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

[Chili Fries]

I think it'd be a lucky break if it was purchased from ebay. More so than the hundreds (?) sold at possibly any Walmart across the country.

I think it was most likely purchased at Walmart, though, JMO.

It could have been purchased by a woman, which may make it difficult to tie to a male suspect. If it was bought by a woman a couple of years ago, maybe in Phoenix or somewhere else, that could make it really tough to associate with this case.

 

[Sessiebo]

No need. He's just informing the public of information he can when he can to the best of his media abilities. Totally typical of low fund SO, imo.

He is not performing for online sleuths who aren't in the field with the many others actually working the case, imo.


A sheriff is responsible for enforcing the law, typically at the county level. The role of a sheriff can vary depending on the country and its legal system, but in general, in the United States, a sheriff’s job scope includes:

• Patrolling unincorporated areas of the county that lack local police forces.
• Oversight of a county jurisdiction as an elected law enforcement officer, and a term of service that is typically four years long.
• County jail management
• Serving court papers (like subpoenas and eviction notices), and providing security for courts.

Sheriff and Deputy Sheriff: LE & Police Careers | B&SC


11-441. Powers and duties

A. The sheriff shall:

1. Preserve the peace.

2. Arrest and take before the nearest magistrate for examination all persons who attempt to commit or who have committed a public offense.

3. Prevent and suppress all affrays, breaches of the peace, riots and insurrections that may come to the knowledge of the sheriff.

4. Attend all courts, except justice and municipal courts, when an element of danger is anticipated and attendance is requested by the presiding judge and obey lawful orders and directions issued by the judge.

5. Take charge of and keep the county jail, including a county jail under the jurisdiction of a county jail district, and the prisoners in the county jail.

6. Endorse on all process and notices the year, month, day, hour and minute of reception and issue to the person delivering the process or notice, on payment of fees, a certificate showing the names of the parties, the title of the paper and the time of reception.

7. Serve process and notices in the manner prescribed by law and certify under the sheriff's hand on the process or notices the manner and time of service, or if the sheriff fails to make service, the reasons for failure, and return them without delay. When returnable to another county, the sheriff may enclose such process or notices in an envelope, addressed to the officer from whom received, and deposit the envelope postage prepaid in the post office. The return of the sheriff is prima facie evidence of the facts stated in the return.

8. Secure, as soon as possible, the home of a deceased person located outside the boundaries of an incorporated city or town if the sheriff is unable to determine or locate the heirs or executor of the deceased person.

B. The sheriff, in executing the duties prescribed in subsection A, paragraphs 1 through 4 of this section, may command the aid of as many inhabitants of the county as the sheriff deems necessary.

C. The sheriff shall conduct or coordinate within the county search or rescue operations involving the life or health of any person or may assist in such operations in another county at the request of that county's sheriff. The sheriff may request assistance from any persons or agencies in fulfilling duties under this subsection. A search and rescue unit established or recognized by a county may possess human remains as defined in section 36-301 for the purpose of training canines used for search and rescue work. The sheriff or the sheriff's designee shall keep an inventory of all human remains that are kept for the purpose of training search and rescue canines. The inventory must be updated when the search and rescue unit receives human remains or disposes of human remains that are no longer useful to the search and rescue unit. Each search and rescue unit that possesses human remains for the purpose of training search and rescue canines shall establish policies and standard operating procedures for access to, the inventory of and the possession and disposal of human remains kept for the purpose of training search and rescue canines.

D. The sheriff, in executing the duties prescribed in this section, may request the aid of volunteer posse and reserve organizations located in the county.

E. The sheriff may assist in executing the duties prescribed in this section in another county at the request of that county's sheriff.

F. The sheriff may require any prisoner who is on work release to reimburse the county for reasonable expenses incurred in connection with the release.

G. The board of supervisors of a county bordering Mexico may adopt an ordinance pursuant to chapter 2 of this title allowing the sheriff to prevent the entry from this state into Mexico at the border by any resident of this state who is under eighteen years of age if the minor is unaccompanied by a parent or guardian or does not have written consent for entry from the minor's parent or guardian. The authority of the sheriff is only to prevent entry and not to otherwise detain the minor. This subsection does not limit the authority of the sheriff pursuant to any other law. A county is not civilly or criminally liable for not adopting an ordinance pursuant to this subsection.

H. Notwithstanding section 13-3112, the sheriff may authorize members of the sheriff's volunteer posse who have received and passed firearms training that is approved by the Arizona peace officer standards and training board to carry a deadly weapon without a permit while on duty.

11-441 - Powers and duties

all imo

I think it was needed because all of his mishaps in this case could have been easily prevented and it also would have made it a lot easier on him aswell. The man normally does not have to deal with this much media attention so someone should have prepared him for what was coming. The man had to do all this while very recently having to deal with his own loss and it cannot have been easy on him to get so much critique. Also, his fumbling at times comes across as if he has no idea what he is doing. It's just not a good look all around.
Has nothing to do with "performing for sleuths". JMO

 

[cherryleaf]

IMO, and I am not an apologist for LD but shame on the people who asked if they had footage of him standing and sitting. More fodder for their armchair sleuthing? IMO, the entire interview reeked of a setup, Yes, he could have refused the interview. Then people would say, what is he hiding? He thought he could clear his name. He thought it was worth the risk. Perhaps his attorney ok'd it. Perhaps he has a psychologist who encouraged it. Fighting for yourself can be therapeutic, I would imagine. The whole raid had him caught up in a situation not of his making. He clumsily tried to explain. He wasnt there to express condolences about NG. If he had, there are those who would probably snicker. He was there to remove one of the clouds hanging over him. He couldn't win. JMO

I think his mom told him to do it…so he did it. Attorney may have reluctantly agreed, but I don’t believe any decent attorney would have advised this interview without being able to be at their side. Jmo

 

[submarine7]

It could have been purchased by a woman, which may make it difficult to tie to a male suspect. If it was bought by a woman a couple of years ago, maybe in Phoenix or somewhere else, that could make it really tough to associate with this case.

Maybe naive about how this works but can't WalMart headquarters pull all sales data on the item from across the state (and beyond)?

 

[SMK777]

“We’ve now learned that maybe it wasn’t purchased out of Walmart,” Nanos told TODAY. “That backpack is new, is exclusive to Walmart, but who’s to say I didn’t buy it and put it on eBay? ... That’s what we’re looking at.”

Nancy Guthrie update: Sheriff reveals what they've "learned" about backpack

Authorities say earlier assumptions about a backpack tied to Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance may be incorrect, as investigators reassess key evidence.

www.newsweek.com

This sure makes things a whole lot harder.

 

[Bluewing3102]

Maybe naive about how this works but can't WalMart headquarters pull all sales data on the item from across the state (and beyond)?

Yes, it would be most effective if the perp bought all these items or a good combo of these items at once (gloves, holster, mask, jacket, backpack). Using their regional sales data you'd be able to query the database by region, date, and items purchase to find a specific transaction. If you gave me access to the database i'd be able to give LE a list of transactions to look into in under an hour.

If the purchase was recent, Walmart might be able to check their cameras. If it was purchased weeks ago it makes it much harder for LE to track. Or if each item was purchased individually at different times it also makes it hard to track.

IMPO

 

[Jenesaisquoi]

Does Walmart do a ‘club card’ scheme where you get points for purchases that would work on cash purchases as well as card payments?

 

[UsernameRequired]

Why would you buy something online that has to be paid with by card (could be stolen I suppose) and shipped directly to your address (or picked up locally but doesn't seem likely for a single backpack). Seems much easier to just purchase with cash at Walmart. Maybe even send someone else to buy it in cash for you.

Criminals are dumb? Bryan Kohberger purchased the Ka-Bar knife online from Amazon 8 months before he murdered those 4 students.

https://coi.isc.idaho.gov/docs/CR01-24-31665/2025/031725-States-Response-Defendants-MiL-9-RE-Excluding-Amazon-Click-Activity-Trial.pdf

 

[SMK777]

Yes, it would be most effective if the perp bought all these items or a good combo of these items at once (gloves, holster, mask, jacket, backpack). Using their regional sales data you'd be able to query the database by region, date, and items purchase to find a specific transaction. If you gave me access to the database i'd be able to give LE a list of transactions to look into in under an hour.

If the purchase was recent, Walmart might be able to check their cameras. If it was purchased weeks ago it makes it much harder for LE to track. Or if each item was purchased individually at different times it also makes it hard to track.

IMPO

What's especially difficult is Sheriff Nanos thinking whoever bought it at Walmart may have put it on e-bay, and the perp bought it from there.
From article upthread posted by @imstilla.grandma

 

[Napoli]

I think his mom told him to do it…so he did it. Attorney may have reluctantly agreed, but I don’t believe any decent attorney would have advised this interview without being able to be at their side. Jmo

His attorney WAS there according to the latest article. Sooooo They can only advise. He was there, though. jmo
from article posted upstream
Here is behind-the-scenes raw footage of moments before we began our interview with Luke Daley. Many have asked to see when he walked in and sat down. His attorney came in with him, then we mic’d him up and set cameras.Luke was detained and released in the Nancy Guthrie case.

 

[SieSie]

I see too many similarities to totally write this guy off. JMO.
I hope for his sake he is not the one because this case will be solved IMO.

Snipped and BBM - You said, "I hope for his sake he is not the one because this case will be solved IMO." ---- What does that mean?? Solving this case would be wonderful, I don't understand what you mean here, sorry.

 

[Sakura2Sophia4Lucia]

Yes, it would be most effective if the perp bought all these items or a good combo of these items at once (gloves, holster, mask, jacket, backpack). Using their regional sales data you'd be able to query the database by region, date, and items purchase to find a specific transaction. If you gave me access to the database i'd be able to give LE a list of transactions to look into in under an hour.

If the purchase was recent, Walmart might be able to check their cameras. If it was purchased weeks ago it makes it much harder for LE to track. Or if each item was purchased individually at different times it also makes it hard to track.

IMPO

Walmart keeps the images on cameras for 90 days, as per as earlier Sheriff update. MOO

 

[Bruxer]

What's especially difficult is Sheriff Nanos thinking whoever bought it at Walmart may have put it on e-bay, and the perp bought it from there.

Funnily enough, there were a bunch of those backpacks sold on ebay.

 

[Sakura2Sophia4Lucia]

Note to Sheriff Nanos: Just. Stop. Talking.

Porch Guy would have to be a complete idiot to buy that bag online and leave a digital trail. This guy has eluded 400 FBI agents for over a month. It's unlikely he'd make such a rookie mistake.

I know semi-popular opinion is that the Sheriff is playing some sort of chess game to lure Porch Guy into a false sense of security, but I think he's just simply horrible at interviews. I think the FBI has iced him out and he's grasping at straws to make it seem likes he's still in the mix. JMO.

Totally agree.

 

[VeronicaVaughn]

Funnily enough, there were a bunch of those backpacks sold on ebay.

I have to wonder if it was sold somewhere other than Ebay. Maybe Facebook Marketplace, Poshmark, Mercari, Craigslist or another type of online market.

Edited to add that I did search Ebay when we found out about the backpack and you're not wrong, there's a TON of them there.

 

[Sakura2Sophia4Lucia]

This is attention seeking behavior. It’s disrespectful. Two random people out treasure hunting in front of a kidnap victim’s home. IMO

Best case, they are trying to be helpful. But, to me, it feels like a huge boundary violation and quite disrespectful.

Imagine people with shovels and metal detectors on the easements that abut our private property. Yes, it is an easement and possibly they are just trying to be helpful, but it feels inappropriate to me. JMO

 

[cherryleaf]

His attorney WAS there according to the latest article. Sooooo They can only advise. He was there, though. jmo
from article posted upstream
Here is behind-the-scenes raw footage of moments before we began our interview with Luke Daley. Many have asked to see when he walked in and sat down. His attorney came in with him, then we mic’d him up and set cameras.Luke was detained and released in the Nancy Guthrie case.

Right? .. and I agree with you, they can only advise. People are gonna do what they want to do. I get that. I just don’t personally believe the attorney initiated this interview. (I think mom did.)
If the attorney did initiate then my flabbers will be ghasted and I hope LD gets a better attorney. Having it with the mom and son together was imo a spectacular failure. He’s almost 40. Mom being there is a big red flag and it also looks bad. Jmo

I will also say that it wasn’t missed by me that the camera zoomed in on his mouth, hands and other areas, intentionally imo.

 

[shonyakay]

The release I posted up thread was 2-23-26. As to your response..The camera was disconnected from the wifi at 147. Where is that in your calculation? jmo

Sheriff Nanos was specifically talking about the image without the backpack not having a date or timestamp.

"A spokesperson with FBI headquarters declined to comment Monday on possible dates tied to the image or whether the person is the same person seen in the other security video released by the agency.

The Pima County Sheriff's Department said in a statement Monday that there is no date or timestamp associated with the image and that any suggestion that it was taken on a different day is "purely speculative."

"That’s all it is is speculation," Sheriff Chris Nanos told NBC News. "We understand the thinking behind it, but again, I remind everybody, we follow the rules of evidence. And right now we have no evidence to suggest that it occurred that day or days before.”

One photo of man on Nancy Guthrie's porch may be from an earlier date, before her disappearance

The Pima County, Arizona, sheriff said the implication that one of the photos was taken on a date before Guthrie's disappearance is "speculative."

www.nbcnews.com

 

[SMK777]

Snipped and BBM - You said, "I hope for his sake he is not the one because this case will be solved IMO." ---- What does that mean?? Solving this case would be wonderful, I don't understand what you mean here, sorry.

Not the OP, but I think they meant LD will be in for a horrible time if he's the one. Like saying to someone, I hope for your sake you're not lying....

 

[Rick7788]

Snipped and BBM - You said, "I hope for his sake he is not the one because this case will be solved IMO." ---- What does that mean?? Solving this case would be wonderful, I don't understand what you mean here, sorry.

I was being sanguine.
Agree with you that solving the case would be wonderful. No argument there at all.