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

[outloudthink]

Here's a thought...if the SIL pulled up to the front of the home for NG to enter through the front door, the SIL could've opened the garage door without her knowing to meet her at the front door from inside the home. All the while, it appears he is waiting out front to be sure she gets in okay.

If the perp entered the home through the garage and met her at the front door, that explain why NG’s car was towed.

 

[academyrd]

Unfortunately, leaving a body in a remote area at night entails little risk of getting identified or caught. Stop for a few minutes with no cars around, and you're quickly on your way. Email the location after you're well clear.

This kidnapper is likely to choose a remote area even if Nancy is alive. Someone concerned about the well-being of an 84-year-old woman, which they clearly do not, would drop her off somewhere with low-density population but where she'd get help quickly. But that would increases their exposure.

I expect if the ransom-emailers are the kidnappers, they will release her alive or place her body someplace remote. The body language in the video is heartbreaking. The lack of hope. The look of utter defeat. I wish them all strength tonight.

I hate to say it but there will be no return of her alive. That’s just not happening a week plus later. Far too great of a risk for the supposed kidnapper even if she is still somehow alive.

 

[mikeshanty]

Unfortunately, leaving a body in a remote area at night entails little risk of getting identified or caught. Stop for a few minutes with no cars around, and you're quickly on your way. Email the location after you're well clear.

This kidnapper is likely to choose a remote area even if Nancy is alive. Someone concerned about the well-being of an 84-year-old woman, which they clearly do not, would drop her off somewhere with low-density population but where she'd get help quickly. But that would increases their exposure.

I expect if the ransom-emailers are the kidnappers, they will release her alive or place her body someplace remote. The body language in the video is heartbreaking. The lack of hope. The look of utter defeat. I wish them all strength tonight.

I sadly worry that even if NG survived the initial kidnap, going through captivity and then dumped somewhere remote would be too much strain for someone of her age. It's very upsetting.

 

[thefragile7393]

Ok, this might be my wildest speculation to date. You know how on 9/11 the terrorist knew they could not directly engage the US military, so they created this clever way to install fear in Americans by hitting the twin towers and civilain targets as pay back for ongoing presence of US in middle east? OK, hear me out. Lets say this is a payback for Venezuela due to US "kidnapping" their president as well as anger for ongoing ICE raids. There is not scenario where they engage us militarily. But many nations have mercenaries. Let's say they sought a high profile soft target (a media person's family) for launching this payback. It creates complete fear in US. NG could very well be in Mexico right now on property of mercenaries who are united against Venezula and ICE events. But, i honestly think she is deceased.

um...no. IMO

 

[CSIDreamer]

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.

Hm. Maps?

 

[soap mama]

Ok, this might be my wildest speculation to date. You know how on 9/11 the terrorist knew they could not directly engage the US military, so they created this clever way to install fear in Americans by hitting the twin towers and civilain targets as pay back for ongoing presence of US in middle east? OK, hear me out. Let's say this is a payback for Venezuela due to US "kidnapping" their president as well as anger for ongoing ICE raids. There is not scenario where they engage us militarily. But many nations have mercenaries. Let's say they sought a high profile soft target (a media person's family) for launching this payback. It creates complete fear in US. NG could very well be in Mexico right now on property of mercenaries who are united against Venezula and ICE events. But, i honestly think she is deceased.

Or the release of the Epstein files a few days prior. Maybe SG interviews with victims ticked someone off and this is a warning shot

 

[unresolvedmystery]

I understand they didn't leave their address etc

But still find insta to be interesting, as opposed to televised broadcast. But who knows. This whole case is

I know what you mean, have come to believe since the first video they made that while LE may have offered advice, the family are doing this on their own and maybe even against LE advice?

Still cant shake the feeling all of this is much more local then it appears.

 

[su5ie]

I still have the belief that the kidnap for ransom is possibly not the real deal here and you're right, whomever is doing it, if caught, should receive severe punishment.

I sincerely hope there is not two crimes happening here and that the ransom is a scam and Nancy's disappearance is not a separate homicide .

 

[soap mama]

Thank you for always be measured, wise, and to the point. I really appreciate it.
I left for 6 hours, 50 pages to read. I need to see the Instagram video to catch up, from the comments, it sounds very sad.

I gave up trying to read everything two days ago. I'm on a wing and a prayer over here!

 

[KBlackRabbit]

Re: a romance scam.

I don’t think so. They drain their victims dry financially and when they’re tapped out they dump them and move on to the next one. They’re not going to waste money and effort and risk capture by flying to the US to kidnap an old woman. It’s not worth it to them. Romance scammers work in internet sweatshops overseas, each scammer working multiple victims at a time, they’re not flying around to the victims’ homes.

 

[browneyes]

What if…the note writers don’t have her and the family pays? It’s an impossible decision.

 

[Vegasgrl]

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

I'm not criticizing the family's decisions at all. I'm looking for logic. And obviously the messages from the family are not directed toward the public and we don't know the entirety of the messages received. I'm trying to convey that there's no reason to conclude that they are paying ransom for a body. SG does say we will pay, so I think that indicates that they hadn't paid yet.

 

[barth00]

Ok, this might be my wildest speculation to date. You know how on 9/11 the terrorist knew they could not directly engage the US military, so they created this clever way to install fear in Americans by hitting the twin towers and civilain targets as pay back for ongoing presence of US in middle east? OK, hear me out. Lets say this is a payback for Venezuela due to US "kidnapping" their president as well as anger for ongoing ICE raids. There is no scenario where they engage us militarily. But many nations have mercenaries. Let's say they sought a high profile soft target (a media person's family) for launching this payback. It creates complete fear in US. NG could very well be in Mexico right now on property of mercenaries who are united against Venezula and ICE events. But, i honestly think she is deceased.

I do think it might be important that she is the mother of a very well known media figure. This is another out there take but did someone want SG to not be in Italy for the Olympics for some specific reason?

 

[Eloise]

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?

I'm not American or even Christian, but I think its increasingly common to call funerals, memorial services, wakes etc all a 'celebration of life' and trying to keep them less gloomy in tone. ie no wearing black, no sad hymns, etc

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.

yep, this is my experience. Its been years since I've been to a very serious, more traditional funeral. People increasingly don't want them and are requesting private cremations and then a more "fun" memorial service with their favourite music, people wearing colours, speeches that are about fun memories etc. And that includes people very close to NG's age who have planned their own services.

 

[Cassie P]

The words, "this is the only way we'll have peace" say it all at least to me.
She's gone and they want to give her a proper burial.

Yes and other wording sounds like they are negotiating to get the body back. They want a proper burial and closure. They cannot go on like this.

 

[nhmemorymaker]

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.

i getcha... and I think I agree that that is also what Nancy would say............

But i also can understand how important is is for Savannah and her siblings to get her mother's body back for the reverance she deserves.
But these three children are broken righ now, and I dont think they (or SG) cares about the money.

But yes.... the scam might continue.....
I just cannot believe what a can of worms we are opening up to the future...........................

 

[samaor]

"This" is very valuable to us.
This as in laying Nancy to rest, and being able to honor and visit her, bring her flowers, speak to her.

I hope I'm wrong in my interpretation of the words SG said.

My interpretation of "THIS is very valuable to us" is this, as in the act of her being returned.

Edit to clarify: I dont necessarily believe this means she is dead. Simply the act is important, in that context I don't find the wording to be all that bizarre.

 

[Moonchime]

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

"We understand" - I'm still not convinced completely these ransom demanders have NG BUT if they do, I could see this being an acknowledgement that while there may not have been an alleged intent to kill her, she may have passed due to her own medical issues that have now gone unmedicated for a week.

And to play devils advocate - these ransom demanders may just be continuing to exploit a situation they never had control of. It's believable an 84 year old woman could have passed away in the commission of this and whoopsie, we never intended this to happen. They pay, they don't get a body because they've never had NG. The idea that kidnappers would return a body for money just seems...insane. Locard's exchange. The potential for evidence that would absolutely nail them is an awful big risk.

I believe that NG's body is close to her home. The abductor doesn't have her body nearby. MOO

 

[SaraSmile]

there were some things said that make me think they are now paying for their mother's body. Give them the money and they will be given a spot to find her.

As a Christian, a funeral is often called a "celebration of life" and "the only way we will have peace" may mean "closure" - at least they will have their Mother home, properly buried; rather than always being tortured by "where is she". Just my opinions fwiw.

I understand having a burial, funeral, especially because the family and Nancy’s faith. On the other hand, I’m sure they wondered about not paying( if she is in fact dead). I’m sure LE would prefer family not paying ransom. It just encouraged more bad behavior. Maybe even enables the kidnappers to get away, not get arrested, live off all that money, in another country.
I don’t want to be harsh, I know, very sensitive matter. God bless the Guthrie family as they decide next steps.

 

[mikeshanty]

Ok, this might be my wildest speculation to date. You know how on 9/11 the terrorist knew they could not directly engage the US military, so they created this clever way to install fear in Americans by hitting the twin towers and civilain targets as pay back for ongoing presence of US in middle east? OK, hear me out. Lets say this is a payback for Venezuela due to US "kidnapping" their president as well as anger for ongoing ICE raids. There is no scenario where they engage us militarily. But many nations have mercenaries. Let's say they sought a high profile soft target (a media person's family) for launching this payback. It creates complete fear in US. NG could very well be in Mexico right now on property of mercenaries who are united against Venezula and ICE events. But, i honestly think she is deceased and I don't believe this theory. Just wanted to type it in here.

I see where you are going with this argument, but the target makes no sense. States or state-adjacent actors choose targets that advance a political objective (symbolic sites, officials, infrastructure, or mass-casualty events). The mother of a morning show anchor has no strategic value, sends no coherent message, and doesn’t map onto ICE, Venezuela, or U.S. foreign policy in any intelligible way.