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

[Assassino]

While I still think abduction is far and away the most likely intention(whether it be ransom or otherwise) allow me to play devil's advocate for a second and provide an explanation for why someone would be abducted even if it were not the original intent.

Say this individual broke in for other means. Whether it be robbery or even expected someone else to be in the house. Then they run into Nancy and are like oh crap, I did not expect this. The intruder could be thinking in that moment "What do I do? I can't just flee and leave her here. She'll call the cops. And in a neighborhood that is not very dense and late at night, I'm likely going to be one of the few cars out here on the road at this hour, I'm going to stick out like a sore thumb when cops patrol the area, so I gotta just grab her and take her with me to prevent her from calling the cops."

Again, I still think abduction was likely the intent here. But by chance it wasn't, that could be a reason why it ended with her being kidnapped anyway.

 

[Ladyotm]

Edited!

Here's the media only thread again.

Can someone who is an expert and/or knows how to create private chats or find the info quickly, please share that info again for the entire group. I just noticed a lot of clashes with difference of opinions. Private chats are a great way to discuss cases on a smaller scale with individuals!

My current thoughts on the case
1. This is wild and I wonder what's really going on behind the scenes.
2. I'm still shocked that I have not seen any search dogs in the neighborhood or search of all the tanks, etc. (Thanks to all those who have shared pictures of the neighborhood. It doesn't appear isolated and the areas of vegetation without houses, doesn't appear large. ) Edited to add- I see it's been posted that dogs have been used. Looking for more info here.
3. I'm still on the fence about the ransom letters. I'm leaning towards them being from an opportunistic individual or group, rather than someone directly involved. (People will steal and scam folks even when they're down. For example, people break into homes while families are away attending loved ones funerals. That is low.) Any info that was given in them might have been gained from reports, videos and pictures shared from the scene.
4. Because their has been no word from authorities on "proof of life", I don't believe Nancy is still alive. If she were, I feel a picture or video would have been sent somehow.
5. I have no theories on who is actually involved in this.
All MOO.

 

[Inthedetails]

And I was shocked to find the address for Nancy very easily publicly available, still! The Today Show featured an 8-minute segment in November, showing her going back to Tucson. It included her mom on camera, and the information that she still lived in Tucson. That, coupled with her very easily available online street address, could've encouraged some criminal opportunists...

I expect those cute family stories in the media will be a thing of the past. This is just too scary and people in media (at least for many years) will remember it.

jmo

 

[submarine7]

Great closeup on the sleeve. At that zoom level it almost looks like there's pilling on the sleeve, which makes me wonder if it's a fleece-type jacket versus a windbreaker.

I initially thought windbreaker because it makes more sense with the reflective strips but it does look textured here.

 

[MassGuy]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2021673485819687078

 

[SMK777]

'Where's Nancy?' Guthrie case baffles ex-FBI agents

Abductions involving adults are rare in the U.S., and rarer still are the kind that do not involve family disputes, drug traffickers or clear demands for money.

www.nbcnews.com

 

[Wsimm]

My thinking too, I'm trying to imagine why the perp would walk up with no backpack and no gun, see the camera ad then go put on the (stuffed full) backpack and weapon to return and disable the camera. IMO everything about this case is weird including this part.

I think the picture with the suspect NOT wearing the backpack doesn’t come from FBI? I think it’s throwing people off that the suspect at some point was at the front door with no backpack and then miraculously had a backpack.

 

[CrimeDawg123]

Actually I can faintly see the stripe in that photo as well.

The stripe looks much too narrow to be the chest strap of a backpack.

Most, if not all, backpack chest straps have a connecting latch right in the middle of the chest where the two sides of the strap come together.

I don’t see that here.

IMO

OK I think you guys are right that the stripe is on the jacket and it's not the backpack. This pic shows pretty clearly that the stripe stops at the zipper.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HA0IcslacAAR4ZO.jpg

 

[arielilane]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2021673485819687078

 

[tlcya]

The pic with no backpack has to be BEFORE, because after he disabled the camera, it would stop recording anything, at least from the location on the doorbell.

exactly. so approached door with neither backpack or weapon, presumably sees camera. Then returns with both backpack and weapon, rather ineffectively attempts to cover the camera with stray foliage plucked from nearby and then later disables it.

JMO Doesn't seem well planned or necessarily targeted to me when viewed in that light.

 

[KellySleuth]

ONE live streamer is out in desert looking for FBI...this is getting crazy.

And if it's who I think it is there are over 30,000 people watching. Incredible.

 

[Diddian]

After viewing surveillance from a local Circle K, LE seized NG’s vehicle and some have reasoned that her vehicle was seen on that surveillance during the hours she would be presumed to be home given her family’s claim they delivered her there.

But NG’s vehicle was in her garage when LE investigated her disappearance and LE reported that her keys were at the home (presumably in her purse, although I suppose she could store them on a key rack or something).

Why would a kidnapper take NG’s vehicle? Presumably, so no evidence of NG is found in their own vehicle (and if NG bled as being removed from her home, blood in particular would be a concern).

And would a kidnapper who has taken NG from her home in her own vehicle and made her disappear then risk later returning that vehicle to her home to park it in the garage?

It seems a monumental risk for a random kidnapper to take, returning to the scene of such a serious crime with the victim’s vehicle and reaccessing her garage. It risks returning AFTER her absence is discovered, and doubles the risk of being detected at her home at all. I wonder - were any of NG’s blood drips (or evidence such were cleaned up) found in her vehicle?

 

[LRinCA]

Your post prompted a question for me - what he was looking for ANY house that he thought he could access. Something at her door made him think "this one." Then he went to get his gear (whatever that was for) before actually entering.

Maybe it wasn't targeted at all, but just he thought he could get in.

jmo

Your post triggered a thought for me.

The first week we lived in Arizona a stranger said to us "this is Arizona and we love our guns" (there's a story behind that).

I know that in my neighborhood there are many gun owners. The guy across the street has his gun cabinet (steel/large) in his garage and I've seen it when their garage door is open.

Your comment made me think the following: whoever this was, knew she was an elderly woman living alone. I really do think the demographic in some areas = guns on hand. Of course, for all we know, Nancy had a gun in the house. It's possible. But I think someone knew she was living in the house alone and was elderly. JMHO/MOO etc.

 

[BrittMontero]

I had heard that but then I also heard there was a $5 million deposit sometime after that being reported. Don't know how much truth there was to the $5 million--as things were all over the place yesterday as well and media was all over the place too.

Yesterday, I posted about a Israeli guy who does blockchain forensics and he was going to reach out to the investigators to offer his help. My understanding from reading that article was that they generally deposit a small amount. I thought the article said under $200, but I could be mistaken. Anyways, the link is here somewhere in this ever moving thread.

What were your sources for those assertions?

 

[The OG]

IIRC, a good portion of that 90% were mistaken. I think we are just more accurate now with better investigative tools.

 

[arielilane]

Beautiful pic of NG.

https://www.realtor.com/news/celebrity-real-estate/nancy-guthrie-savannah-suspect-update-february-11/

 

[Sillybilly]

Hey nice peeps

If you find some of the discussion boring, just scroll and roll rather than calling out someone on the thread with a rude comment.

While you may find it boring, obviously those who are discussing it don't ... and they are equally important Websleuths members.

If you find something annoying, use the Report feature to let us know and we can review rather than making caustic comments on the thread.

Thank you.

 

[UsernameRequired]

It's insane that Pima County Sheriff’s Department says they’ve received more than 4,000 calls to tip lines and they decide to target some random guy in Rio Rico that was called in because he had similar eyes?? WTF. Doesn't give much confidence in these Fed agents so far...

https://twitter.com/x/status/2021665860080054347

 

[LRinCA]

I would just like confirmation that they looked in here. What even is that? Is it locked? (Yes I know a lot of time has passed.)

View attachment 643886
Image from this article:

https://www.azcentral.com/picture-g...earch-nancy-guthrie-house-photos/88560357007/

I've seen a lot of discussion about her trash cans.

Here's a closeup of one from your photo above - cropped.

 

[jbennett]

My initial thoughts on the abductor(s?) being in the house for 40ish minutes would be that they were trying to get NG to do something that she was not cooperating with, whether that was give them money/ bitcoin, call SG, call other kids to extort funds, etc. Then they got frustrated and switched to Plan B, which was to abduct her and send the ransom note. I don't feel as that was their initial intent. I also believe this would explain how she was injured and dripping blood on the doorstep, they injured her in their frustration.

My 2 cents: this wasn't completely random but it may be a stranger to the family. They knew who the target was related to and/ or that she had means herself. I think they were watching her for a long while, possibly in the house before she returned from the family dinner. Definitely amateur with the lack of planning re: doorbell cam. I also think it was two people, one being the driver/ lookout. Unfortunately I don't think NG was alive long after leaving the house and I do believe she was dumped somewhere fairly early on.