Good evening to all. I have been following the thread since it started and find many interesting points being made. As an older person (who lives with husband and youngest son) we are very safety conscious, and this story is very alarming, but not just because the victim is the mother of a celebrity.
I would just like to offer some thoughts I've been mulling over in the time I've been reading the thread:
1) No one can guarantee 100% that Ms. Guthrie, regardless of her high-profile career, has the ability to disburse the sort of money being demanded as ransom. The family has probably been advised to NOT pay too quickly, but time has become of the essence.
2) Reading too much into body language from any of the siblings is a tricky proposition. Not only are they under duress, but they also are probably dealing with the confusing feelings that stem from thorough searches of one of their homes.
3) It seems that local law enforcement (and I believe it is their jurisdiction and the FBI wouldn't take over the investigation completely, only in an advisory capacity...please feel free to correct me on this point) is far from experienced in this sort of scenario.
4) Perhaps there are several sources demanding ransom money, or claiming to have information. I don't think that a Mexican drug cartel would involve itself in this sort of operation within the US so I would, personally, discount that theory.
5) If there is a family member (or several) involved in perpetrating this crime, the likelihood that there is a much more delicate touch in terms of moving the process forward (for fear of what more could happen to other family members, perhaps?) is called for.
6) While "civilian journalists" (is that what one would call the people who conduct YouTube investigative incursions?) might move the needle forward, and while Ms. Banfield and Ms. Kelly, etc. might discuss the matter based on "sources" they have gathered in their meanderings, all that should be considered speculation and, it would seem to me, disruptive to the process. Go to LE first and THEN publish, is what I would say makes more sense, but I'm just a grandma who reads and observes through the sensibilities of my generation, not this new one.
I apologize if I come across as a terrible fuddy-duddy, but I think a lot of the speculative information is causing more harm than good at this moment. That it's done for "clicks", "ratings", "views" -to me, at least- feels like monetizing the distress these poor people are experiencing.
These are all my personal opinions, and I have absolutely no knowledge of any details. I am sorry if I have said anything silly or worthy of mockery. I'm new here...not in the world, but here...