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

[TheDinks]

I'm still struggling to understand the ransom element today. And thank you for all of the great late night analysis.

Shouldn't this be clear, or if not, what am I missing? -

If the individual(s) who abducted NG (whether or not she is alive right now) are the ransomers, SG and her family should have NG back right now, or at least her body (which is awful to type out and I hope isn't the case). SG said they would pay. But they don't have NG (in any sense, to our knowledge).

WHY? Is it because the ransomers ARE NOT the abductors/murderers? Or... what? I'm not sure what other option there would be.
To me, a deadline from the ransomers actually works in the family's favor to create a known outcome.

According to Harvey Levin, the ransom hasn't been paid.

 

[shonyakay]

Since Nancy was expected at her friend's home for online church services I am now wondering how she normally got there.
Did she normally drive herself there?
Take an Uber?
Did family normally drive her there?

Was Nancy's car captured on Sunday at Circle K?

 

[PaulaDC]

Moo … Ariel footage over the last few days gives the appearance of “busy work”. (local fox had their drone up) I watch two LE looking down the “hole” with pin lights and poke with a stick it seemed like forever. Several just wondering around the back of the property. They don’t appear to be doing anything.

A mess …YES the Sheriff had LE out searching with FLASHLIGHTS!!!!! so not to violate the lighting ordinance. Come on !!!!

I think more and more the Banfield source may have planted the thought, SIL was a POI to deflect from incompetence and lack of support for FBI. Maybe the Sheriff thought that initially and why he didn’t provide a proper investigation.

All my opinion …

Wasn't that the septic tank they were poking in?

 

[Simply Southern]

Question. How long would a bike ride take from AG house to NG house at say 1:30am with no traffic and back roads?

I’ve consider this but how would a person transport NG on a bike.

I just don’t believe AG would cover for her husband. It’s her mother for goodness sake. I know I wouldn’t.
Moo

 

[agilbe]

Having lived in Tucson for 40+ years before moving awai, it's not surprising that federal agents would get a less than warm welcome, especially in the current political environment. As they say about Austin, Tucson is a blueberry in a bowl of tomato soup - a very liberal democratic area in a red (maybe purple) state.

Tucson has a very high Hispanic population, many of whom are descendants of the people inhabiting the area after the Treaty of Guadaloupe Hidalgo and Gadsden Purchase who were guaranteed US citizenship for them and their descendants. They are not immigrants. They are indigenous. So yes, there is a lot of anger toward the US forgetting these treaty obligations.

But I think it is sad that people would react this way to FBI agents arriving to help save and find one of our (their) own. Let's debate or politics in the appropriate forum but let's welcome professionals bringing skills and equipment to save an innocent old woman! And the mother of ourMy neighbors.

Agreed. My family is one of those you speak of. We have been here for 9 generations.

 

[desert-blue]

I do not understand why wait three days? Why not leave the note in the house?

Right, if they had left a note at the house, there would be no need to provide details such as the location of her watch.

 

[SMK777]

I think more and more the Banfield source may have planted the thought, SIL was a POI to deflect from incompetence and lack of support for FBI. Maybe the Sheriff thought that initially and why he didn’t provide a proper investigation.

Could you explain this more clearly?

 

[nightowl2728]

According to Harvey Levin, the ransom hasn't been paid.

Well, I guess that perhaps changes things! Thanks. I have seen mixed things online. Not confirmed either way.

Then if SG said they would pay - what made that change, is perhaps a better question. I think she would pay even just to have a proper funeral. Based on what we saw in the video and just what I would imagine. Unless there's the ethical question of not creating incentive for other abductors.. But putting that all aside, what would make them go back on paying?

 

[desert-blue]

I’ve consider this but how would a person transport NG on a bike.

I just don’t believe AG would cover for her husband. It’s her mother for goodness sake. I know I wouldn’t.
Moo

He could have slipped out in the middle of night to remove the cameras and clean up or whatever.

 

[SMK777]

Well, I guess that perhaps changes things! Thanks. I have seen mixed things online. Not confirmed either way.

Then if SG said they would pay - what made that change, is perhaps a better question. I think she would pay even just to have a proper funeral. Based on what we saw in the video and just what I would imagine. Unless there's the ethical question of not creating incentive for other abductors.. But putting that all aside, what would make them go back on paying?

Yes, I am now completely confused because of that.....and a couple of other things. I don't know what is going on at this point.

 

[slueth1111]

Starting this with stating this is my opinion

I surely hope this doesn't turn out to be a crazy person just trying to torture this family. Somebody jealous or feels was slighted in some way. I think NG was killed the first night and this ransom was just a way to torture this poor family more. Whether it be a family member or not I feel it is somebody the family will know. Sending the ransom note to media outlets just seems so unusual. Has that ever been done before? Not that I can remember but maybe

IMO ONLY

 

[NewYork625]

I'm unfamiliar with pacemakers. The pacemaker was able to sync with both her apple watch and her phone? The watch was in the house but I think I read at the beginning her phone was found in her car. I remember that because I thought it was strange that she didn't take it into the house with her. Unless she called the Uber and dropped it in her car when it got there. But why not take it to her daughter's house. TIA

I also heard it was found in the car, but perhaps that came from one of the AI videos about the case.

 

[TKG]

I’ve consider this but how would a person transport NG on a bike.

I just don’t believe AG would cover for her husband. It’s her mother for goodness sake. I know I wouldn’t.
Moo

This is JMO but in the first photos to emerge after her disappearance I saw two small wheel marks going down the (left of the front door as you look) left of the driveway. My immediate thought was did they take her out in a wheelchair that did not roll smoothly due to the gravel.

 

[Simply Southern]

Could you explain this more clearly?

I think the Sheriff may have thought initially it was a family member abduction and did not take the kidnapping seriously. He failed to keep the home secured, made numerous trips back to research. Moo

 

[LRinCA]

I'm still struggling to understand the ransom element today. And thank you for all of the great late night analysis.

Shouldn't this be clear, or if not, what am I missing? -

If the individual(s) who abducted NG (whether or not she is alive right now) are the ransomers, SG and her family should have NG back right now, or at least her body (which is awful to type out and I hope isn't the case). SG said they would pay. But they don't have NG (in any sense, to our knowledge).

WHY? Is it because the ransomers ARE NOT the abductors/murderers? Or... what? I'm not sure what other option there would be.
To me, a deadline from the ransomers actually works in the family's favor to create a known outcome.

Speaking of incandescent rage, that's exactly what I would feel if I transferred 6M in bitcoin to two 15 year olds in Uzbekistan or some other faraway place who just happened to hear about the story and tried to cash in on my grief. This is the horrible aspect (IMO) of the ransom situation. Paying and then nothing. And even more uncertainty. I simply cannot imagine the agony they are going through.

All IMO/MOO, etc.

 

[distracted]

Since Nancy was expected at her friend's home for online church services I am now wondering how she normally got there.
Did she normally drive herself there?
Take an Uber?
Did family normally drive her there?

Was Nancy's car captured on Sunday at Circle K?

IMO, she drives during daylight hours only.

 

[SlimPickens]

Ma

Maybe. But, if so - why delay sending that first ransom note? Is it possible that between the time LE arrived at NG's & the time the ransom note was drafted & sent - someone picked up chatter on Nextdoor including info on-lookers overheard in conversations between the first responders? Like, "yeah we found her wallet and watch on the bathroom floor & one of the floodlights is damaged."

I replied to an earlier post about a ransom note perhaps being on scene when the family arrived after the phone call from her church partner. And that that could have been the reason why LE knew immediately that something was wrong. And that the Sheriff's "plucked from her bed" comment (or similar) may not have been a haphazard metaphor but rather a Freudian slip. I wonder why LE hasn't released the 911 call? Did the caller claim a ransom note was found, for example? Otherwise I can see no reason not to release it (if it has been requested and denied, which I'm sure some outlets have requested it by now).

JMO.

 

[TheDinks]

Well, I guess that perhaps changes things! Thanks. I have seen mixed things online. Not confirmed either way.

Then if SG said they would pay - what made that change, is perhaps a better question. I think she would pay even just to have a proper funeral. Based on what we saw in the video and just what I would imagine. Unless there's the ethical question of not creating incentive for other abductors.. But putting that all aside, what would make them go back on paying?

Well, to be fair... he's assuming it hasn't been paid since he has monitored the bitcoin account that was provided in the ransom details. No amount has been transferred to this account. If kidnap for ransom was 'real' there is always the chance that a different bitcoin account had been provided another way. (Personally I think it is despicable that he is broadcasting this info)

My opinion is that today FBI finally confirmed that kidnap for ransom was hoax and provided family with their intel. I believe that lead to Savannah's new message to people which had a very different feel to the previous plea.

 

[KonaHonu]

5801 N Oracle Road. (iirc) Close to AG’s house.

I’ll try to find the link.

Thank you. I found it.

 

[Simply Southern]

This is JMO but in the first photos to emerge after her disappearance I saw two small wheel marks going down the (left of the front door as you look) left of the driveway. My immediate thought was did they take her out in a wheelchair that did not roll smoothly due to the gravel.

There are two steps a wheelchair would need to go down. If a wheelchair was used the garage entrance would have been much easier.
Would still need become to transport her. Moo