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

[Justice101]

Perhaps an argument ensued at AG's house and NG was accidentally killed. Whoever was asking for ransom to be paid could be anyone anywhere in the world who may be totally unrelated to the case.

That's sort of where I am on this.

Multiple searches at AG's house with photos and samples taken probably means they have some evidence of a crime at the house. I am guessing luminol. The puzzling part would be why would you turn off the light in order to use a flash camera? Or was the flash in a totally different room that was lit up?

The ransom notes are either a cover up attempt or from someone totally unrelated to the abduction trying to extort money.

 

[SMK777]

They ARE paying. Paying the price of someone's sheer evilness rather than monetary. Or maybe they did pay after all.

Right, but I was referring to the simple idea -- or what I thought was simple -- Pay us the money, and we will return her to you.

What happened to that? That's what has me baffled.

 

[Cindizzi]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2021221246239899883

 

[Sadi]

There is an alternate possibility that NG took the Uber to confront someone at AG's house. Once there, SIL had an altercation with NG, and NG never returned to her home. Someone else may have returned all of her things there, and staged the house to look like a crime to enter the car still parked there?

I have been following this case and thread pretty closely and am just now chiming in. I’ve been just as baffled by everyone else by this case. I am really curious about why people suspect the BIL or AG more than any other theory right now and am wondering if I’m missing something.

If you suspect the BIL or AG - why? And without the Ashleigh Banfield tip from her LE source, would you still? Is it just the statistics that most murders are done by a family member?

Here’s my take: I think a LE source probably did tell AB that the SIL would maybe be the primary suspect when this case first started. Like Ed Smart mentioned in his interview on CNN, they have to rule out family and the last people to see NG alive first before they can move on. Likewise, the searches at AG and SIL’s house would make sense because it was one of the two last places she was seen. They need probable cause to get a warrant, but it sounds like the search was consented to so they didn’t need it. If I was in the family’s shoes, I’d give them consent to search because they could move on to other suspects faster.

I think the reason why speculation and rumors about the SIL and AG have spread like wildfire is because LE hasn’t officially ruled anyone out. However, they’re not doing daily press conferences anymore and I am not sure if it’s always protocol to publicly rule people out. Should they? Maybe. But it also seems like they are doing things/collecting evidence that should have been done one or two days into this investigation (like asking for DNA from workers, landscapers, etc.) - which is just happening today.

I think this ransom turned out to be a huge distraction, and certain things involving searches/evidence collection weren’t done in a timely matter. I have seen nothing other than AB’s tip that leads me to suspect the SIL. I could change my mind if I hear he was busted in a lie, seen on camera somewhere he wasn’t supposed to be, doesn’t have an alibi - but so far I don’t see anything that would indicate it’s definitely him. Am I missing something? Genuinely asking.

If the ransom is in fact a hoax, I still think this could have been a sexually motivated crime where they removed the body or took her alive and killed her at a different location as to not leave a bunch of DNA evidence behind.

One of my reasons is SIL was allegedly the last person to see her. Please know that I honestly don’t want it to be him because it would make this situation even worse.

 

[turaj]

That's how I see it too. SG didn't say what she would "pay" or who. We will pay, has several different meanings. Maybe "we will pay you back for this", we ARE paying in pain, or we will pay you what you want. JMO

I don't think there is any other way to take her words "we will pay" when they are responding to a ransom demand. As to whether they did not so sure of that.

 

[Fargo]

Aww, the same Church services Savannah attended. How they must have enjoyed discussion of the service and its message.

Wonder if they could catch a glimpse of S and family in their pew. What a wonderful connection to have your mom watching your worship service, hearing of church activities during announcements, possibly seeing a grandchild having their turn doing a reading or serving as an acolyte.

More sadness, sigh.


The service was broadcast live from a New York church attended by Savannah Guthrie

Nancy Guthrie was expected at friend’s home, not church on day she vanished: source



Oh, live broadcast?

What time would that be in Tucson?

So what time was the call to A?

No wonder the friend missed Mrs. Guthrie right away, imo.



All imo

That's a little odd. If it's the same church service SG attended why would SG herself have not noticed her mother wasn't there?

 

[cady]

This is not intended to be a political statement, but jmo.

I feel the relative restraint of DJT could be a clue that this is known to be someone close to NG.

If we look at DJT's pattern of interventions and social media posts, we might have expected more unfiltered commentary and speculation (e.g. could it be cartels, border risks, justifying ICE). We haven't seen any of that whatsoever; just a slightly overly optimistic comment about resolving the case. He has been if anything, pretty restrained, which I view as atypical and unusual for him.

Again, absolutely not a political statement criticising or endorsing a particular party (I am not US based), but I feel it is a clue.

JMO. Likely, someone planted that seed in his brain VERY early on. He said "FBI or DOJ, or whoever.... I'm thinking that DIR of FBI may have suggested that to him. Even FBI DIR has been unusually prudent in tweeting. JUST MY OPINION

 

[Maat99]

That's a little odd. If it's the same church service SG attended why would SG herself have not noticed her mother wasn't there?

How would she know if her mother was watching the services on live stream?

 

[Sadi]

One primary reason is their DNA is already on file. For example, certain jobs require DNA to be kept on file (LE and military come to mind).

Thank you

 

[connie9030]

Looking at this case from a public-safety angle instead of a stargazing one, I keep coming back to how dark the neighborhood is at night and whether that mattered. It’s hard to come up with eyewitnesses when people can’t really see anything to begin with.

It looks like a beautiful place to live, but properly lit neighborhoods offer more protection, especially for elderly people living alone, those with limited mobility, and homes that are spread out. In places with more lighting, unusual activity has a better chance of being noticed. Lighting doesn’t prevent crime, but it does make it harder for things to happen unseen.

At the same time, it’s fair to say that lighting isn’t a cure-all. Some events happen fast, involve someone the person knows, or leave no obvious sign that anything was wrong at the time.

 

[Napoli]

The time difference is a good point, though. If they noticed her missing by 11am, that means a 9am service in NYC, which I think is too early for this city (I'm in NYC and guessing which church they watched).

I think the church friends likely gathered before the service actually began, for breakfast, chatting, Bible study. And, when NG was late and didn't pick up the phone, they were immediately concerned. I'm sure they didn't expect a kidnapping but perhaps an injury at home, illness, car accident, etc.

Rings true to me.

jmo

We have masses starting at 730 here. 9 am is 9am local time in Arizona. i do not understand what NYC time has anything to do with this? NG was clearly not close enough to her monitoring device as of 228 am to sync. Everything after 228 AM tells me exactly that. Donuts and coffee with her friends and service starting at 9, 11 etc means nothing.. EXCEPT she might have been planning to arrive earlier and didnt. Gone , out of range of syncing as of 228 AM. Local parish here has services starting at 730 am. 9 am is not at all early. MOO

 

[Cipher Vale]

I totally agree with you 100%. Every day that goes by without SIL being at the police station, without any warrants and their house being torn inside out, without even any obvious motive he would have to do it - all leads me to believe he has absolutely nothing to do with it. I think AB had a genuine tip but that was last week, and it seems pretty clear to me that LE has moved on.

It's really awful that SIL is being dragged through the mud IMO when he is a victim too. I wish WS would move on from the AB video.

I would challenge the notion of no warrants. We saw LE take things from the house. They didn't just stumble upon "evidence" during a casual "mind if we take a look around" moment. We have not seen this same supposed warrantless house tour anywhere else.

I'd feel different if nothing was taken. But from my perspective, they knew what they were looking for - and I suspect they had a warrant ready if consent was refused.

We also don't know that no one was questioned. I would guarantee they were. DNA would also have been taken from all of the family. Just because we weren't told the SIL and AG (even CG and SG for that matter) were not taken interviewed by police doesn't mean it didn't happen.

 

[turaj]

One of my reasons is SIL was allegedly the last person to see her. Please know that I honestly don’t want it to be him because it would make this situation even worse.

normally by now in a story like this you would be seeing people talking that knew NG and the family relationships. People come out of the woodwork. Relatives. This is a. very small family....no extended family left in Tucson? No one speaking up saying NG and her SIL had a great relationship? I assume interviews are happening but this is the quietest investigation I have seen. How about friends or teaching colleagues of TC...anyone heard anything? After a week this is odd.

 

[missy1974]

WHAT DO YOU think qualifies as a crime scene? A gallon of blood? Blood drops? Why would anyone think the blood was from days ago? NG is missing. They have searched with dogs or people or drones..no signs of her. The pacemaker stopped syncing. Ransom notes were being sent. We can opine the notes were fake but NO ONE KNOWS! Since her body has not been found on or around the premises, she either wandered away and got lost in some brush (unlikely as she had problems with ambulation) Fell first in walkway near door, bled and got up? NO BLOOD TRAIL! What we dont know is why this woman was a target! They wanted to get to SG, to get her attention, is my fixed opinion. The garage door opening was when she was dropped off by SIL. Her pacemaker synced until 228 AM. She was in the home with or without the perps. No other DNA has been reported other than hers which I find extremely odd. Bottom line, IMO, she did not leave voluntarily. She was abducted. Home is a crime scene. MOO

BBM and enlarged.

at around the 4:45 mark of the video below... Maureen O'Connell said on Fox on Sunday night that the 2nd letter was addressed to Savannah .. Dear Savannah...

She also talks about the searches and what she thinks the mean in this clip (she doesn't think it means much lol)

‘Strange’ Nancy Guthrie ransom note was addressed to Savannah Guthrie: Ex-FBI special agent | Fox News Video

Retired FBI Special Agent Maureen O’Connell weighs in on potential police missteps in the Nancy Guthrie kidnapping case on ‘Sunday Night in America.’

www.foxnews.com

 

[ab01]

Fox News Digital has learned that some of Nancy Guthrie’s hired help — like a landscaper, pool cleaner, etc. — are submitting DNA samples. “It's significant because it reveals that they did get some DNA from inside the home or from the collection of evidence at the scene,” says Randy Sutton, a retired Las Vegas police lieutenant and founder of the Wounded Blue. “So now they're going to be comparing that DNA to either eliminate individuals or obtain information about them.”

https://twitter.com/x/status/2021219367531520486

This is good news, as these are the things I would expect in a situation like this where there is an abduction/kidnapping.

The thing that bothers me is that it wasn't done sooner typically these things should be done within the first 24-72 hrs as the first 48hrs are most critical for a positive outcome.

• Elimination Samples: Persons with legitimate access to the home—such as housekeepers or gardeners—are prioritized for "elimination samples" to quickly filter out their DNA from evidence found at the scene, usually in the early stages of the investigation.
• 
  
• Legal Process: While often voluntary initially, if a staff member is considered a suspect, DNA can be collected upon arrest, a process that in some jurisdictions is now expedited by Rapid DNA technology (providing profiles in ~90 minutes

 

[mikeshanty]

normally by now in a story like this you would be seeing people talking that knew NG and the family relationships. People come out of the woodwork. Relatives. This is a. very small family....no extended family left in Tucson? No one speaking up saying NG and her SIL had a great relationship? I assume interviews are happening but this is the quietest investigation I have seen. How about friends or teaching colleagues of TC...anyone heard anything? After a week this is odd.

I was thinking the exact same thing yesterday. People who knew SIL and AG - nobody? Maybe they are staying quiet since they have not been ruled in as suspects. But equally, maybe it is just a respectful community?

 

[Knox]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2021219367531520486

 

[wibbleflea]

[…] I am not yet willing to conclusively say that the only details in the ransom note(s) were items that had already been revealed publicly […]

Agreed with this snippet and your entire post. I don’t think the exact location of the Apple Watch was known publicly when the first ransom note was sent to a local station on Monday (TMZ got it later). I’m not sure the location of the watch is public knowledge even today.

It’s not clear that the extensive damage to the rear floodlights (not the front) was known. Levin says the note used the word ‘destroyed.’

Those are the two things that Levin (TMZ founder, former lawyer) said the FBI reacted to when he made contact with them.

We know from existing reporting (like this, LA Times) that the notes received by local Tucson stations (including KOLD) are the same as the one received by TMZ (“three identical notes”) and “included details not previously released to the public, according to people who have read it.”

 

[dotr]

That's sort of where I am on this.

Multiple searches at AG's house with photos and samples taken probably means they have some evidence of a crime at the house. I am guessing luminol. The puzzling part would be why would you turn off the light in order to use a flash camera? Or was the flash in a totally different room that was lit up?

The ransom notes are either a cover up attempt or from someone totally unrelated to the abduction trying to extort money.

Just a thought, but sometimes things that sparkle like glass, diamonds etc, might show up better in the dark when a sudden light source hits, speculation, imo.

 

[Napoli]

Snipped

I agree. They called off the searches so fast, imo.

How do they know NG wasn't abducted but then left nearby? Isn't it worth at least community searches? I find that odd....unless they know for sure she is not nearby.

jmo

There are signs when a dead body is in proximity..flies..odors... BIRDS. That being said IMO, LE knows a crime scene when they see one and felt this was an abduction. However, I agree..some people, some wider community searching effort was clearly lacking. MOO