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

[OldCop]

I can’t remember where I read/heard it before (it related to another case), but LE might have the option to try for prints OR DNA. Print recovery, possibly involving superglue fuming, would likely destroy DNA evidence. Maybe they have different techniques these days, though. Do you know?

If the print was taken using a powder or tape method, you may be able to obtain dna from the print or the surface from where the print was taken. On the other hand, if they swabbed for dna first, the print would likely be destroyed or unusable. I believe the FBI was at the scene where the RR was parked. Their forensic expertise is likely much more up to date than local/smaller agencies’.
Although this is a little dated, the following article may shed some light on your question.

DNA at Our Fingertips

One of the most common types of evidence collected at crime scenes is latent fingerprints, which are typically lifted using transparent adhesive tape and then placed on a paper card. Now, with support from an NIJ grant, forensic scientists at Virginia Commonwealth University have explored...

nij.ojp.gov

 

[BellaToothless]

I do not know the answer to that. Inside or outside the range is small and probably based on the Bluetooth strength capability on the drone or phone trying to find her pacemaker. The pacemaker only gives a small range signal. But, this line of thought is focused on something unique to NG…. and IMO worth the try.

We also do not know what the govt's capabilities are boosting their own sniffer's range. Which I am sure is a closely held secret. I have looked for this everywhere on the web and 0 credible mention of it. NGs pacer range would be somewhat irrelevant if the govt has made significant advances in the sniffer they are using.

 

[NothingToSeeHere]

If we're going to continue to beat the dead horse of how long the garage was open, I think we should at lest keep referring back to the actual words the sheriff used in the press conference:


BBM, source is at about 6:55 in this video:

So, the sheriff is going out of his way to emphasize "approximately." And we also can see that the times are rounded to the minute, so even if we take those timestamps as gospel, IMO it could have been closer to 3 minutes than two. We don't have enough information to know.

JMO, this debate over the garage door long ago started generating more heat than light, but if we're gonna do it, we should use the full context.

Sorry to keep coming back to the garage door—those of you with app-controlled garage doors, what could result in only an “approximate” open time but a definitive close time?

Back when I had a garage door, I had one of those clicker remotes and a button on the wall by the interior entrance door, which would occasionally malfunction and we did not notice in the moment. IOW, we would sometimes arrive back home, or go downstairs in the morning to find the door not quite closed, or even completely open if there was a sensor or remote problem.

Since NG left her home initially by Uber, she may not have noticed that her garage door was not quite secure from whenever it had been previously used. Then when she and SIL return home, would the app register differently than usual? Would you get an alert if there was a malfunction, or could the door have been tampered with? I know the sheriff has been criticized for some of his wording, but he really went out of his way to emphasize “approximately.”

 

[Forest_Wood]

<modsnip: Quoted post was removed>
https://www.azcentral.com/story/new...ncy-guthrie-according-to-friends/88680805007/ Nancy Guthrie’s Friends Long for Their Partner in Mahjong and Life

 

[Sakura2Sophia4Lucia]

I don’t think it’s about money at all.

The “underling” character that I suspect had been created is poor, desperate, and angry. To them, $50,000 or $100,000 is a lot of money, enough for them to live comfortably for a year. The suspect thinks it makes this character believable since the ransomer asked for six mil.

He’s both somehow involved in criminal activities - at least on the fringes - but also too timid to ask a rich family for a real amount of money, considering the alleged danger any disclosure would put him in. Total BS.

I think he’s what you’d call a sock, playing off his bold ransomer character to draw not only LE’s attention south of the border, but the media’s as well.

Quite plausible. MOO

 

[MeadowMuffin]

So what are the steps now that they have DNA off of the glove? Run it through CODIS? Anyone know how long that takes?
Then what, assuming no hits? Go to a database where you can build out a genealogy profile? Are those the steps? TIA!

I don't know the steps. But I will say that when my brother (age 71 at the time) found out he had a different father than the rest of us, his son hired a genetic genealogist. Took her 2 days to get back to him with his father's (deceased since 1965) info and info on 2 half-brothers. So it may not be an onerous task, and I hope they use it.

 

[TIGER0822]

Speaking of boosts, this morning I saw a post on X that estimated how much money the guy who isn't allowed to be linked here is going to make this month based on NG: $100,000.00. I assume that's combined estimated revenue from his videos and posts on social media. It left a bad taste in my mouth, but jmo/imo.

If this is the same guy I am thinking of. He is out there working 24 / 7 and providing on the scene real time information people want. I am impressed by his work ethic.

 

[LRinCA]

Based on this article it sounds as if digging in the desert would be quite difficult.

Caliche – natural concrete, can you dig it?

If you try to dig a hole in your yard in Tucson, chances are that you will soon hit a very hard, almost impenetrable layer. The term “caliche” is a colloquial word that means different things in different places. In the Sonoran Desert, it means a mixture of gravel, sand, clay and other desert...

arizonadailyindependent.com

If you try to dig a hole in your yard in Tucson, chances are that you will soon hit a very hard, almost impenetrable layer.

The term “caliche” is a colloquial word that means different things in different places. In the Sonoran Desert, it means a mixture of gravel, sand, clay and other desert debris cemented by porous calcium carbonate and is more properly called a calcic horizon. These calcic horizons generally occur two to four feet below the surface and can be inches to many feet thick. Caliche forms only in arid and semi-arid areas. In Tucson, with an average annual rainfall of 10 to 12 inches, caliche forms more than ten inches below the surface.

I live in an outlying Phoenix suburb close to a mountain range (I can walk to the base of it). When people on this side of the community (near the mountains) add in-ground pools they need special jackhammers to get through the caliche. I didn't know the name of it until I saw it on this thread but someone had described it to me when we first heard all the jackhammers next door.

 

[warp3dwing]

I could be wrong but I don't believe it's a reckless as it seems. SAR teams often change/discard their gloves while searching for many reasons...tearing, cross contaminating etc. I hope K9Enzo could speak to this more. jmo

I can only imagine how sweaty my hands would get with those gloves on in the Arizona heat. Every time you take them off, you need a new pair. Plus, cross-contamination, like you say.

Still, it sounds like they need a better system than “cram it into a back pocket and hope it stays there.”

 

[AppleTreeGreen]

<modsnip: Quoted post was removed>
I think she really likes to play the card game Mahjong and loves playing it with her friends and family, she appears to also love cooking and baking based on her segments on NBC, she used to write for her local newspaper in Kentucky and Tucson and I think she taught a bible study group virtually according to her church. Oh, and she and some of her closest friends who were at the vigil are also in a book club together that meets I think monthly. I think NG mentions she enjoys visiting NY to see SG but she loves Tucson for the family-friendly environment, culture, wildlife and church.

She really cares about her garden, pays particular attention to her potted plants but I think the cactus are her favorite. She is proud of her kids and I think her SIL said she adores when everyone wears matching sweaters or pajamas for Christmas.

IMO I will attach links shortly

https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-breaking/2026/02/14/who-is-nancy-guthrie-according-to-friends/88680805007/?gnt-cfr=1&gca-cat=p&gca-uir=true&gca-epti=z116453p119050c119050v116453d--47--b--47--&gca-ft=37&gca-ds=sophi&gnt-djm=1

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

youtu.be

 

[PCHS]

I would be cautious about infantilizing someone. The ageism in this discussion is concerning.

Just off the top of my head I (in my 60s) know people in their 70s and 80s who are maintaining rigorous schedules in the community band, who are leaders in the garden club, who still work, who maintain their own properties, who put in a lot of hours doing childcare for their family members, who drive large RVs, etc.

My former neighbor, at age 90, used to have a large vegetable garden each year and SHE would be snowblowering my driveway while I was still lying in bed. She wrote two books in her 80s, on a computer, and still drove 100 miles a few times a month to visit her sister.

There is no indication that NG had any cognitive decline, isolation, loneliness. She had mobility issues but she seemed to have a fairly active life. She still owned and presumably drove a vehicle.

Using the same old FB photo is nothing. I personally have a 20-year-old photo on LinkedIn because I don't like images of myself.

Asking how to get to the airport? Maybe she wanted to greet someone. Maybe she offered to pick up someone. Maybe she was looking that up for a friend. She didn't need anyone to "arrange a shuttle" for her.

NG is/was not a doddering, incompetent person, based upon anything I've read. It was stated when the disappearance was first announced that she was "sharp as a tack." Lots of people look up things online out of curiosity, not need or desperation.

As to the porch pirate, it didn't unnerve her too much as she didn't move, hire security guards or purchase a Ring subscription.

Yes I don't understand the confusion about this: re: FB picture..some people change these things out others pick one they like and stick with it (e.g. me). Asking questions in a forum she posted in seems normal to me. I do this or consult online + ask people I know ...its pretty normal behavior I think ...And who said she was lonely? She had family in the area, grandchild in area, from her FB she was hosting for the recent Thksgiving + Christmas holidays..Lived in a nice home that looked well maintained for over 50 years, was active in a church group...her car looked newish...from this pov she seemed to be leading a pretty normal active existence. JMO there is no data that points to anything else...

 

[diggndeeperstill]

1–findings evidence of blood/DNA traces at the scene does not immediately mean it was NG’s blood
2–the search warrant was for the car—not an arrest warrant for the driver
3–that driver/owner might not have had access to THAT CAR when Nancy G was abducted.
4–if he DIDN’T have access to THAT CAR (which is suspicious for some reason to LE) when she was taken, then he likely isn’t the guy who took her…
5–if LE have reason to suspect that driver or those at that house know more, I imagine those 3 are under surveillance
6–there is other info available from a through forensic search of that Range Rover—
Consider the GPS history that might have been sent back to an insurance company, the Sirius people (because cars like that usually have Sirius radio/tracking option), or the car’s mfg co before the battery was maybe disconnected to wipe any data the car’s systems collected about its location, its driving times to prevent connecting to the actual crime.
I don’t know that the battery WAS disconnected but that happens when used cars are sold—to clear the history/data cache from previous users.

Cars in that price range often come equipped with theft tracking/LoJack device that goes to 3rd part monitor….that could have collected data about the times/dates LE are interested in….

Drugs are not involved in this case IMO—certainly was not illegal amount in that Range Rover when it was stopped or that driver would be in jail

Thanks for your time to answer. Totally agree on what’s available in that car. I did notice agents looking at wheel well, so I assumed looking for drugs. And I agree none found in Range Rover, but I do think they could be involved in this POI, or possible perp. Drugs would give a motive for a robbery, and connections of others with which to commit.

I do wonder how the RR/house got on their radar. It is interesting it is close and a nice neighborhood.

 

[milkshakedonkey]

Sorry to keep coming back to the garage door—those of you with app-controlled garage doors, what could result in only an “approximate” open time but a definitive close time?

Back when I had a garage door, I had one of those clicker remotes and a button on the wall by the interior entrance door, which would occasionally malfunction and we did not notice in the moment. IOW, we would sometimes arrive back home, or go downstairs in the morning to find the door not quite closed, or even completely open if there was a sensor or remote problem.

Since NG left her home initially by Uber, she may not have noticed that her garage door was not quite secure from whenever it had been previously used. Then when she and SIL return home, would the app register differently than usual? Would you get an alert if there was a malfunction, or could the door have been tampered with? I know the sheriff has been criticized for some of his wording, but he really went out of his way to emphasize “approximately.”

Mine gives exact times. Never seen anything approximate. BTW, since I looked just now, mine is generally open and closed in less than 2 minutes.

 

[penguinface]

I agree if it's a kidnapper who is technologically savvy and knew what they were doing so to speak but then why was there a time gap in sending the ransom note? And why no proof of life? Surely they knew if they're smart that would be necessary. I know there are no real answers to these questions at this point.

If it's the revenge person why haven't they claimed responsibility? As others have pointed out they would want people to know why.

But again, I realized is was somewhat farfetched that they would leave something. Like everyone else I have a lot of questions whirling around in my mind that won't be answered without more solid info.

I don’t think a ransom demand being sent the next day, and more importantly, on the same day as the story was breaking, is a massive time gap in the slightest. I’ve said this in other posts but I don’t think a kidnapper would want to send a ransom demand until they’ve seen that the person has been noticed as missing and the story of the disappearance has hit the news. I think you’d want the family to have the initial shock and worry of not knowing what has happened, let them “stew in their own juices”, for the panic and fear to set in, and increase the chance of them paying your ransom demand, rather than the first they hear of their relative’s disappearance being via receiving a ransom note.

JMO

 

[OldCop]

He may have had to put the glove on or take it off, bare-handed. JMO Or, handled them when he purchased them?

Absolutely! This is why you always check.

 

[BrittMontero]

I don't think the notion of a physical ransom note is obsolete.

It would be less traceable than some electronic communication.

Find some 8.5x11" generic office paper, use a printer one already has owned for a while, print a brief message and handle with gloves. Dispose of printer in a normal black trash bag. Job done.

Vs using a phone, computer or other means to transmit an e-demand.

The problem is with receiving the ransom. The days of saying "leave it under the third park bench from the right" are long over. I've racked my brain and cannot come up with a way for the drop or handoff to happen that doesn't seriously jeopardize the perp.

 

[Fargo]

If this is the same guy I am thinking of. He is out there working 24 / 7 and providing on the scene real time information people want. I am impressed by his work ethic.

It's not the same guy you're thinking of. IMO

 

[Sakura2Sophia4Lucia]

Interesting source, thank you.

I've been pondering about the "NG Stalker Perp" OPs and I, this morning, have profiled as theories.

What if the Stalker was NOT local, as is the presumption by LE, it appears? What if the Stalker was from far away in another state or country?

What if they work remotely such as for a tech company so they can continue working wherever they are as long as they have WiFi?

What if the Stalker planned this possible horrific act, to control NG's emotions and get her attention, for a long time? What if the Stalker rented a short term rental and car (Grey SUV?) for a month or three to refine their plan?

What if they killed SG, and since not local, they carted her body far away from NG's home - into the desert or mountains? And what if those desert and mountains were in UT, CO, TX, CA, NV, MX?

What if their Tucson rental had been reserved to end the morning of 2/1 to coincide with their exit strategy?

What if their car rental and flights to / from the area were not from Tucson, but an airport ~2-8 hours away, perhaps with the dumping location on the way from Tucson?

IOW, if it was a deranged SG stalker, did they come into town stay a while and then leave with no local trace and with NG far away?

All speculation. My imagination's queries.

Interesting scenarios that make sense. The person will be much harder to find in this scenario. It would be easy to take NG's body out of the Tucson area in a rental car in the middle of the night and drop her body in an isolated area out-of-state, drop off the rental car and fly out from Las Vegas or another out of state airport.

 

[connie9030]

And finding drugs would have let them hold the suspect longer than the meager 24 hours AZ allows. Only 6 states are that low. The rest are 48 to 72 hours. They needed time to process the evidence they retrieved before having to release them.

 

[birdbox]

I'm having an incredibly hard time grasping that all manner of LE people would take off their gloves and just drop them willy nilly all over the ground for miles around, never mind at the property. It's so insane to think about, I don't believe it. Until I hear that statement from the mouths of LE, I choose to think that what the journalist ( whoever that was ) said about that was taken out of context.

Is it possible they some of the searchers gloves fell out of a trashcan or something? It may not be a situation of them just discarding them on the side of the road.