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

[mickey2942]

I am interested in the backpack of the intruder. It is completely full. Maybe with a blanket? Or?

Has the police disclosed if anything is missing from the home?

The blood, could that possibly be from a bloody nose?

 

[Cassie P]

Interesting theory. If his role was 'cleanup' that might explain the porch perp's lackadaisical style, his extreme layering to avoid DNA transfer, and a stuffed backpack, which could contain tools of his trade such as a sack or tarp.

If this theory has any legs, it could imply an accomplice inside already, having entered another way. And as an OP opined re: odd sized tire tracks on the driveway, perhaps NG was taken out in a trash can that the 'cleanup' guy brought.

It would also imply, if at all close to the truth, that NG's disappearance and the ransom circus may be separate crimes.

I just have to wonder if NG walked into a home invasion when she returned from dinner on 1/31. Either the perps were already inside or they were waiting for her to return. And sadly, perhaps she was murdered to eliminate a witness. Unless the perp(s)'s intent was to kill her.

Total speculation and my own opinion. Since we're on Day 12, it just makes me wonder if this was not an abduction.

Does a clean up guy need a gun hanging from his belt?
ETA: The gun was meant to intimidate others, the clean up guy doesn't need to do that. Unless it is just immature bravado.

 

[Strangeworld]

Does a clean up guy need a gun hanging from his belt?

He really does look clumsy with that gun

 

[LaLaw2000]

The FBI knows what time the masked guy was on the front porch. The video footage wasn't time stamped for us to see but the time would be known from the sequences of captures from the camera, not just that night. The FBI is not going to tell us it seems. I think the guy had already been in the house and the backpack had the indoor cameras in it, possibly a laptop and tablet. Plus any jewelry, cash, and small electronics that would fit. I don't think he worked alone and the other guy or girl was still in the house with Nancy probably making her get dressed and so forth. (if it was a kidnapping). Nancy was probably bleeding from fighting back.
They were probably parked a distance away, and one of them also had to get the vehicle they left in to transport Nancy because we know she couldn't have walked very far.
I stopped posting very much when I saw the pics and video of the masked guy because it literally make me nauseous to think that it was what Nancy was awakened to.
I so hope that the gloves are not a plant by another sick monster. The gloves will leave prints due to the oils in the skin. I have to wonder if the gloves were turned inside out when found. Someone using gloves very often will pull the gloves off inside out.
I have no hope of catching up because the thread is moving so fast. The family has been on my mind nonstop since this senseless tragedy happened.

 

[flakesofsnow]

is it possible that the mask is designed to look like a person wearing a mask and therefore those are not real facial features that we see. and perhaps it has a built in light where your mouth would be. This person appears to be old and weak to me. Perhaps a love interest of NG. Maybe he walked her to his house.

 

[submarine7]

is it possible that the mask is designed to look like a person wearing a mask and therefore those are not real facial features that we see. and perhaps it has a built in light where your mouth would be. This person appears to be old and weak to me. Perhaps a love interest of NG. Maybe he walked her to his house.

It looks like multiple masks. I don't think he looks old though. I'd say 35 or under.

 

[Spectrix]

I don't think anyone has talked about the rope the criminal picks up ,in the video. Bends down on right side of entrance , can plainly see it's a rope.Or has that been mentioned ?

It's flowers that he is picking up, not rope -

At timestamp 0:24 in this video:

 

[LaLaw2000]

Does a clean up guy need a gun hanging from his belt?

He thought he needed a weapon. I heard someone on TV comment that there are coyotes out there. Evidently he thought he might need it. He was taking his time in front of the house and that is one of the reasons I thought he may have already been in the house. He was way too calm. Did Nancy have a motion sensing light on the porch?

 

[LarryLujack]

is it possible that the mask is designed to look like a person wearing a mask and therefore those are not real facial features that we see. and perhaps it has a built in light where your mouth would be. This person appears to be old and weak to me. Perhaps a love interest of NG. Maybe he walked her to his house.

now this is thinking outside the box...

 

[Cassie P]

The FBI knows what time the masked guy was on the front porch. The video footage wasn't time stamped for us to see but the time would be known from the sequences of captures from the camera, not just that night. The FBI is not going to tell us it seems. I think the guy had already been in the house and the backpack had the indoor cameras in it, possibly a laptop and tablet. Plus any jewelry, cash, and small electronics that would fit. I don't think he worked alone and the other guy or girl was still in the house with Nancy probably making her get dressed and so forth. (if it was a kidnapping). Nancy was probably bleeding from fighting back.
They were probably parked a distance away, and one of them also had to get the vehicle they left in to transport Nancy because we know she couldn't have walked very far.
I stopped posting very much when I saw the pics and video of the masked guy because it literally make me nauseous to think that it was what Nancy was awakened to.
I so hope that the gloves are not a plant by another sick monster. The gloves will leave prints due to the oils in the skin. I have to wonder if the gloves were turned inside out when found. Someone using gloves very often will pull the gloves off inside out.
I have no hope of catching up because the thread is moving so fast. The family has been on my mind nonstop since this senseless tragedy happened.

1. Kidnappers don't usually stop to pick up inexpensive items in the home? This was a business crime to garner $6 million. Why waste valuable time picking up items worth way less than that sum?

2. However the guy on the video seems young, inexperienced, clueless, perhaps poor. So I suppose he might have helped himself to anything he saw.

3. Perhaps he was doing the kidnapping for someone else. The brains of the operation.

4. Or it was never a kidnapping, but just a random break in looking for anything of value. A robber which went bad. Ransom was done by someone else separate from the home robbery.

 

[LaLaw2000]

It's flowers that he is picking up, not rope -

At timestamp 0:24 in this video:

I think a part of the video is missing. At one point it looks like he does have something larger than flowers folded over in his hands. The video is broken up. It is not smooth and continuous. I can see when he has the flowers.

 

[Cassie P]

He thought he needed a weapon. I heard someone on TV comment that there are coyotes out there. Evidently he thought he might need it. He was taking his time in front of the house and that is one of the reasons I thought he may have already been in the house. He was way too calm. Did Nancy have a motion sensing light on the porch?

Clean up guys at a crime scene would be foolish to start shooting coyotes in the middle of the night. And if he was the clean up guy he did a terrible job. He left blood all over the front entrance way. And all the plant material.

 

[Cassie P]

I think a part of the video is missing. At one point it looks like he does have something larger than flowers folded over in his hands. The video is broken up. It is not smooth and continuous. I can see when he has the flowers.

So LE cut parts of the video out before showing it to the public?

 

[Cassie P]

I was thinking the same thing. The mouth flashlight is not something I see often.

1. What occupations use a mouth flashlight?
2. Has a mouth flashlight been featured in recent TV, movie, online games?

 

[LaLaw2000]

So LE cut parts of the video out before showing it to the public?

Most likely. They are not showing/telling the public everything.

 

[LaLaw2000]

Clean up guys at a crime scene would be foolish to start shooting coyotes in the middle of the night. And if he was the clean up guy he did a terrible job. He left blood all over the front entrance way. And all the plant material.

Well, let me ask you if a snarling coyote was coming at you and you had a weapon, wouldn't you use it?
Also, I did not say he was was a clean up guy. He was after the camera and probably checking for any other cameras he could find.

 

[VicBlazey]

The FBI knows what time the masked guy was on the front porch. The video footage wasn't time stamped for us to see but the time would be known from the sequences of captures from the camera, not just that night. The FBI is not going to tell us it seems. I think the guy had already been in the house and the backpack had the indoor cameras in it, possibly a laptop and tablet. Plus any jewelry, cash, and small electronics that would fit. I don't think he worked alone and the other guy or girl was still in the house with Nancy probably making her get dressed and so forth. (if it was a kidnapping). Nancy was probably bleeding from fighting back.
They were probably parked a distance away, and one of them also had to get the vehicle they left in to transport Nancy because we know she couldn't have walked very far.
I stopped posting very much when I saw the pics and video of the masked guy because it literally make me nauseous to think that it was what Nancy was awakened to.
I so hope that the gloves are not a plant by another sick monster. The gloves will leave prints due to the oils in the skin. I have to wonder if the gloves were turned inside out when found. Someone using gloves very often will pull the gloves off inside out.
I have no hope of catching up because the thread is moving so fast. The family has been on my mind nonstop since this senseless tragedy happened.

Really interesting theory. Of course what we don't have, but LE do, is the sound that accompanies this doorbell footage. If your theory is correct, you would hope that they can hear audio from inside the house - hopefully NG making as much noise as she possibly could.

 

[luc1fer12]

My initial reaction was home invasion gone wrong when this first happened. Perhaps the perp(s) had items in the backpack to tie up the homeowner(s) while he ransacked.

Perhaps NG fought back/told him who she was and promised to get him more $? So then he took her in hopes of a bigger payday?

Does a clean up guy need a gun hanging from his belt?
ETA: The gun was meant to intimidate others, the clean up guy doesn't need to do that. Unless it is just immature bravado.

Clean up guy sent to the home of an abduction or murder is bound to be jumpy. He can’t be sure no one would show up at the house, or already be there when he arrived. What if some way, some how the family or authorities were alerted by an alarm system the intruders weren’t aware of.

I’m not suggesting my explanation is the case. But put yourself in the shoes of potential clean up guy. You are entering a crime scene where any number of unexpected things could happen.

 

[NoeticSoul]

I was hoping for some good news this morning. This case has been twisting my brain into a pretzel. Hoping Nancy is recovered or rescued soon!

 

[LaLaw2000]

Really interesting theory. Of course what we don't have, but LE do, is the sound that accompanies this doorbell footage. If your theory is correct, you would hope that they can hear audio from inside the house - hopefully NG making as much noise as she possibly could.

At some point they probably could hear inside audio before the cameras inside was ripped out. That is a large house and Nancy may have been gagged fairly soon.