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

[Sadi]

The outside metal door opens outward.Nancy sees someone she recognizes and opens the metal door outwards,maybe stepping down into the mat.The blood droplets are beside the mat.I think she was then taken back inside,killed and taken out the back door to be buried somewhere.I’m thinking strangulation if AG and TC didn’t see a lot of biological evidence.

This door looks like it would be heavy and APITA to unlock.

 

[txsleuth70]

And K-9’s. I know they were out at first, but I’m surprised they’re not back.

Hope this isn't the case, but maybe they signaled cadaver and there's no need for them to be brought back? The opposite possibility is they didn't pick up anything.

 

[MerlinFalcon]

Regarding the blood on the porch. It was her birthday weekend. Someone could have sent flowers and when she went to get them she could have cut her hand or whatever body part, picked them up and went back in. That could have happened that morning or afternoon. The day before. Who knows. The fact that it was pretty isolated is puzzling.

I’m wondering if the big clue is with the phone call from a church goer to, presumably, AG. When did it come in? Is there a record of a phone call to Nancy’s phone from her kid(s). What time did they call? When did they go over? There has to be a reason why police totally took that out of the timeline. They initially said there was an hour between arrival time at Nancy’s house and the 911 call.

Did Nancy tell them she wouldn’t be going to church the next day because of the prior night’s dinner? If so (we probably will never know), did AG show little concern and just assumed Nancy slept in?

Sooooo much to contemplate!

 

[MCB1151]

Well, good morning Sleuthers.

Only 39 pages to catch up on I'm guessing nothing "major" occurred overnight

 

[Frig]

If that is the case, where does it fit in the timeline?

We know the blood is NG's. When would she have walked INTO the house with an injury?

I'm willing to think this out, while we wait.

jmo

In My Opinion: She was driven home; for whatever reason she was already bleeding or started to bleed leaving the vehicle, innocently or not.

 

[tkcrockett]

The outside metal door opens outward.Nancy sees someone she recognizes and opens the metal door outwards,maybe stepping down into the mat.The blood droplets are beside the mat.I think she was then taken back inside,killed and taken out the back door to be buried somewhere.I’m thinking strangulation if AG and TC didn’t see a lot of biological evid

The outside metal door opens outward.Nancy sees someone she recognizes and opens the metal door outwards,maybe stepping down into the mat.The blood droplets are beside the mat.I think she was then taken back inside,killed and taken out the back door to be buried somewhere.I’m thinking strangulation if AG and TC didn’t see a lot of biological evidence.

i can almost see this. I just got up and walked to my front door to try it. Doorbell rings. She sees someone she knows at the door. She opens house door. Mine goes inward as does hers. Opens metal door. Mine goes outward as does hers. I step outside near or onto the mat to let the person in. Something happens to cause blood. If she planned to let the person in and steps out of the way to do that, isn't the blood on the wrong side of the mat? Granted, I am making an assumption that she intended to let them in. Otherwise, why step outside at all? Maybe she stepped outside...in the dark of night, in her nightclothes (taken from her bed in first sherif statement) to chat? I am stumped but I think your way is as close as I can get

 

[SRWCF]

Please prove that this is the cartel.
Are they sending out text messages? Are they on SM?

If they want attention, they can go on SM and broadcast this. They will get even more attention.

It's a theory - and not mine. I was simply agreeing with the OP that it was definitely a possibility.

 

[IceIce9]

I don't think this is unusual. Her home is one-level and she's lived there for 50 years. People like to age in place and not be moved into what they perceive as the last stop before the train reaches the station. My mom is still in the home where I grew up. It's much too large for one person, but she's happy there and we're not going to push her to move unless medically necessary. Her daughter is 10 minutes away.

My grandma lived in the home where she had lived for her nearly her entire life until she was almost 90. My grandpa had died 30 years earlier so she lived alone but several relatives lived nearby and we stopped in daily to check on her. I picked her up to take her to get groceries and to go out for lunch or dinner several times a week. She didn’t want to leave her home and she was very independent. She felt well and didn’t have any memory loss or other issues.

A few months before she turned 90 my two uncles (her sons) decided that she shouldn’t live alone and moved her in with one of them. She immediately became disoriented, lost her appetite, began declining and died just a few months later.

She had been so happy in her own home, and I often think about how many more years she would have had if she had been allowed to stay in her home.

 

[rosesfromangels]

Why would she answer the door in the middle of the night though? Did she hear something? Doorbell ringing and she saw someone she knew? I’m trying to look at the possible situations.

I thought she had a hearing aide that suggests she might not have heard a bell. My amateur guess is that she was attacked in her bed.

Amateur opinion and speculation only

 

[K.jill]

If Nancy was was injured or killed by a family member do you think it was preplanned to the extent that cameras were disabled before entering the house?

 

[Sadi]

I still don't believe the ransom notes are from the abductor. I was watching this case from the very beginning. There was no ransom note yet. ALL of the media people were saying "there's no way she could have wandered away. This must be a kidnapping of some sort." I think some people got into their head they could make money off of this and send in fake ransom notes and I imagine there have been multiple ransom notes. We already know one faker was arrested in California. It really seems the sheriff has been focused on kidnapping ever since the beginning, but I worry he relied on that theory too much. No cadaver dogs have been on the scene. It took them FOUR tries to find another camera on the roof. The sheriff's department put up and took down crime tape four times; should have kept it up continuously until they knew what actually happened and what they were looking for. I still think someone does not kidnap a 84 year old, physically fragile woman. IF this was done by kidnappers and were going to release her, they would have been sure she had her meds, had her cane, etc. Sometimes the answer is just the easiest one: family member. I don't think family member has made any ransom notes. And just because a ransomer "might" have some info only one who was in the house knew, well there have been dozens of people going in and out of her house since this happened. And all of the photographs might be downloaded somewhere and in offices where there are even more people looking at everything. Plus there are photos on Facebook of Nancy and possibly in her own home, so many ransomer saw something, like a picture on a wall in the background and pretended they saw it when they "kidnapped" her.

1000% in agreement with you. The two crimes are not related and someone is taking full advantage of the situation to get the money.

 

[na19]

Have they released the description of the vehicle they were looking for the other day?
Or why they were at Circle K looking at footage?

 

[maskedwoman]

Seems to me that if a family member were in dire financial straits, SG would not hesitate to help them out. JMO

Probably, but family dynamics are complicated and so is money. And although these people are instantly familiar to us, we don't actually know them. People with jobs in the public eye are not always the same behind closed doors. I have been dismayed many times from learning that a celebrity I had always thought was a pretty decent sort was actually a royal jerk to everyone behind the scenes. Sigh.

If someone has a legit crisis, all things being equal, most people who can would be happy to help. But we have no idea what the private family relationships and history are.

 

[LAborn]

Nobody seems willing to go there, but this has the earmarks of a cartel extortion written all over it. Well researched. Somewhat sloppy execution, and all the leverage.

LOL oh please. No way. Maybe you missed it, but the letters sent were very well composed, grammatically correct, layered. I don't think "drug cartel" hearing that.

 

[Deleted member 117884]

Why wouldn't they put cameras down the septic tanks to actually see down there. Their efforts seem half**sed.

And I sort wish they would put up tents and/or screens while they worked to keep the news out of the way. Of course, I find the drone footage interesting but I also feel yucky that the crime scene is exposed while they work. I know they can't tent the whole yard, but at least sections where they are working.

I want to be wrong and that in the end we'll all be impressed eventually.

jmo

 

[rosesfromangels]

My grandma lived in the home where she had lived for her nearly her entire life until she was almost 90. My grandpa had died 30 years earlier so she lived alone but several relatives lived nearby and we stopped in daily to check on her. I picked her up to take her to get groceries and to go out for lunch or dinner several times a week. She didn’t want to leave her home and she was very independent. She felt well and didn’t have any memory loss or other issues.

A few months before she turned 90 my two uncles (her sons) decided that she shouldn’t live alone and moved her in with one of them. She immediately became disoriented, lost her appetite, began declining and died just a few months later.

She had been so happy in her own home, and I often think about how many more years she would have had if she had been allowed to stay in her home.

There are no easy answers with elder care, just tradeoffs. None of us can second guess unless we are willing to step up ourselves.

Amateur opinion and speculation only

 

[Wsimm]

yes, yes.
This call CAN be verified. True, they don't have to tell us..... but we know they do say things to calm the swelling public reactions.
Any new press conference will be flooded with questions about "the church lady" (just a little funny)

But IF they are leaning towards AG and TC.... they probably WOULD have to keep this to themselves.
It is just such a significant piece of the case.

I definitely think there was a call. Whether it actually came from someone from NG’s church or someone involved in her abduction has yet to be revealed. I’m guessing LE hasn’t been able to verify the caller? I have no idea how burner phones work and if the call came from one, would this be the difficulty in verifying?

It’s my feeling if SIL is involved he’d have to had help from someone other than just AG. In that case the call could’ve been from that “someone else” involved. Maybe the call stated that they’ve completed their portion of the abduction. If the phone number is unverifiable it could be explained away as someone calling from NG’s church.

If SIL and AG are not involved, the call could have come from the abductors masquerading as a fellow church member who’s concerned NG was absent from Sunday services.

 

[Cassie P]

To me this is key as well. Who called you? When? Let me see your phone? Why did they call you? Let's go talk to them. The alleged caller: Did you call them? What time? Let me see your phone. Why did you call them?

If any of them lie... LE: Let's talk about this in private at the police station, you might want to bring your lawyer.

LE has, without any shadow of a doubt, asked those questions and looked at those phones. But telling the truth about this also does not preclude the SIL or others from being guilty. What does support their alibi might be: their phone and their movement/activity that night. There is all sorts of data we aren't privy to- location data (my Apple watch would tell them when I was asleep and if I got up in the middle of the night, then there is video from the circle K that is at the outlet of their street etc..). LE has all of this, and is likely discussing the investigation with SG, who is a lawyer, and a journalist. And yet- she is still staying with her sister at her house (at least as of yesterday, I posted a link upthread) and holding her hand during videos. This is incongruous to the family thinking the SIL is involved.

-Yes the police have to verify the call actually took place.
-And if the church lady does exist, she has to be ruled out as an accomplice or perpetrator. Maybe she was not really a church lady.
-If the call did take place, it still does not exonerate the SIL. The call could have been a monkey wrench in the cover up plan. It forced a 911 call much sooner than planned.

 

[Sadi]

I thought she had a hearing aide that suggests she might not have heard a bell. My amateur guess is that she was attacked in her bed.

Amateur opinion and speculation only

I think this too, she was attacked and when she was removed from her home, she was no longer living.

 

[Trino]

I thought she had a hearing aide that suggests she might not have heard a bell. My amateur guess is that she was attacked in her bed.

Amateur opinion and speculation only

Maybe, but elderly persons often don't completely sleep through the night. I would say nightly they get up to use the bathroom, often stay up a bit.