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

[rebel123]

The individual could be someone who is struggling financially, their business hit the 'buffers', i.e. import tariffs etc. Whose home might be heading for 'foreclosure' etc. We know that most people who 'struggle financially' don't turn to crime. But some might think it an easy solution. What might seem on the surface an easy solution but turns out to be a 'total nightmare'.

 

[Katrinepa]

The reward is upto $1 million. My guess it is tiered .

Yes, depending on what kind of information or physical evidence they may receive, and how valuable. Watched a podcast today, with two retired Homicide LE, and one said that a reported missing person's residence should be treated as a Homicide scene immediately, until/unless the investigation proves otherwise. One also said that offering a large amount for ransom is the best approach. He heard that someone connected with LE(local or FBI??) told the Guthrie family not to offer the million to begin with. Both these experienced detectives are not happy with how the case was handled at the beginning. Unfortunate, if their perspective is correct. MOO

 

[MassGuy]

If so, this has to be someone who isn’t normally following crime cases. That was SUCH a huge story with BK, you’d think anyone following that would make sure to be cautious of that. (I mean, as simple as leaving their phone on at home)
MOO

The vast majority of people have no idea about the intricacies of that case, especially the phone stuff.

 

[girlhasnoname]

I thought the sheriff walked back the "taken from her bed" story and is now talking about her getting out of bed for some reason. I am trying to develop a theory to incorporate what the sheriff is now saying.

What most people would do is not specific to the older female cohort group.

I don't think gender or age necessarily has much to do with it either. I'm much younger than Nancy and I would not, under any circumstance, go to the front door at 1:47 am on a Sat/Sun to a stranger. I'd be behind my locked, solid wood bedroom door with a 38 special calling 911. Nothing good happens after midnight.

It has been said that Nancy has her wits about her and then some. She's lived a long time by herself. Yes, she might have some mobility issues, but it appears her mental faculties are intact, older female cohort group notwithstanding.

jmo

 

[Napoli]

MOO unless I missed an update from SG regarding the reward the $1M offered by the family is only for the return of NG (living or not) and has nothing to do with whether or not it leads to an arrest or conviction like the $100K FBI reward does and would not be paid in the event of an arrest or conviction without NG being returned (living or not). IMO the family just needs to know about NG. They will want an arrest and conviction of course but all they are focused on right now and all the reward was offered for was NG.

I believe the 1 million was contingent on FBI guidelines.

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jmo

 

[Pharmasgirl]

So do mechanics, health care workers, tattoo artists, and as we have seen, law enforcement.

And...criminals.

 

[submarine7]

And...criminals.

And garbage collectors who would also know the neighborhood well. Who works all week but has weekends off.

 

[JustATech]

Not sure if approved source or this has been talked about, but if it is related, then there might be a clue here in that the vehicle was a grey malibu or something like that.

https://twitter.com/x/status/2026791367901430074

I wish we knew what time this occured!

 

[warp3dwing]

Just read an article talking about how they will look for who had their cell phone off during the time of the crime.

Unfortunately, they'll need a suspect first - and their phone - to verify they turned it off. The tower doesn't track when phones are turned off. Phones themselves don't store that info forever, either, so there's that...

The article did mention possibly tracking phones that were active in the relative vicinity, then went dormant, followed by new activity shortly after the abduction. I'm sure they're trying it - and if anyone can pull it off, it's the FBI - but it must be a challenge to do.

This also assumes the suspect, who by all accounts has flummoxed LE so far, was sloppy with his phone usage and brought it with him. It's possible, and I hope that's what happened, but I'm not so sure at this point. Even a simple Faraday bag (or aluminum foil!) can, uh, foil other ways of tracing and tracking, like Bluetooth Low Energy.

I've explored this phone on/off issue once before with the Kelley Brannon case. We were able to fairly confidently determine that a "target" phone was off because we knew another phone called this target phone at a certain time, but the call did not register on the target phone's call log and went directly to carrier voicemail. (This may not be true for all carriers.) But again, to use this kind of deduction, you'd still need to know who you're looking for.

I hope I'm wrong!

 

[OldCop]

This this this. I’d stopped using WS in the past and again during this case as much because the posts saying ‘something couldn’t be possible because THEY wouldn’t do it’ or ‘something probably happened because they’d experienced it’ were bothering me. I work in healthcare, not LE/crime, but I imagine it is just as important to take out personal bias and think outside of oneself in both fields.

Unfortunately, discussion and debate are becoming lost arts. Some people just seem to have trouble listening to other people’s point of view. “I’m right and you’re wrong.” “It’s my way or the highway”.
It’s too bad people won’t take a minute to try and understand another person’s perspective. They just might learn something new.

 

[SpideySense]

I watched a podcast with a retired FBI expert, and he said that once they find the perpetrator, it won't be a surprise to anyone. Interesting that you see exactly what he does. He pointed out that the person at the house was relaxed and didn't look professional, but certainly had committed crimes previous to this one. OTOH, the ransom notes were written intelligently and carefully, almost as if they had also done that, but he felt, definitely not the same person on the video camera. Ugh. MOO

We could use that as a brainstorming exercise here - if they arrested someone tomorrow, who would be the least surprising perpetrator for you?

I’ll go first: a neighbor or a neighbor’s adult son who lives within walking distance and tends to keep to themselves.

 

[Sakura2Sophia4Lucia]

Wow!

In this case, there’d probably a record of the garage door opening and closing, though I’m not sure if we have details on how that’s recorded. (The 9:48 and 9:50 pm times were said by the sheriff in a press conference to be approximate, and he emphasised that a few times.)

They could easily open and close it manually. I wouldn't put much stock in the garage door time frame. I go into my house and close friends' houses using the garage keypad and once I'm inside, I automatically close the garage door. Even if I leave again in 5 minutes, I close the garage door for safety reasons. MOO

 

[SMK777]

We could use that as a brainstorming exercise here - if they arrested someone tomorrow, who would be the least surprising perpetrator for you?

I’ll go first: a neighbor or a neighbor’s adult son who lives within walking distance and tends to keep to themselves.

A local criminal who does B&Es.

 

[OldCop]

agreed, the blood drops look fat and round to me and not more tear-drop shaped like if NG was actively being transported... but that makes it more confusing to me in an already befuddling crime scene!!

If the perp was carrying her over his shoulder, he may have stopped to pull the front door closed behind them so it wouldn’t be noticed as being ajar.

 

[factseeking]

We could use that as a brainstorming exercise here - if they arrested someone tomorrow, who would be the least surprising perpetrator for you?

I’ll go first: a neighbor or a neighbor’s adult son who lives within walking distance and tends to keep to themselves.

A friend or relative of someone who's done work for NG.

 

[Sakura2Sophia4Lucia]

Unfortunately, they'll need a suspect first - and their phone - to verify they turned it off. The tower doesn't track when phones are turned off. Phones themselves don't store that info forever, either, so there's that...

The article did mention possibly tracking phones that were active in the relative vicinity, then went dormant, followed by new activity shortly after the abduction. I'm sure they're trying it - and if anyone can pull it off, it's the FBI - but it must be a challenge to do.

This also assumes the suspect, who by all accounts has flummoxed LE so far, was sloppy with his phone usage and brought it with him. It's possible, and I hope that's what happened, but I'm not so sure at this point. Even a simple Faraday bag (or aluminum foil!) can, uh, foil other ways of tracing and tracking, like Bluetooth Low Energy.

I've explored this phone on/off issue once before with the Kelley Brannon case. We were able to fairly confidently determine that a "target" phone was off because we knew another phone called this target phone at a certain time, but the call did not register on the target phone's call log and went directly to carrier voicemail. (This may not be true for all carriers.) But again, to use this kind of deduction, you'd still need to know who you're looking for.

I hope I'm wrong!

Since he had cased the house prior to this crime, it would seem smart to buy a burner phone--in case he thought he might end up needing a phone--and leave his phone at home. Hopefully he wasn't using a burner phone. JMO

 

[warp3dwing]

Wow!

In this case, there’d probably a record of the garage door opening and closing, though I’m not sure if we have details on how that’s recorded. (The 9:48 and 9:50 pm times were said by the sheriff in a press conference to be approximate, and he emphasised that a few times.)

Not sure what kind of garage door Nancy has, but if it has one of those emergency latches (often a rope and toggle), it could be opened and closed without the motor. And that might not trigger an open/close event. I'm unsure how electronic garage doors work these days. I had no idea they tracked times!

 

[The Missing Canoe]

Unfortunately, discussion and debate are becoming lost arts. Some people just seem to have trouble listening to other people’s point of view. “I’m right and you’re wrong.” “It’s my way or the highway”.
It’s too bad people won’t take a minute to try and understand another person’s perspective. They just might learn something new.

Listening to other perspectives and also, to a degree, their ramblings. Like a first draft in writing, sometimes we’ve got to get out a rush of thoughts before landing where we need to be. And those off the cuff thoughts can trigger a new line of thinking in someone else; that’s what brainstorming in a group is all about. Not advocating for an additional five pages of rambling per day here, but a little breathing room could open the door to new theories. (JMO, especially all the mixed metaphors )

 

[birdbox]

OK, far fetched incoming: Is there any way possible thst NG met someone online and she was aware he would wear a disguise when showing up to visit to block identity on camera? I am asking as I have had relatives tell me that their older parents get surprisingly "active" again and at one nursing home, a friend of mine, her mother was being "signed out" by another man about 20 years younger and told them its my life. And another friend, her mother in law said her neighbor was having a fling with the 68 year old grounds keeper. And finally, another friend said of her nursing home, "This place is a #%$%#house" - so, im not trying to be crude, but is it possible a sexual visitor gone wrong??? And hes just too mortified to tell what happened?

 

[girlhasnoname]

John Scott Morgan a forensic scientist known for his work in death investigations said he identified 3 types of blood spatter from the pictures starting from the front porch to the walkway - arterial spray - initial injury, blood drops and the a blood smear that looked to him to be possibly made by 2 fingers and a partial palm print. (Maybe she grazed a portion of the concrete portico)

I posted this about 400 pages ago lol. He was giving an interview. Nancy was said to weigh approximately 150 lbs. on the Missing Person Flyers. That would be difficult for one person to carry IMO.

JMO