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

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  • #15,261
But it could be an acquaintance of the hired workers who may just get a wild idea to pull this off after hearing about this rich lady living by herself-- alone at night? People talk, gossip and share stories about their workplace all the time.
That’s what I’ve been thinking the whole time. All it takes is for one person to mention “yeah I work at NG’s house” “my girlfriend works for NG” etc in the wrong company for the wheels to start turning…
 
  • #15,262
What has me believing even more that the FBI thinks (or thought) that those ransom demands are/were authentic is the stark difference between SG's presentation today and the two videos. FBI was clearly choreographing those two videos. No makeup, no bright colors, resigned, deferential, quite formal in presentation and demeanor, etc. Indeed, nothing that could be misconstrued or triggering to a suspect. This latest video from her is the Savannah that we know and expect. I imagine that this one was of her own choosing, and good for her.

Now to the video itself - seems like an obvious sense of desperation and a last minute plea for help from anyone who might know anything before potentially turning 6 million dollars into ether, and with no absolute certainty of a return.

Very sad to see her in this position.

JMO.
 
  • #15,263
Re: searching within threads, there is a 'Search' button in the very upper right corner of the site. Once you click on it, there is an option to search within the thread. I just learned this myself yesterday :)
Thank you:)
 
  • #15,264
It has been very quiet today. Even the podcasters/journalists staked out at the homes have seen nothing. If they do have a suspect who they're closing in on, maybe SG's video today was to keep that suspect in the dark.
Could be too she’s making a plea to return N to the family. If more than one person was involved, maybe she’s trying to get them by saying if you see something, contact LE. I don’t know what to think about this video, the timing for making it was for a reason.
 
  • #15,265
  • #15,266
I fear this case has been botched from the get go.

The State Police should have been brought in IMMEDIATELY to help with this case. This tiny agency is not equipped.

Both Nancy’s AND Annie’s properties should have been sealed off as crime scenes. NO MATTER WHAT. Those were the last supposed places Nancy was seen alive. All vehicles should have been seized.

Then ALL the family members should have been dragged down to the police station and DRILLED. Questioned. Proved their timeline by providing corroborating evidence. Taken polygraphs, etc.

All electronic devices should have been seized.

All vehicles should have been seized.

And should have been done for purposes of elimination. Eliminate the family first. Then work out.

This is LE 101

These “statements” about driving Nancy home, at what time, by whom, and what exactly happened at the drop off don’t make any sense. Was it just the SIL? Was it Annie & the SIL? How does an 85yo woman with SERIOUS physical limitations get into her garage in 2 minutes? There should be history on that remote opener to show the average time it takes her. 2 minutes just seems way too short.

Crime scene experts should have gone over BOTH properties with a fine toothed comb. As well as all vehicles. These were places that Nancy was confirmed to be.

That first critical 48hr window has been lost here because of sloppy police work. And the delay of reporting Nancy’s disappearance.

We are now into the 2nd week and they are just now checking Annie’s house with Luminol. After the family has continued living there? And possibly doing a clean up??

They just discovered there was a camera on the roof of Nancy’s house. What else did they miss?

We have a supposed ransom demand that has not been confirmed legitimate.

My questions are these:

1. Why haven’t the family members been eliminated as suspects?

2. Why can’t they confirm the legitimacy of this ransom demand?

3. Why do they keep going back and doing basic things that should have been done on day 1 or day 2?

4. And WHY would the Sheriff go to a basketball game with a case like this going on so early in an investigation? Normally a case is worked by all involved without sleep for days. They’re not going to events. This is a very bad look.

This is heading for a catastrophic conclusion. In more ways than one.
Agree with all you wrote.
I expressed surprise this morning when I heard a camera had been removed from NGs home and was being checked.

That would make headlines at this late date? I assumed all was done on day one, when they called homicide in?🤷
 
  • #15,267
I’m hearing some of these talking heads, former LE guys say it might have been a robbery and something went wrong.

Why would the robbers take NG from the house? That seems odd. If it’s a murder for the sake of inheritance, why take NG out of the house to do something that they could have done inside the house and leave her in the home?
that was my initial question. When this first happened I thought robbery gone bad turned to murder turned to cover up. But why remove the body? Only reasons I can think of are:

A) physical evidence removal (perp concerned their own DNA on the body, panicks disposes of body)
B) they took her alive to go to ATMs and withdraw funds and then harmed her when she was uncooperative or they got what they wanted, or
C) thought they had more time before she'd be missed and removed body thinking they could return to complete the planned robbery or whatever later

That's it, that was all I could come up with. Since that initial thought I have wafted all about between abduction, planned murder for profit/benefit, unplanned murder in sudden rage.

But none of them feel quite right.

This case has me stumped.
 
  • #15,268
What would constitute "proof of life" for the kidnappers to send? A photo could be faked with AI. A voice message could also possibly be faked if they had samples of her speaking.
 
  • #15,270
What would constitute "proof of life" for the kidnappers to send? A photo could be faked with AI. A voice message could also possibly be faked if they had samples of her speaking.
They could offer something (a memory, a nickname) only Nancy would know.
 
  • #15,271
SG doesn't have all the information that LE does. She has more than us no doubt but they do not give her all the details. They protect the investigation.
 
  • #15,272
Jake Tapper of CNN is there reporting live, citing close relationship between him, his wife, SG and her husband.

For such a good friend he didn’t have any new information.

I wonder if he’s there to finagle an in-person interview.

She might as well grant it at this point. Not much to lose.
 
  • #15,273
If you don’t like reading someone’s post or find them rude or whatever you can click on their profile picture and then hit ignore to ignore their posts.
 
  • #15,274
What would constitute "proof of life" for the kidnappers to send? A photo could be faked with AI. A voice message could also possibly be faked if they had samples of her speaking.
Savannah addressed this in the first video saying they needed proof of life which couldn't be altered with AI (not those exact words but along those lines) which made me think at the time that a photo was included with the first note possibly.
 
  • #15,275
  • #15,276
As of an hour ago, HL of TMZ says the ransom has not been deposited into the Bitcoin account that was in the original ransom email.
 
  • #15,277
SG doesn't have all the information that LE does. She has more than us no doubt but they do not give her all the details. They protect the investigation.
Although, according to Ashleigh Banfield, there are higher ups willing to leak information.
 
  • #15,278
Something about SG’s latest Instagram appeal is odd. This is not designed as a criticism of her personally, but from a purely practical, “what would be the most effective appeal?” perspective.

If the goal is to generate new information, I’m not convinced Instagram is the strongest channel:

1. Her audience likely skews toward major urban areas and national media markets (e.g. New York, California), rather than the specific local area where relevant sightings or information are most likely to come from.

2. There is risk with a mass-audience appeal that it produces a large volume of speculative responses, thereby diluting useful tips and make triage harder for law enforcement.

3. The appeal does not seem to be directed at specific groups who are statistically more likely to have seen something. For example local residents, drivers, delivery workers, neighbours, or people travelling through the immediate area at relevant times.

4. Instagram’s algorithm prioritises engagement. So posts end up circulating more widely based on likes and shares but not necessarily geographic relevance.

Would a more effective approach be to do outreach through regional news outlets, if this is a genuine appeal for information?

I'm not trying to suggest there is some strategy happening with this post, or that the appeal is fake. It just strikes me as not particularly effective and to be honest - a bit bizarre - a nationwide anchor asking millions of followers if they saw something strange to report it?

Additionally as has been pointed out, we haven't even been told what NG was wearing on the day she was abducted - so how is anyone meant to spot her without basic details?

Just my personal observation, trying to look at this logically rather than emotionally.
I think, and this is JMOO, the usage of IG from the jump has likely been, at least in some part, dictated by the ransom demanders. The risk of "too many tips" is absolutely a real problem LE will have to deal with, but there have been a lot of crimes solved with something incredibly simple sounding. And unfortunately, I don't think anyone other than NG and her kidnapper/foul player knew what she was wearing that night so not shocked that hasn't been "revealed". Plus we are over a week in - those clothes absolutely could have changed.

As far as the IG algorithm goes - who knows what the FBI has perhaps encouraged "tweaking" for SG's posts.
 
  • #15,279
What has me believing even more that the FBI thinks (or thought) that those ransom demands are/were authentic is the stark difference between SG's presentation today and the two videos. FBI was clearly choreographing those two videos. No makeup, no bright colors, resigned, deferential, quite formal in presentation and demeanor, etc. Indeed, nothing that could be misconstrued or triggering to a suspect. This latest video from her is the Savannah that we know and expect. I imagine that this one was of her own choosing, and good for her.

Now to the video itself - seems like an obvious sense of desperation and a last minute plea for help from anyone who might know anything before potentially turning 6 million dollars into ether, and with no absolute certainty of a return.

Very sad to see her in this position.

JMO.
But the video seems kind of hollow - an appeal for information, yet neither LE nor SG will disclose something as basic as what NG was wearing on the day she disappeared?
 
  • #15,280
Something about SG’s latest Instagram appeal is odd. This is not designed as a criticism of her personally, but from a purely practical, “what would be the most effective appeal?” perspective.

If the goal is to generate new information, I’m not convinced Instagram is the strongest channel:

1. Her audience likely skews toward major urban areas and national media markets (e.g. New York, California), rather than the specific local area where relevant sightings or information are most likely to come from.

2. There is risk with a mass-audience appeal that it produces a large volume of speculative responses, thereby diluting useful tips and make triage harder for law enforcement.

3. The appeal does not seem to be directed at specific groups who are statistically more likely to have seen something. For example local residents, drivers, delivery workers, neighbours, or people travelling through the immediate area at relevant times.

4. Instagram’s algorithm prioritises engagement. So posts end up circulating more widely based on likes and shares but not necessarily geographic relevance.

Would a more effective approach be to do outreach through regional news outlets, if this is a genuine appeal for information?

I'm not trying to suggest there is some strategy happening with this post, or that the appeal is fake. It just strikes me as not particularly effective and to be honest - a bit bizarre - a nationwide anchor asking millions of followers if they saw something strange to report it?

Just my personal observation, trying to look at this logically rather than emotionally.
It's not just about Instagram. The second this post went up, every major news outlet reported on it. Tonight, this will be the lead story on all the nightly news broadcasts. It's already all over Twitter, all over Facebook, and all over TikTok.

Every local affiliate and newspaper will also be broadcasting/writing about this.

I get your point with focusing on the outlets in the immediate area and surrounding regions, but you're going to have a similar result, only in reverse.

There's a ton of resources on this, and law enforcement knows how to prioritize tips, ie, people saying "I saw this online," as opposed to "I saw this that night."

The latter is what they'll focus on.
 
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