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

[washysmum]

An apparent ransom note for Nancy Guthrie demanded payment in bitcoin. While authorities have not confirmed if the ransom demand is legitimate, they have previously said they are taking the note seriously. Ben Weiss, a crypto reporter for Fortune, joined CBS News for analysis

Cybersecurity expert Alex Stamos says data from Nest cameras — like the one that captured video of a person outside Nancy Guthrie's door — is streaming constantly to Google and may not be deleted for some time, even for non-subscribers.

"Internal storage uses a very lazy deletion mechanism, so the data wouldn't be available to users who didn't pay," Stamos said. "The video for non-subscribers would be marked for deletion, but depending on the exact implementation details the actual files might not be deleted for days and the actual data wouldn't be overwritten until the storage was needed."

Nancy Guthrie live updates as FBI searches roadways, investigators get over 4,000 calls to tip line in 24 hours

Nancy Guthrie, the mother of "Today" show co-host Savannah Guthrie, was reported missing on Feb. 1 and ransom notes were being investigated.

www.cbsnews.com

This seems so odd, although this whole case is odd. And there seems like there should be enough digital evidence to track people, but I don’t know much about bitcoin

 

[PCHS]

I love Brian... "So the FBI is searching, again, in Nancy Guthrie’s front yard."

Do they think they are missing something? Maybe there's footage showing the perp throwing something? This is crazy. JMO

Yea I think they keep just regrouping and going over the same spots. It seems to be they are trying to find something b/c they just don't have much so they start over again I get it they shoud have recanvassed from the start and look again with something new but they look kind of lost..to me

 

[watson1]

I think the family has lost faith in LE.

Just my opinion, but hiring their own investigator allows the family to feel like they are doing something. It is a psychological control mechanism. While it works on that level, it will gum up LE's efforts, with having to shield items from their PI and ensure the PI doesn't tip off a POI, meaning the PI will be in their way. In short, it will make the family feel better, but creates other issues for LE. IMHO.

 

[Deepinthought52]

At this point it seems more likely that they're going to find something from the Domino's driver than from the perp. Sigh.

MOO

Nah, just look back at all of the cases we thought maybe there was no lead on and then they provided some real eye-opener evidence!

 

[PCHS]

Just my opinion, but hiring their own investigator allows the family to feel like they are doing something. It is a psychological control mechanism. While it works on that level, it will gum up LE's efforts, with having to shield items from their PI and ensure the PI doesn't tip off a POI, meaning the PI will be in their way. In short, it will make the family feel better, but creates other issues for LE. IMHO.

Yes but it seems that this isn't going well at all at this point how much longer do you give LE on their own. And SG hopefully has access to some better people, maybe retired FBI or recent people who left.

 

[Sessiebo]

A little summary of things that happened recently - by Brian Entin:

 

[SaraSmile]

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

Thanks for the correction, much appreciated.

 

[thefragile7393]

This convinces me more and more the perpetrator arrived and left ON FOOT, they are examining too much along the scrub land between the properties to actually believe that they drove to or from the scene.

But if that’s the case, what happens with the body?

 

[NervousNellie]

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

I don’t think it’s reasonable to compare your perimenopausal experience to NG’s experience as an 84 y/o. I am a decade past meno and my sleep is very different from when I was peri. Regardless, our experience doesn’t matter. NG’s does. And we don’t know what is normal for her so all these personalizations and generalizations probably don’t matter.

 

[wibbleflea]

NG’s phone and watch were at her house and her devices lost connection with her pacemaker at 2:28am. So she has to have been home until that time.

Responding to the part I’ve emphasised above. There’s a lot of good information earlier in this thread about modern pacemakers and Bluetooth connections, including a post by a poster whose has a Bluetooth-enabled pacemaker.

The pacemakers do attempt to maintain a constant Bluetooth connection with the phone, but the phone app doesn’t constantly request data. It usually does it once a day, in the early morning hours. The lost connection could be (it’s not known for sure) the alert that popped up on the phone when the app attempted its daily data transfer.

LE may be able to identify the time that the connection was lost by retrieving logs from the phone but the information about the time of lost connection was released early on and is more likely to be due to the alert from the app at the time it was attempting its daily data transfer. The “lost connection” wording from the sheriff’s department is probably about as accurate as the initial wording about the church appointment.

Meaning: by 2:28 am, NG was gone, but she could have been taken earlier. The perp didn’t necessarily spend 40+ minutes in the home.

We don’t know what type of device NG had but here’s a Q&A (scroll to the foot of the page) from the maker of a pacemaker that uses Bluetooth LE and a phone app:

Patient Cardiac Monitoring - MyMerlin App and SyncUP Support | Abbott

myMerlin™ Mobile App communicates with the Assert-IQ™ Insertable Cardiac Monitor (ICM) and all compatible Abbott ICMs to provide the information your doctor needs for an accurate diagnosis.

www.cardiovascular.abbott

These checks usually happen during the night while you are sleeping. Keep your smartphone near you (within 5 feet or 1.5 meters) when you sleep. If you are not near your smartphone at that time, the app will periodically try again and will notify you if there is a problem connecting with your heart monitor.

My emphasis.

 

[thefragile7393]

At this point it seems more likely that they're going to find something from the Domino's driver than from the perp. Sigh.

MOO

Not funny, but it did give me a bit of a chuckle. Because you’re so not wrong in my opinion.

 

[txsleuth70]

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

Yes, he was driving a Rogue but he DID say in the interview that he also has a van. Did not mention the color. The reporter even restated 'Did you say van?'

 

[PCHS]

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.

It appears based on the info given that there was no there, there. That is the point and yet he was one of their leads.

 

[Cindizzi]

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

The first trial I followed on here was for this miserable beast :

Where Is Ashley McArthur Now? All About Her Life Behind Bars After She Was Convicted of Murdering Her Friend

In 2019, Ashley McArthur was convicted of murdering her friend, a private investigator named Taylor Wright. Here’s everything to know about where Ashley McArthur is now.

people.com

The exhusband and current partner of the victim she killed, TW both joined WS as verified insiders and posted on the threads. It was pretty surreal and very interesting to hear their thoughts after watching them both testify on TV !

 

[thefragile7393]

I don’t think it’s reasonable to compare your perimenopausal experience to NG’s experience as an 84 y/o. I am a decade past meno and my sleep is very different from when I was peri. Regardless, our experience doesn’t matter. NG’s does. And we don’t know what is normal for her so all these personalizations and generalizations probably don’t matter.

In my opinion, I was speaking of somebody saying brain fog can last only a few hours, whereas that’s not necessarily true for people who are older.

Unfortunately my parents are close to their 90s and it doesn’t necessarily dissipate early in the day, esp when sleep is difficult. So yes, it is possible for this to be relevant . Thank you though, for your opinion and your input.

 

[HerNameWasBuffy]

What does his MIL need to apologize for? She defended him persistently over and over on national TV to anyone who would listen that he had nothing to do with this and he was at home when Nancy was reported missing.

She didn't do it on purpose as she was clearly in a panic, but she is the reason the public know his name.

I don't blame her, personally I think BE was wrong to have posted it without redacting his name, but if I'd inadvertently done that I'd apologize.

As she's not the one who turned him in I hope her family is understanding about her speaking too frankly to a reporter in such a stressful moment.

 

[StaircaseOwl]

Full timeline:

Saturday, Jan. 31​

5:32 p.m.: Nancy Guthrie took an Uber to her daughter's home for dinner, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said. Investigators have spoken with the Uber driver, he said.

9:48 p.m.: Nancy Guthrie was dropped off at home by her family, Nanos said. Her garage door opened at approximately 9:48 p.m., and her garage door closed at 9:50 p.m., he said.

Sunday, Feb. 1​

Investigators believe Nancy Guthrie was abducted in her sleep early Sunday morning, according to the sheriff's department.


1:47 a.m.: Nancy Guthrie's doorbell camera disconnected, the sheriff said.

2:12 a.m.: The camera software detected a person on camera, but no video is available, the sheriff said. "They had no subscription, and therefore it would rewrite itself, kind of -- it just kind of loops right and covers up," the sheriff said. "That's what our analysis teams have told us. We're not done with that." The sheriff said there were multiple cameras at the home.

2:28 a.m.: Nancy Guthrie's pacemaker app disconnected from her phone, Nanos said.

Approximately 11 a.m.: Someone who attends church with Nancy Guthrie called the family to report that the 84-year-old never made it to services, the sheriff said.

11:56 a.m.: Relatives responded to Nancy Guthrie's home and discovered she was missing, the sheriff said.


12:03 p.m.: The family called 911, the sheriff said.

Monday, Feb. 2​

The sheriff pleaded with the public for help at a news conference on Monday, saying Nancy Guthrie "did not leave on her own."

Savannah Guthrie -- who traveled to Tucson -- spoke out on social media on Monday, saying, "Thank you for lifting your prayers with ours for our beloved mom, our dearest Nancy, a woman of deep conviction, a good and faithful servant... Bring her home."

Tuesday, Feb. 3​

Nanos faced reporters again on Tuesday, offering little new information and saying Nancy Guthrie's whereabouts and a potential motive remained unknown.

The sheriff's office did confirm on Tuesday that it was reviewing possible ransom notes.

Wednesday, Feb. 4​

On Wednesday, Savannah Guthrie and her siblings spoke out in a heart-wrenching video and directly addressed their mother's potential abductors.

"We too have heard the reports about a ransom letter in the media," they said. "As a family, we are doing everything that we can. We are ready to talk. However, we live in a world where voices and images are easily manipulated. We need to know without a doubt that she is alive and that you have her. We want to hear from you, and we are ready to listen. Please reach out to us."

To their mom, they said, "Everyone is looking for you, Mommy, everywhere. We will not rest."

Thursday, Feb. 5​

On Thursday, the sheriff said there was still no suspect or person of interest. The FBI on Thursday announced a $50,000 reward.

Savannah Guthrie's brother, Camron Guthrie, said in a video on Thursday, "Whoever is out there holding our mother, we want to hear from you. We haven't heard anything directly. We need you to reach out, and we need a way to communicate with you so we can move forward. But first, we have to know that you have our mom. We want to talk to you, and we are waiting for contact."

Friday, Feb. 6
The Pima County Sheriff's Department said investigators were examining a new message regarding Nancy Guthrie and were "actively inspecting" it for authenticity.

Authorities didn't say what the message said, but sources told ABC News a note was sent to a local media outlet and that it is being taken seriously by law enforcement.

Saturday, Feb. 7
Savannah Guthrie and her siblings posted a video to social media saying they have received a message and are willing to pay.

The message from the person claiming to be the kidnapper was sent to a local media outlet and contained a Feb. 9 deadline for the Guthrie family to pay a ransom in bitcoin. Investigators said they were taking the message seriously but could not confirm its authenticity.

"We received your message and we understand. We beg you now to return our mother to us ... This is very valuable to us, and we will pay," they said.

The message they referenced is the same message the FBI and sheriff said they were studying, according to a source familiar with the investigation.

Monday, Feb. 9​

Savannah Guthrie spoke directly to the camera in an Instagram video on Monday, asking the public for help.

"We are at an hour of desperation, and we need your help," she said.

"We believe our mom is still out there. ... She was taken, and we don't know where, and we need your help," she said. "So I'm coming on just to ask you no matter where you are ... if you see anything, if you hear anything, if there's anything at all that seems strange to you, that you report to law enforcement."

"Today" host Savannah Guthrie on Monday released a new direct plea to the public, begging for help to find her mom, Nancy Guthrie, more than one week after the 84-year-old was abducted.

Over the weekend, faced with a demand for a bitcoin ransom and a Monday deadline by someone claiming to be Nancy Guthrie's kidnapper, Savannah Guthrie and her siblings said they'd pay for their mother's return.

An unverified deadline for the Guthrie family to pay the ransom, which was included in an message sent to a local media outlet by a person claiming to be the kidnapper, came and went on Monday afternoon. Investigators said they took the message seriously, but could not confirm its authenticity.

In her Instagram video on Monday, Savannah Guthrie did not mention the possible ransom demands.

"The FBI is not aware of any continued communication between the Guthrie family and suspected kidnappers, nor have we identified a suspect or a person of interest in this case at this time," the FBI said in a statement Monday night.

Tuesday, Feb. 10
Investigators release new images and video of an armed individual suspect in the search for Nancy Guthrie.

"[L]aw enforcement has uncovered these previously inaccessible new images showing an armed individual appearing to have tampered with the camera at Nancy Guthrie's front door the morning of her disappearance," FBI Director Kash Patel said in his post.

Savannah Guthrie posted the images to her Instagram account, with the message, "We believe she is still alive. Bring her home.”

Nancy Guthrie abduction: Photos, video of armed individual released by FBI

Investigators released new images and video of an armed individual suspect in the search for Nancy Guthrie.

abc7chicago.com

Believe the first ransom letter was sent on Feb 2, would be good to know if it was before or after the sheriff spoke to the public.

 

[rosiebean]

Looks like they are just retrieving things from the house to take to them to me, but he was wearing gloves which might indicate something else or just not wanting to contaminate any potential future processing (as a general precaution).

JMO.

Going back to this: the detective with the gloves was noted as picking up mail. The detective carrying the grocery bags was not wearing gloves.

 

[m00c0w]

It appears based on the info given that there was no there, there. That is the point and yet he was one of their leads.

Do you have access to the investigative records? Tips? CAST data?

Or are you drawing conclusions from brief media interviews with one person?

Do you think the judge was wrong to sign off on the search warrant? That’s essentially what you are claiming right now - that a random person knows way more than the magistrate judge that signed off on the search warrant with all of the evidence in front of them.

 

[unresolvedmystery]

But if that’s the case, what happens with the body?

It was never there because she had been harmed elsewhere prior to that? The perpetrator may only have been there to try to fake a crime scene to point LE away from where she really had been harmed.