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

[mikeshanty]

My problem with AG is that she does not fit the profile. I know nothing about TC, but AG is understood to be involved in the local poetry, writing, and jewellery scene? We really think this is the profile of someone involved in kidnap, murder, and bitcoin ransom?

 

[aafromaa]

From what I've read so far NG pretty much depended upon the cane or a walker for mobility, is why it concerns me whether it was found in her home, or it went with her..

Also possible she had multiple canes. I do. I can walk short distances without one on my good days so there are times I forget and get in my car without one and then struggle where ever I have gone - so I got one to leave in my car. I have been known to walk out to my gazebo without one and then can’t get back without one so I have another out there. I keep one in my office for the same reason and then I have the one I use most of the time. I also have a walker and a wheelchair that I use on my worst days. And while my family knows I have more than one cane - they don’t really know how many or where I keep them so they wouldn’t necessarily know if one was missing from my home.

 

[outloudthink]

Many pages ago, there was some discussion regarding NG's Will or Trust. It was suggested that one of the deadlines for the ransom payment might have been related to NG possibly amending her Will/Trust between the two deadline dates for payment. DH and I discussed this last night, and both agreed that no attorney would "amend" or "change" the Will or Trust of an 84-year-old woman on demand. An attorney would have sensed immediately that Mrs. Guthrie was under duress and that she was being forced to do something against her will. It isn't easy to alter a long-standing Will or Trust.

I disagree with the last sentence. In the state of Florida, as long statues are satisfied, anyone can amend a trust as quickly as they can type it up.

 

[connie9030]

Hahaha I dont have a key for my own front door because we only use the garage but all of these comments have me feeling like I'm doing something wrong!

I don't have a key for mine either. . Although I wondered earlier if NG did use the front door to enter, someone hiding inside might have hit her upon entry and caused the blood at the door. It's been confirmed the garage door was opened though, I think.

 

[Trino]

Like most of us here at WS, I’ve not been able to stick with one theory in my mind all week about what I think may have happened because so much does not make sense. I’ve been back and forth between it being family or workers or strangers and whether she likely died that night or if there was some hope that she was still alive and paying a ransom had any chance of bringing her back to her family alive.

Then LE went back to AG’s house last night after SG’s heartbreaking message basicallly begging for the return of her mother’s body. They didn’t go over there for a few minutes to tie up some lose ends about something but were there for hours taking pics and possibly collecting some evidence as someone reported one of them came out with a small bag. I can’t in my mind come up with any explanation for those hours LE was in that house last night other than direct involvement of at least one member of that household. Not as one who might have hired someone or provided information to them but as one directly involved in NG’s disappearance and death — I can’t think of anything short of that which would lead LE to be in that house & garage for almost 3 hours after the family received a message that seemingly convinced them that NG was deceased.

So I still think that the people who sent the ransom note were involved - they seemed to have info they wouldn’t have otherwise - but that perhaps NG was already dead when they were recruited to assist in a cover up and the whole kidnapped plot was hatched. Perhaps the family member(s) involved told these thugs their payment for helping would be the ransom money. As many have pointed out it would be hard for anyone in the family to explain a sudden influx of cash if they got part or all of the ransom money. These thugs likely helped dispose of the body & did all of the staging at NG’s house - including the placement of the Apple Watch and destruction of cameras etc - which meant the family involved didn’t have to be there during any of it - could get back home in a reasonable amount of time and establish an alibi. But I don’t think the people who sent the ransom note and 2nd message ever had a living NG.

That’s my current theory anyway - it will likely change again multiple times today and every day until the whole truth comes out.

I keep wondering if the abductor hit NG maybe on her head, not meaning to kill, but maybe she did not recover. That accounts for no proof of life, but the abductors still went through with demands.

 

[Sadi]

Good question. But it was the sheriff's department, not the FBI.

Can anyone explain why the sheriffs department would be there, but not the FBI?

 

[SRWCF]

snipped

He's trained military. I think he has experience keeping emotions in check. He was a fighter pilot over NYC after 9/11, for example. I'd like to hear his story after this resolves, but I'm thinking we never will.

jmo

To me the brother seems stoic, not emotionless. I'm sure when their dad died all those years ago he had to step up and be strong for the family, especially his sisters. Besides, he's a man and men don't just fall apart during a crisis. I would be willing to bet that he's all sorts of torn up inside about this, trying to figure out a way to fix it.

 

[cathathorse]

Wow. I can't imagine how stressful this must be for the family. On top of all the LE / FBI discussions they must be having, also having to work out how to release those kinds of funds from possibly illiquid assets, work with specialists to work out how to wire it.

She is an ultra high net worth individual, therefore she gets special services from her banks. She can take a loan against her other assets. Banks will work around the clock for her. They could have this money liquid in 20 minutes. This part (getting cash to convert to bitcoin) is probably the easiest part of the whole thing for her. It's not like a middle class person who would have to wait for the bank to open, put up collateral and spend days filling out paperwork for a loan. Her business manager or wealth manager can do this in an instant.

 

[JKathryn]

They are making public videos because it's the only way they can communicate with the kidnappers. The family (TC) is NOT, I repeat IS NOT involved, in the kidnapping IMO. Expand your horizons..Someone didnt want SG, perhaps, at the Olympics...the timing is suspect. If they just wanted to rob the mother, that could have been accomplished easily. This is about SG in some twisted form. Not that i think she is involved with the perps, but someone wanted to grab her attention. JMO. Second guess is a grudge something or other against the brother, Cameron and the military. Who's with me? MOO

Additionally, there are countries restricted from Western media but not Instagram.

 

[MCB1151]

Can anyone explain why the sheriffs department would be there, but not the FBI?

FBI can be the lead on an investigation that a SD is still doing legwork on, at the direction/consultation of the FBI

 

[CrimeDawg123]

To me the brother seems stoic, not emotionless. I'm sure when their dad died all those years ago he had to step up and be strong for the family, especially his sisters. Besides, he's a man and men don't just fall apart during a crisis. I would be willing to bet that he's all sorts of torn up inside about this, trying to figure out a way to fix it.

And he's career military fighter pilot. There's no one more stoic than that.

 

[Melisende10]

If Annie and husband were not suspects LE would not be obtaining warrants to search their home. It is my belief they are both involved but hope for the family's sake that it is not the case.

We don't know if they got warrants or if Annie voluntarily agreed to let them search. More than likely they got warrants but I'm just saying there are a lot of unknowns.

 

[serenebee23]

They also haven't been named a POI or suspect. Surely at this point they have looked at their cell phones, their car... there is nothing yet to actually say he or they ARE suspects too.

It's like the ransom note. The FBI must not have anything to say it's NOT real, but just because they can't disprove it, doesn't make it real either, right?

WE just don't know enough yet.

I'd think they wouldn't announce publicly they or he are suspects at any time. They'd just investigate and arrest when ready. They might give SG a courtesy heads up a little bit before, but otherwise they're not going to share publicly that they're POI and probably will keep denying there's any suspicion until the end.

 

[Marzipan]

maybe, and maybe LE have kept alot more to their chest than we thought...

Seriously people, while everyone's opinion is as valid as mine, who really thinks the SIL would do this and think he could get away with it? I mean, he'd have to know he'd be a prime suspect so he'd have to work far harder at a coverup than a third party.

I'm really thinking this looks like a kidnapping for ransom. My money is on cartels but there are plenty of other possibilities.

I know — if the SIL and/or (imagine the “or”!) AG actually cooked up this scheme, I’m going to have to fly out there and give them a konk on the head. (And hope justice prevails but first the needed konk.)

 

[Jiller2013]

If the sil had this idea too do something, don't you think he wouldn't have had her over for dinner, games etc due to it will have LE over to their house looking for clues? Instead you do it quietly. He would of known that the last person to see her would be primary suspect.

 

[K9Enzo]

is it possible they're just using AG & T's house as a base for processing and documenting evidence found at NG's? would that ever happen? if they believe it's a legit ransom from someone who still has NG and they believe them to be in the area, maybe they don't want to go too far?

No. That’s an evidence contamination nightmare. They want to remove the evidence and follow the chain of custody right to the next process. IMO

 

[yurintroubl]

Can anyone explain why the sheriffs department would be there, but not the FBI?

Not sure the validity of this but I've heard it mentioned that if they are investigating a kidnapping - FBI is the lead. If they are investigating a homicide - Police/Sheriff's Dept. is the lead.

In actuality - The local law inforcement is leading the investigation with the FBI offering any resources and assistance local LE needs.

 

[Ms. Blue Belle]

DBM

 

[birdbox]

I'm not forgetting 2 teens were arrested for home invasion demanding $66 million or $60 million in bitcoin. Could it be the same perps? From what I read the names were "red" and "8". Could it be some teens have Nancy and these other 2 are calling the shots? Could it be a typo in the ransom note and it was supposed to read either $66 million or $60 million?

The $6 million seems too conincidential to me. Why not $5 million or $10 million? Why that amount?

Sound like someone did a percent calculation on another person's net worth to come to a number they thought they could afford.

 

[MCB1151]

So is the act of sending a ransom letter over the internet and demanding bitcoin a federal crime? Like without the kidnapping?

I'm way behind so this maybe was addressed but I am fairly certain that falls under the Computer Fraud & Abuse Act & possibly wire fraud, so yeah, federal.

"Maybe this was addressed". My dumb ass replied to this at midnight last night AND added this one. Brain was MUSH. lol