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

[Gunther Toody]

‘This is about finding a monster,’ says Chris Nanos, who stands at the center of the search for mother of ‘Today’ co-anchor Savannah Guthrie​

https://www.wsj.com/us-news/the-sheriff-under-fire-for-his-handling-of-the-nancy-guthrie-case-a50e1e96?gaa_at=eafs&gaa_n=AWEtsqdQFz7nuDlFCeVgNJaDIMVpS0dK6L-edn0GNfDdUAyqlIe97oftj1Gj&gaa_ts=69951584&gaa_sig=1F_c-HN0gvyeRLUlABayXA_ezT9YFe6L4mNVmjbkvIV3WJm3yONyEchRCH5rCuUkdHz4vgMiUgpy60KH8YpMnQ%3D%3D

Let’s work together to use our WISEST minds to solve this one! We’ve been torn apart far too long!

I think the sheriff is focusing too much on the kidnapping angle. What this does is causes resources to prioritize suspect identification, forensics and digital evidence. SAR/recovery becomes secondary unless new evidence forces a pivot and
abandonment scenarios get less operational weight.

As I said earlier, I believe this case revolves around a bungled burglary attempt that forced the perpetrator to take NG with him. She probably struggled, he hit her causing passive bleeding and took her to the car.

IMO of course.

 

[EyeCandy]

But there were no flowers, right? Just the weeds for friction. I am not the poster who said he offered flowers; just saying that those must be the ones seen as flowers.

when I first saw the photo it looked like Christmas lights

 

[elmomom]

I wonder if parabon would be used simultaneously if they believe the sample is a good sample from inside the house?

DNA Phenotyping - Parabon® Snapshot® DNA Analysis Service

snapshot.parabon-nanolabs.com

I have no links to back me up on this, but it has been my impression that they don’t have a great sample and are still working to get a good read. Jmo

 

[DizzyB]

I think the sheriff is focusing too much on the kidnapping angle. What this does is causes resources to prioritize suspect identification, forensics and digital evidence. SAR/recovery becomes secondary unless new evidence forces a pivot and
abandonment scenarios get less operational weight.

As I said earlier, I believe this case revolves around a bungled burglary attempt that forced the perpetrator to take NG with him. She probably struggled, he hit her causing passive bleeding and took her to the car.

IMO of course.

It makes more sense to me. Maybe he thought the house was empty, maybe he thought he could get in and out without waking up the resident. He may not have intended to murder, and everything went sideways while he was inside. Escape could have been first and foremost, with the elimination of a witness occurring after the fact, far away.

 

[Andreee]

dbm

 

[Pharmasgirl]

Yes, those.

Why they refer to him as Lantana!

 

[EyeCandy]

Me either, especially at that time of night. And as the homeowner, I'd think that NG would question why someone was standing there with a fistful of whatever from my walkway. I would hope that she at least had a peephole on her door.

there are glass panels on each side of the door as well. Would a peep hole work with that steel door? The mesh looks so tight.

 

[SMK777]

Escape could have been first and foremost, with the elimination of a witness occurring after the fact, far away.

What do you mean?

 

[Moonchime]

I'm not sure if this is the neighbor who lost power, but this neighbor is a pretty big gemologist and has a public role in the Tucson gemology show. I am beginning to think that perhaps the suspect went to the wrong house.

That's a possibility. The Tucson Gem and Mineral Show features a lot of high-dollar jewelry and one-of-a-kind gemstones. Perhaps they meant to go to the house next door. This case is baffling.

 

[Donswife48]

No, he was looking to the side rock beds for something when having trouble getting the camera off it appeared, then went back a bit and saw the weeds, grabbed them and tried to use those as 'friction' as his gloves were not doing it, thick and cumbersome and a rubbery material. He was not offering her flowers dressed like that or trying to hide the camera. His face was right in it. IMO

I agree, and he wouldn't be offering flowers at 2am. JMO

 

[Forest_Wood]

dbm - already mentioned several times by others

 

[Former Reporter]

Actually, one of the rules is we aren't supposed to make posts about the rules ourselves, basically acting like a mod. Rather, we are supposed to just report the post that isn't kosher. I should've done that too come to think of it, lol.

I thought I was being helpful but if I inadvertently broke a rule by linking to the rules, I sincerely apologize. Just trying to make sure that the thread stays on track.

 

[Scooby-Doo]

This has always been my thought from day one: a targeted, premeditated attack. But we wait and see....


“I believe that was a kidnapping, targeted kidnapping. I believe whoever did that knew what they were up to, knew who they were after,” the Arizona sheriff said.

Pima County Sheriff Tells Fox News He Believes Nancy Guthrie Is Victim of ‘Targeted Kidnapping’ - NewsBreak

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos told Fox News on Tuesday that he believes 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie is the victim of a “targeted kidnapping” as the search

www.newsbreak.com

 

[VenturaJen]

The protocol would be a search warrant to access the databases. It would be a long court case. I do not know about 23andme or heritage, however ancestry.com has successfully quashed MANY search warrants for

Seems like a long shot for sure. Maybe it's all they have right now.

I.

I’ve submitted my DNA to every possible database (even some no longer in business). If given the chance, I “opt in” for LE to use my DNA for forensic genealogy. Glad to help!

I have been a genealogist before the internet and started with ancestry.com when membership was very small. One reason their database is so vast is directly related to their policy in not allowing the database to be shared (LE, med. Insurance etc). Even inside ancestry, you can make your results private. I also uploaded my DNA into GED to be helpful. It only takes one and you get genetic info on two separate families (mother/father). But if you track those two parents…..the information expounds.
Those like me that have used reversed genealogy to reunite adoptees and birth families, identify John/Jane Does and now perpetrators in crime know how valuable these databases are. Still, if you came to ancestry, paid money for their specific test, understanding that it does not go beyond their walls 20 years ago or yesterday, could be problematic if they changed their policy. How ancestry keeps a secure wall is only allowing DNA result from tests purchased by them and sent by to them. Otherwise, any LE could just upload a sus DNA. Ancestry does not allow outside uploads.

 

[Gunther Toody]

It makes more sense to me. Maybe he thought the house was empty, maybe he thought he could get in and out without waking up the resident. He may not have intended to murder, and everything went sideways while he was inside. Escape could have been first and foremost, with the elimination of a witness occurring after the fact, far away.

The fear of getting caught makes people think irrationally and their behavior reflects that. If NG recognized his voice or look from a previous encounter, possibly as a lawn or pool maintenance guy for example, he would probably have panicked.

He either flees or takes the NG with him until he can decide what to do with her.
I believe he left her somewhere in the desert, possibly tied up, and did so very quickly after the event. All my opinion, of course.

 

[Andreee]

I thought I was being helpful but if I inadvertently broke a rule by linking to the rules, I sincerely apologize. Just trying to make sure that the thread stays on track.

Its ok, i will delete my reply if i can

 

[Andreee]

dbm

 

[aafromaa]

I'm not the professional of course, but it would seem more useful to do the genetic genealogy on the unknown DNA found in the house. MOO

Agreed. If it had matched the DNA in the house it might have given a direction of travel but since it did not then it really is of no value to the investigation to have found it 2 miles from her house. IMHO

 

[Monepone]

I’m not sure it’s too late, depends on the type of system the neighbors have. Neighbors could have been out of town or unwell for some time and not available to look at their systems.

My Ring camera app caught a truck taking a turn that looked like it was on two wheels. But when I went in on my laptop, the video was longer and actually took out my neighbors mailbox. I gave my neighbor the video so the truck company replaced her mailbox.

I've changed cameras and canceled my Ring subscriptions, but AFAIK and remember Ring's default cloud expiration is 60 days (after which it is deleted) if you have a subscription. However, users can change that to a much shorter time period if they want. Ring flood light cameras do not have local storage. If you have no subscription, no video is saved just like nest. In theory though, video is saved, they just delete/overwrite it instead of saving it according to your preferences.

 

[LRinCA]

Here is the video from NBC News pointing out what could be a ring on the glove at 0:45

New clues in search for Nancy Guthrie

The Pima County sheriff says DNA from a glove found two miles from Nancy Guthrie’s home does not match profiles in the national database, but that DNA taken from her property could belong to a suspect. NBC News’ Liz Kreutz reports.

www.nbcnews.com

Does it look like a horseshoe-shaped ring to anyone else?

ETA: JMO - MOO


This is a screenshot from the link (New clues in search for Nancy Guthrie):