded. Most of the FBI profilers on tv say that the main motives for a kidnapping are:
1. Money
2. Revenge
3. Control/Compliance

What if the motive isn't truly money, but for SG to agree to do or not do something? Is that too out there movie thinking? (I'm thinking of that tv show Designated Survivor when the bad guys kidnap the FBI guy's kid). Probably a stretch, but the line, "This is the only way we will have peace" and "This is very valuable to us" struck me as compliance, that they are indicating they will comply with an undesirable demand.

I have no idea. They just all look so sad. I just have a hard time believing the kidnapper suddenly decided to come clean and tell them their mother is no longer here before the kidnapper collected their payout.

It does appear they may have gotten another message that was not sent to a news station. The news anchor who reported on receiving the second note had said no proof of life and sensitive information, but absolutely did not indicate in any way that the note said that NG was deceased.

 

[Cardgame]

I see defiance in Savannah's eyes and expression.

"We will pay."

My hope is that she is buying time for investigators.

How can Monday be a deadline if Nancy has died?

What will they do?

Not tell where she is after Monday?

If the message said Nancy has died then I feel like perps have lost their bargaining power. Are they going to "reveal the location of her body" one they receive payment? Is that now the offer?

Well, sorry but that's not how a kidnapping works. If there's a body then LE will find it. And if they don't, yes, it would be terrible for the family not to have her body, but it would be much more terrible to have paid millions of dollars to someone who still didn't reveal it.

I feel Nancy wouldn't want them to pay. Especially if she had died.

If this was my mother, I know she would be saying : DONT YOU DARE.

Sorry I'm feeling emotional. And angry. And I do not want them to pay no matter what. They are being scammed. If the note says NG is dead then these are not the kidnappers and they never were.

 

[CSIDreamer]

And I note SG is wearing black. Maybe a necklace from NG.

They're all wearing black aren't they?

 

[serenebee23]

was talking about executor of the estate.....as for trustees who knows.

An executor is only for a will. They're the person named in the will to carry out the terms of the will, distribute things to heirs. If there's a trust, a trustee manages it. There would not be an executor. An "estate" is just the term for all of a person's property and assets owned.

 

[diggndeeperstill]

Remember Cameron's demeanor in the video before this and the family one. The first family one was controlled rage and I will get you. His spirit at this awful new family video is broken. The sisters are the same as they were, as different emotional responses in the videos than their brother's. Both sisters are drained and especially SG has had no sleep at all she appears. If all is confirmed by FBI as well and family has had their meeting with them, of course they have for this video, but there will shortly have to be an official announcement. I dream that it would be once they have their mother's remains back. The kidnapper/s want this now to all go away. SO evil to still, it sounds like, they want their money for Nancy to return to her children, deceased even. They will be caught. IMO FBI and even family need to play this SO EVER carefully as they are it appears, to get these monsters or monster to justice and of course, mother back. It's not over. IMO

Agree on CG, but SG was much more matter of fact. Less emotional in words. Negotiating .

 

[unresolvedmystery]

The new video sounded so short and stunted, not really sure what to make of it when compared to the earlier appeal, makes you wonder what exactly was said or done to offer proof the ransom demand was legitimate?

Perhaps this is just an attempt to get one more communication off the perpetrator so that they can be traced?

 

[Moonsie]

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.

They are saying they want to celebrate “with” her, as opposed to having a celebration where her body is still missing and has not been returned.

moo.

 

[Ghostwheel]

The usage of "this" is...unsettling to me. "This is important to us." "This is the only way we will have peace"
Rsbm

This part, right here. Not "she" but "this". That reads like a response to something specific. As does "celebrate with her". A specific response to something.

 

[nhmemorymaker]

Yeah i know for example in the carribbean they party carrying a coffin and that's what the word celebration means to me, some kind of party.
However, over here a funeral is not a type of "party" but a very sad and emotional occasion so that's why i cannot relate the word celebration with a funeral that well.
Thank you for clarifying

i believe your interpretation is the right one.
They are different events.
A Celebration of Life is usually down the road, not very close to the person's death. The event is meant to be more spiritually "lifting" the person who had died to the afterlife through love compassion memories and jovial comraderie.

 

[CSIDreamer]

Is anyone wondering if another note came from the kidnapper today? Everyone has went radio silent.

 

[Auntie Cipation]

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.

Just a week ago I attended a funeral for a highly religious person, and the pastor and commenters were repeatedly talking about celebrating that she was now in Heaven, no longer suffering, etc. The only comments about sadness were aimed at those of us who will miss having her here.

I do assume that both the wording of this latest statement, as well as any payment that is made, has been done with the advice of the FBI. Whatever is the bitcoin version of tracked serial numbers or dye packs in money bags will have been employed.

And I also assume that the supposed kidnappers will have instructed the family on what communication method to use to reply. It certainly is less risky for the perps to have the reply come via publicly visible social media, rather than email or phones which can be traced.

MOO

 

[outloudthink]

why....would she?

Perhaps she is no longer wearing her wedding ring.

 

[Izzylizzy]

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

A celebration of ones life focuses on sharing happy memories, it's up-lifting , many have slide shows of beautiful times past, music the person loved etc.

Memorial services are somber, formal and and are more ritualistic focusing on mourning.
imo

 

[KBlackRabbit]

I'm not understanding the decision not to pay by the Thursday deadline when you believe there's a chance of your Mom being alive, but now they are will pay knowing she is not alive? I don't get that. I don't believe the last note told them she died. It doesn't make sense to tell them before the second deadline Monday.

A dead body is still leverage, families will want their loved ones returned if they are gone. Ted Bundy tried to make a deal to reveal the locations of his victims in exchange for a delay of his execution; IIRC it worked once or twice until ultimately it didn’t.

If she’s dead it’s possible if they don’t pay they don’t get the body back in “good condition” or at all.

 

[boredetective]

This might be a wild and unlikely theory, but what if police know the ransom letter is fake, and advised Savannah to make the video saying they will pay, so it angers the person who actually took her (angry that they aren't getting the money) prompting them to send in a tip that the ransom is fake (or make their own request)

 

[SlimPickens]

"We understand" what you'll do to her if you don't get your money, is far more likely than "we understand" that you've already murdered her and we will still pay you for her body back.

Kidnappers don't respect the rights of others. Sociopaths, the lot of them. They don't care if NG died in their care. They don't care if SG and family are suffering. They certainly aren't considerate enough to notify them that she passed away.

They care about getting paid. That's it.

JMO.

 

[shadowsc]

I am of the firm belief after watching that video that if in fact the ransom notes are from those who have NG that she is deceased and the note yesterday informed the kids of that. I’m now thinking that’s what the “very sensitive information” was that the lady from the news station said was in the note yesterday. I think they broke their no more communication rule to inform the family that they can’t in fact provide proof of life like they requested but they still want the money anyway for her return. So sad.

I rewatched the anchorwoman who got the second note yesterday and from her tone and demeanor, I don't think the note said that Nancy was deceased.

https://twitter.com/x/status/2019954906225127539

 

[Vaderman]

Is anyone wondering if another note came from the kidnapper today? Everyone has went radio silent.

Yes, I'm confused if the latest video is referencing the letter that came in yesterday or yet another one that has come in since that one.

 

[Chainspell]

Is anyone wondering if another note came from the kidnapper today? Everyone has went radio silent.

My guess is because they got media attention from the first one (of round two), then they didn't feel it was necessary to send to TMZ/the other local outlet. JMO.