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

[Curiousobserver]

Plus they would have checked his devices, to include downloading his phone (maybe more than once).

So I think it’s unlikely he sent them.

I don't think most on this board understand how difficult it is to do what the kidnapper has done.

A simple VPN works by routing your internet traffic from your browser or email app to a private server, that server then uses a different IP address, or rotating IP addresses to mask your traffic to the recipient. But that transaction is stored at the VPN's servers. Some VPNs will send your traffic through multiple servers this way to further wash the trail. In the US, VPN providers must keep a user log so you will be traceable. What the kidnapper has done must be very sophisticated and to me indicates a professional hacker or group that took advantage of the situation to try and make some money.

 

[SMK777]

the whole ransom demand (multiples) thing has always felt off to me, like a red herring. Opportunistic individuals jumping on a hot case involving a "rich" family member's missing parent. But I have been loath to suggest a family member is responsible or that NG is dead.

With recent searches seeming to suggest LE is interested in AG's home, NG's home, and the space between I am forced to examine the possibility that NG may not have made it home at all that night and whatever happened at her home later was all staged to suggest she had. Hard to know if that theory holds any water though because without knowing where in the home cameras would be focused, the whereabouts of AG household members at later times in the night etc. MOO not a lot to grab onto to even form a theory.

This makes the most sense to me at this juncture.

 

[Elisaa444]

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

Absolutely not the case with many families. Every family is different, of course. Most crimes I follow revolve around money. Money has a powerful way of coming in-between people - sometimes even the closest people.

Within my own family - I am financially in a much better place than my siblings. With that said I don't feel it is my responsibility to pay their bills/debts even though I easily could. Once one starts - when does it end if ever is my concern. Who knows about SG and what she would do, but money can absolutely cause rifts in families whether it is a little money or a lot.

Also, SG is married with kids. My husband and I have his side and my side asking for money. We used to be more generous until more money was expected and resentment started to grow. There are a lot of many different issues that can arise when loaning money to family or even giving money to family. All sorts of issues can develop.

Moo.

 

[moonglow123]

I’ve mentioned that I live in NG’s neighborhood. Several people here as well as folks I know who live close to main roads, even outside of this neighborhood, had LE visits over the weekend. They want footage from any cameras facing these main roads: Oracle road and 1st Ave are the two I can personally confirm.

Thank you for sharing!

I really am surprised the perp has gotten so lucky thus far. It seems they definitely would've been caught on some of those main road cameras.

 

[tricia]

WAIT.​

WAIT

WAIT​

WAIT WAIT WAIT​

READ READ READ READ READ READ READ READ READ

Do NOT quote random podcasts as fact.

The “sputum in the blood” claim is coming from a podcast appearance. A podcast is not a verified source.

If you state something as fact, provide a credible link. “I remember hearing” or “I think I read” is not a source.

If it’s your theory, say “In my opinion.”

Facts need sources. Theories need labels.

Now we have to clean up a ton of posts talking about this as fact.

UNLESS YOU HAVE A FACT NO MORE SPUTUM PLEASE

Thank you.

I’ll be back once I finish my completely calm and totally not dramatic nervous breakdown.

 

[SaraSmile]

Am I imaging things, or was there a video of AG reading some of her poetry?

The first family video
JMO

 

[zecats]

I keep asking myself ….Why would a kidnapper hold on to NG for a week? Just doesn’t make sense, to me. This gives FBI more time to investigate. The risk of NG perishing increase by the minute.

I’m on pins and needles today, as most, hoping for good news but I don’t see this ending today, even if the ransom is paid.
Moo

If nothing happens today, ransom included, tomorrow will be even bigger pins and needles. Bowling pins and knitting needle size.

 

[mikeshanty]

I keep asking myself ….Why would a kidnapper hold on to NG for a week? Just doesn’t make sense, to me. This gives FBI more time to investigate. The risk of NG perishing increase by the minute.

I’m on pins and needles today, as most, hoping for good news but I don’t see this ending today, even if the ransom is paid.
Moo

There will be no good news unfortunately. It was obvious from SG's latest message and generally putting all of the factors together, the chances of her still being alive at this point are very low. Jmo.

 

[DS2021]

I don't think most on this board understand how difficult it is to do what the kidnapper has done.

A simple VPN works by routing your internet traffic from your browser or email app to a private server, that server then uses a different IP address, or rotating IP addresses to mask your traffic to the recipient. But that transaction is stored at the VPN's servers. Some VPNs will send your traffic through multiple servers this way to further wash the trail. In the US, VPN providers must keep a user log so you will be traceable. What the kidnapper has done must be very sophisticated and to me indicates a professional hacker or group that took advantage of the situation to try and make some money.

Do you have a source for vpn providers being required to keep US user logs? I did a google search and found nothing

 

[Emerald1328]

They used dogs, drones, helicopters, and ground searchers from multiple agencies. I think it appears to us that the search was quick because it took a while for this to even hit the news.

Good point. I’m just used to seeing like week-long searches but with all the resources that were likely called in on Sunday, they probably were able to cover quite a bit of ground. And I wonder if the terrain is more flat and open there? When I think of Arizona, I think of desert = flat and barren to me, but the furthest west of the Missouri River I’ve been is Denver so I truly have nothing but movies and books to base that on!

 

[Inthedetails]

Now, before I go off to be my very adult self doing very responsible and necessary things, I will propose this: many advice blogs, magazines (AARP comes to mind) and "pundits for the elderly" give abundant advice on where to leave keys, wallet, phone, etc. so as not to "lose" or "forget" them. It is drummed into us that the best place is "always the same place". (This, however, has not stopped me from leaving the timer I've set for some task in the catastrophically wrong place...analog timers defrost better than digital ones, for the record.)

Anyone who has any experience of older people knows that we must guide our lives by routines that help us to remain independent. The likelihood that she has a specific place assigned for her phone is quite high, and it cannot be discounted that a repairman, cleaner, etc. would be able to notice this at first glance.

(Word of advice, when you are expecting someone to be working in your home for a long time, whether it's several hours one day, or several days/weeks, move the things that can give them intimate knowledge of your habits.)

All this, except for the advice, is opinion.

I have to go make some banana bread now...will peek in later. Lord knows what this brain of mine will do while chopping and mixing and mashing.

Excellent point. My keys, phone, and purse are ALWAYS in the same place (and not the same place). I have to do this otherwise they are lost in the universe. My family members all know these spots not because I tell them, but because it's been years of habit.


Very good point.

jmo

 

[AZLocal]

A week later? That would logically be one of the first things they would do? I am really. wondering what happened those first days other than Sheriff going on a media blitz.

I’m sure they started with getting video from near her house, which we would all likely agree is most important, and have been expanding outward, possibly based on information from the closer videos. The nearer roads will virtually no cars at 2 AM. The larger roads will have significantly more.

 

[allboys]

Is this what launched the bar thing? It's obvious conjecture. JMO

As far as the similar language from Silence of the Lambs, I feel that is easily explainable. The movie makers probably consulted with the FBI during the making of that movie, to make it more realistic. This is likely a standard type of language that would be advised when communicating with a kidnapper.

 

[Trino]

Yes they are. I was raised in Texas and now live up north. I love Texas and it’s a shame what has become of the southern and western borders. Cartels are powerful and people are very afraid of them and sadly, LE is paid off by them and working for them. I mean some of the LE. I have many friends in Tucson. It’s a wonderful city, now controlled by cartels.

Hell's Angels, South Side (Phoenix), Sinola Cartel, Barrio, New Mexican Mafia. They are into drug money. I just don't see cartels and Bitcoin mixing. However, Never say Never.

 

[Napoli]

Can someone post a link about the bar visit? It's the first I'm hearing of it too.

THERE WAS NO BAR VISIT AND THERE WAS NO SPUTUM IN THE BLOOD.THOSE WERE SPECULATIONS BY POSTERS OR UNINFORMED AND UNCORROBORATED MUSINGS BY POSTERS. THE SHERIFF MENTIONED THE CALL FROM THE CHURCH LADY ONCE. THAT HAS NEVER BEEN DEBUNKED. IF SOMEONE CAN ABSOLITELY VERIFY A BAR VISIT, A PLACE WHERE IT WAS VERIFIED THAT THERE WAS SPUTUM IN THE BLOOD OR THAT THERE WAS NO CHURCH LADY, PLEASE POST IT HERE AS THIS IS GETTING CRAZY. THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN POSTER'S OPINIONS ARE TAKEN AS FACTS. SOMEONE OPINED THAT IF SHE WAS BLEEDING FROM THE MOUTH THE BLOOD SPOTS WOULD CONTAIN SPUTUM. NOW SUDDENLY , THIS IS THE NEW BENCHMARK..
Bolded by Tricia PLEASE READ

 

[Bodhi]

Good morning to everyone!

I just wanted to chime in with some thoughts I've been mulling over:

1) It is tempting to think that this is all hingeing on SG and her work, and I would think -if that is the tack being taken- that it's more a fan of someone she's "grilled" during an interview.
2) The cartel theory is not convincing to me because there is a degree of patient drawing-out of the notes that doesn't match the usual "kidnap, ransom request and here's the body, you took too long."
3) Also, the cartel theory seems to feed into a more political aspect (that immigrants, or foreign bad actors are involved), and this seems personal.
4) The timeline is very suspect; it would be helpful to know the time for the service that NG supposedly (and I say this because the matter hasn't been clarified to satisfaction) missed, the time of the call, and so on and so forth.
5) Everyone's finances have been investigated; it might take time to get everything they need, but the basics are clear to LE by now...it HAS been a week, and there must have been discussions about who and how the ransom would be funded.
6) Speculating about family relationships, I think, is excessively intrusive. The situation is already fraught for them, and I don't doubt there have been copious discussions and arguments about big or small grievances from time immemorial. That part should be left for the investigators to dissect as part of their process, but we sitting on the bleachers can't pretend we know what is going on behind closed doors among these relatives.

These are all my own opinions on the subject, and I apologize if they seem silly or naive. I fear that there are two separate narratives here, and one of them (the ransom demands and the "wild goose chases" being triggered by messages we are unaware of) will be what brings the whole thing to a head for the real perpetrator(s).

I just pray that NG is found even though I seriously doubt that, at this point and with all the emotional, psychological and physical trauma she's endured, she is still alive.

Please be kind in your responses. I mean well and do my best to be clear, but this is not my first language and I am getting older every day.

Your last sentence took me by surprise. I was reading along and appreciating your analytical, measured approach. Then you ended with English is not your first language. I did not see that coming! You're fluency in a second language is something I envy.

 

[MizStery]

The person who called the family could have called or texted NG, having first noted her absence, and had no reply. That might have been unusual for NG – both the absence and the silence.
<snipped for emphasis >
The family could also have called NG. The person from church could have
It’s all speculation but since the FBI complaint against the hoaxer mentions the phone call, we can be reasonably sure that details of the call were verified.

This is important because this contradicts the ‘official timeline’. The FBI must release an updated ‘official timeline’. Unbelievably we have a representative from the FBI giving swore testimony in an Arizona Federal Court that destroy’s the ‘official timeline’.

This stretches the credibility of this investigation. It does not instill confidence in the veracity of the information released by the FBI. I would categorize it as sloppy.

The FBI needs to clarify this but I won’t hold my breath.

 

[Inthedetails]

I want to believe if family involved they would be on their trail by now. I don’t believe that is the case. I totally believe ransom notes from kidnappers because they waited until they had her far enough away and nobody on their trail. And they are sophisticated enough that they are able to get ransom notes done without leaving a digital footprint.

On the other hand, I would think kidnappers, especially of an elderly person, would want their money FAST and get away.

jmo

 

[HoveringWombats]

What the kidnapper has done must be very sophisticated and to me indicates a professional hacker or group that took advantage of the situation to try and make some money.

I'm sorry, but I just have to strongly disagree (MY OPINION) that you need to be a professional hacker or group to hide your identity better than using an mainstream western VPN service. It might not be something that most people here know how to do, but it also is really not difficult. I've already written one too-long post going through some possibilities, and I don't really feel like re-writing it, but I will say that in my strongly based personal opinion and experience, it is a mistake to assume that someone needs to be ultra-sophisticated or a professional hacker to successfully hide from US authorities online (and especially if we define "hiding" not as hiding forever, but hiding in such a way that it can take days or weeks to track them down, rather than just making a call to ExpressVPN or whatever).

 

[Trino]

Plus they would have checked his devices, to include downloading his phone (maybe more than once).

So I think it’s unlikely he sent them.

LE obviously searched his computers for evidence. Sounds as if they found nothing.