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

[Kapua]

From what I’ve heard experts say is if an image were attached to the emailed ransom notes, that’s supplying “extra” digital information, which is more easily traced.

Yes, digital photos contain metadata called exif. However, there are tools that can strip this metadata. If the tech person can figure out how to make their IP address untraceable, they can even more easily figure out how to strip the exif data from a digital photo.

 

[nao]

Hopefully all the name-calling and rudeness I've seen on here in the last 24 hours isn't a regular occurrence here. Just today I have been labelled ageist and homophobic for proposing theories despite being an elder gay myself!

Moo... No... I think these are good discussions...but not on this thread.
Wouldn't be a discussion if everyone agreed...moo

 

[warp3dwing]

you'd think not, but then again did we all not just watch another big profile case where the suspect drove his own car to the murder and left a sheath?

Yep! There are SO many cases out there where the perpetrator screwed up and left something behind, or something fell out of their car. There is no perfect crime.

 

[PCHS]

I think unfortunately that is very possible. I think had Nancy either died or been gravely injured at her home, then the intruder likely would have just left her there and fled.... especially if the intruder was a stranger. Why drive around with a dead or injured victim in your car and assume that risk. The effort and risk it takes to either keep someone injured alive or hide a body if she had died is too great.

However, if she was kidnapped and then once they arrived at a location something terrible happened to her there. Maybe all the stress caused some type of a cardiac episode where she died or something, which is entirely possible at her age. Then that would be a different story. And then the kidnapper wouldn't have a choice but to do try and stall and not provide proof of life. I'm hoping for the best though still. Until we find a body, I'll keep hope alive that she's still ok.

Think this is more logical - someone(s) targeted a little old lady who lived alone that they had familiarity with either through someone or through their day job and they perceived her to have money and who they thought would be an easy target and they decided to leave with her and then when they had her unfortunately something went wrong...and here we are

 

[thefragile7393]

To be clear, these were suggested by you.

a) Grogginess only lasts a few moments for most IMO, even if being awoken in the middle of the night. Regardless of whatever situation you speculate, it makes no sense for NG to still be groggy by the time she arrives at the door, IMO.
b) it was the middle of the night; I seriously doubt NG was so confused she thought someone was there to take her to church - something that usually happened during the daytime. She had functioning eyes, as far as we know.

Alternatively, I seriously doubt she opened the door in the middle of the night to a stranger unless she thought it was related to her family’s safety. There is no reason to think she thought that was the case, IMHO.

Not related to the case, but my grogginess lasts all day thanks to perimenopause so I don’t know about that

 

[NewYork625]

There was quite a bit of blood on the porch and even some trickling on to the concrete walkway. If it was a nose bleed then they would’ve had to stand there for at least a few minutes for that much to come out. The blood doesn’t make sense at all. MHO

Also, why even go up to the front door at all? Did he really think she would answer at nearly 2am when someone is blocking off the camera with some plant leaves? Then to leave through the front door is even more odd if he had forced entered through the back door. Based on the timeline, didn’t he spend around 30 minutes in the house with her?

I wonder if an accomplice who was with him could have previously entered through the back door, and the intruder at the front door was trying to get that other person to open the front door for him? Then possibly the two of them took NG out the front door?

 

[m00c0w]

I'm not LE or FBI - I think they should be better at this then me and senior elite investigators should have the ability to quickly eliminate people who are unlikely and invest resources in following people that are more suspect - this guy, it appears was quickly eliminated as a suspect only AFTER he was being surveilled for days and then brought in on some dramatic detainment. If he was so quickly eliminated why spend the time surveilling him unless they are really just lost... which it appears they may be. that is mo

He was quickly eliminated after they pursued the lead, executed a search warrant at his house, and interviewed him. Sometimes you can’t rule people out without talking to them. And sometimes there’s enough evidence someone may have been complicit in a crime that you need to prepare for violence and a hostage recovery situation.

Believe me, if they could have eliminated this dude without having to drive hours away and spend hours in an interview and search warrant execution… they definitely would have. I’m not sure what your alternate approach would be, given none of us know what police had regarding this individual at the time.

Worst case scenario - if he was involved and they just did a knock and talk and he wound up panicking and killing the hostage, what would your reaction be? If he had co-conspirators waiting at the house with the hostage and would harm her if something happened to him, what then? This isn’t a movie, and it’s not a simple black and white situation.

Just my opinion.

 

[thefragile7393]

Exclusive | How Bitcoin exchange gave authorities’ ‘control’ over Nancy Guthrie’s kidnapper: crypto expert

“They are now the target of forensic tracking,” CEO of Lionsgate Network Bezalel Eithan Raviv said of the suspect.

pagesix.com

Authorities now have the upper hand against Nancy Guthrie’s purported kidnapper, according to a cryptocurrency expert.

Bezalel Eithan Raviv, the CEO and founder of Lionsgate Network — a crypto recovery service with expertise in Blockchain forensics — spoke with Page Six after a deposit was made into a Bitcoin wallet related to Guthrie’s ransom note late Tuesday.

“If the reported $150 transaction to the alleged ransom Bitcoin wallet is accurate, it aligns with a known investigative tactic,” Raviv said. “A small ‘test’ transfer can sometimes be used to confirm that the wallet is active and to trigger blockchain monitoring tools.”

The Israeli tech entrepreneur noted that, despite misconceptions, Bitcoin is “not anonymous” and is very much traceable.

Well, one would hope, the problem is it’s still not certain that the ransom note and the kidnapping are related to each other. In my opinion.

 

[Stunned]

someone trolling LE, IMO...

My first thought also. I think it will start happening more, unfortunately. IMO

 

[UsernameRequired]

I think so. I was worried earlier they had more of a knee jerk reaction to a tip.

Seems like the Feds had more of a knee jerk reaction to their own investigation and likely felt pressure to take some kind of action against somebody and went for a hail mary. Some random guy delivering packages in Nancy's neighborhood with similar physical features.

One thing I don't think people are aware of, if the Feds bust down your door and do any kind of damage to your house or property, the car tearing it apart, etc., even if you are innocent, you will not be compensated for the damage they caused. This can be a serious financial burden to lower income people.

 

[Deepinthought52]

I don’t know if this has happened, but I think it would be fascinating of one of the sleuthers on websleuths was chosen to be on a jury for one of the large cases like this anfcwas then anle to post about the experience once trial was over. Imo

 

[heli]

I've seen a photo of the perp without gun and no backpack and no jacket. I've searched and searched and can't find that photo.

It is on FBI page on X

 

[TechGirl]

I could be wrong, memory only, I think they said he had a white van, and at one point the neighbor mentioned a white van. The guy was a private contractor delivering for UPS.

I think he did deliver a package, not sure if to NGs or the neighbor.

He was not involved, someone thought he looked like the images, but he is not the perp.

JMO

No! He did not have a white van.

“The man, who only wanted to be identified as Carlos, said he was driving his NISSAN ROGUE on Tuesday evening in Rio Rico, Arizona, about 50 miles south of Tucson, when he noticed he was being trailed by a law enforcement vehicle.”

Live Updates: Person released as search for 'armed individual' continues in Nancy Guthrie case

The search for 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie began after she was abducted from her home near Tucson, Arizona, early on Sunday, Feb. 1, authorities said.

abc7.com

 

[Sessiebo]

It's literally on the side of the road, lol. How would that not have been seen earlier? Someone trolling LE.

Could be a troll indeed.
Or the LE is just not properly investigating/securing the crime scene/deep search environments/ getting cctv footage, from the beginning. Idk, it all seems so slow to me - JMO

 

[aTexasDarling]

Why do you keep taking evidence from AG'S?

I want to know if she was wearing her nightgown when taken. Were the clothes she had on at dinner in the hamper, or hung back up?

 

[CoolBeans]

I was on X & typed in AGC's name & someone posted a pic of DE & WOW

People are looking at very old pictures of DE. In more recent pictures he has a very light grey moustache. I think the person in security cam footage may be in 30s.

 

[Cindizzi]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2021711606879805757

 

[milkshakedonkey]

No! He did not have a white van.

“The man, who only wanted to be identified as Carlos, said he was driving his NISSAN ROGUE on Tuesday evening in Rio Rico, Arizona, about 50 miles south of Tucson, when he noticed he was being trailed by a law enforcement vehicle.”

Live Updates: Person released as search for 'armed individual' continues in Nancy Guthrie case

The search for 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie began after she was abducted from her home near Tucson, Arizona, early on Sunday, Feb. 1, authorities said.

abc7.com

There was commentary that he used a white van for deliveries. I don’t have a source for that however.

 

[Vaderman]

It should say, they have an upper hand on the extortioners.....

Agreed, but I hope it does make it easier to track down the people who took advantage of this situation.

 

[Assassino]

Yes, thank you, I omitted money/ransom. That's the obvious motive and entirely possible. But there are countless wealthy grandmothers he/they could have preyed upon. They chose the mother of a relatively well-known TV personality. Why? Did they know who she is? Did they want this media attention?

Apparently some weeks before the kidnapping, there was a special that aired regarding Savannah Guthrie's family and in the special it said that Savannah's mother lives in Tucson, Arizona. I'm wondering if someone saw that special and got ideas. Either to kidnap the family member of a multi millionaire... or it's possible someone saw that special, misunderstood it and thought Savannah lived there and then went to the home looking for her and came upon her mother instead.