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

[DizzyB]

So this makes me think items were taken from the house. ..

I believe a lot more went on in the house that LE is aware of. That’s the only part that has been held close, other than “taken from her bed”, nothing has been disclosed.

 

[Cassie P]

Exactly. It's a psychological thing. We humans like things to have a wrap up. Clear "finish line". Obviously, there are times where a recovery becomes just the next piece of the puzzle and you have suspects and a trial and appeals, etc. But having that part of the puzzle, your person, is an incredibly important piece of the healing that hopefully is to come.

Truly, it's an honor to run my dog. And my girl loves her job so it makes it even better. Early on in this case I was hoping to see dogs going to work but I am assuming she was put in a car relatively quickly and that scent took off with her & the perp(s). But even nailing down WHERE the scent disappears, analyzing wind, ground levels, potential scent pool areas, weather, terrain, you at least have an idea where there may be other cameras or witnesses who possibly saw SOMETHING.

Thank you for the kind words. I truly hate this "missing" part for families. I just hate it.

What you are doing, all the therapists in the world could not accomplish for a family.
And even if the body is not found, the family feels like they have done everything they could do to recover it.

Yes I agree, your dog could have given additional important information at this crime scene. Some here are talking about NG being carried off vs placed in a car. This could be ruled in or out by your dog. We could see exactly where on the property she was placed in the car which would give more information about how the crime unfolded and yes possible camera assistance.

What else could your dog have detected at the NG crime scene? Or do you focus on body recovery? I know that dogs have more accurate assessment skills than some modern science techniques. Do you know if dogs were brought into the NG home and property?

 

[cherryleaf]

I believe a lot more went on in the house that LE is aware of. That’s the only part that has been held close, other than “taken from her bed”, nothing has been disclosed.

I think LE is aware. Nanos called in homicide because he didn’t like what he was being told by his investigators at her home that morning.

 

[cherryleaf]

What you are doing, all the therapists in the world could not accomplish for a family.
And even if the body is not found, the family feels like they have done everything they could do to recover it.

Yes I agree, your dog could have given additional important information at this crime scene. Some here are talking about NG being carried off vs placed in a car. This could be ruled in or out by your dog. We could see exactly where on the property she was placed in the car which would give more information about how the crime unfolded and yes possible camera assistance.

What else could your dog have detected at the NG crime scene? Or do you focus on body recovery? I know that dogs have more accurate assessment skills than some modern science techniques. Do you know if dogs were brought into the NG home and property?

Dogs were brought in at the very beginning of the investigation

 

[Cassie P]

I believe in the body's fight/flight instinct to survive and I wouldn't be surprised if Nancy did just that despite her age. She would have known that nothing good was going to come of what was happening to her, especially if she was being made to get into a car (trunk?) and taken from her home.

How very sad to even think of what was actually taking place, but I can imagine it was utter confusion and terror. God bless her soul.

JMO

When older women were young, we were told that once you get into a car with a man abducting you, it is high probability you will be SA and killed. So fight like hell, you have nothing to lose.

Also the women in the group I was talking to were saying they did not get to this stage of their lives to let some punk a** kid males push them around. Hell no.

So I wondered if NG felt the same way.

 

[cherryleaf]

I believe in the body's fight/flight instinct to survive and I wouldn't be surprised if Nancy did just that despite her age. She would have known that nothing good was going to come of what was happening to her, especially if she was being made to get into a car (trunk?) and taken from her home.

How very sad to even think of what was actually taking place, but I can imagine it was utter confusion and terror. God bless her soul.

JMO

Unless she was subdued somehow while she was in bed and/or before she even woke up there is no doubt in my mind that she fought back.

 

[SRWCF]

Unless she was subdued somehow while she was in bed and/or before she even woke up there is no doubt in my mind that she fought back.

I think she was subdued, otherwise that pattern of blood spatter on her front porch would have been literally all over the place had she been flailing around, versus the drip-drip-drip pattern that we see. MOO

 

[girlhasnoname]

Completely different question..If one was to plan for a kidnapping, how long would it approximately take for target selection, reconnaissance/surveillance and planning? The planning would include the actual abduction, victim detention, ransom negotiations and victim release. What do you think? Just curious.

Cheers,
Nin

I think it would depend on the intention and the intellect of the abductor. (although they've avoided capture thus far)

Local, no good bad guy looking for a quick crash and grab, not long, maybe a few days or a week. Perhaps they've done some other B&E's with success? They may not have even known Nancy was SG's mother until they got in the house, and then decided spontaneously to kidnap her for ransom. Odd Bitcoin ransom demand sent to media and TMZ that never materialized.

An intelligent abductor, purpose driven to actually receive a ransom or to settle some perceived slight or obsession with SG I would guess much longer...weeks or months. A discarded ransom demand because proof of life was not viable if Nancy passed away shortly after the abduction.

JMO

 

[girlhasnoname]

DBM.
Because I need you to explain this to me like I am 5.

Same @shonyakay, don't feel alone lol.

 

[Mistermagoo]

I believe a lot more went on in the house that LE is aware of. That’s the only part that has been held close, other than “taken from her bed”, nothing has been disclosed.

What I cannot believe is that LE and the FBI have pretty much kept almost 100% of the inside, and back of the house so close to their vest. Usually, SOMEBODY opens up their mouths to friends and family members about SOMETHING. There are not even rumors that can possibly be debunked, We pretty much have only known the same things as we did the first week,

 

[Scorpiette]

I rewatched the interview, this time without audio, and I noticed this immediately. His body language is incongruous with the words he is saying.

I once worked with a woman who did the same thing--shook her head "no" while speaking--and a colleague pointed it out to me. Turns out she had previously been in an infamous cult (whose members had been brainwashed), and it just creeped us out because we couldn't tell if she was trustworthy or not.

I'm also wondering why LD dressed the way he did for the interview. He looked very covered up.

JMO

Regarding LD looking very covered up, I wonder if this is to cover up tattoos?

 

[MerlinFalcon]

I am so grateful for Brian and Ashleigh. They have such excellent guests on their shows. It’s fascinating to hear from these experts and what they think happened or didn’t happen.

 

[korncrasy]

No, you definitely succeeded. It just went over my head a bit. Now I am back to wondering what could have caused the disconnection and if it had to be connected again what caused that reconnection.
So, and correct me if I am wrong, you don't believe a power source was cut at 1:47 a.m. to cause that disconnection?

Distance from the network.if I carry my camera around in my small driveway it connects and disconnects according to how far I am from the house.if he walked with the camera around the house it’s likely he would go out of range during that walk.it would reconnect when back in range,

 

[rebel123]

What I cannot believe is that LE and the FBI have pretty much kept almost 100% of the inside, and back of the house so close to their vest. Usually, SOMEBODY opens up their mouths to friends and family members about SOMETHING. There are not even rumors that can possibly be debunked, We pretty much have only known the same things as we did the first week,

Isn't that the way it should be? On going investigation. Gather evidence, build an 'iron-clad' case. Every case deserves this. The last thing a case needs is anything that can lead to an 'unfair trial'.

 

[girlhasnoname]

I believe a lot more went on in the house that LE is aware of. That’s the only part that has been held close, other than “taken from her bed”, nothing has been disclosed.

Which is what I believe should happen during an ongoing investigation, even though we want to know the details. Yes, we WSers can sit at our keyboards and opine until the cows come home, but this is real life, with a real victim and a real family. We do not have the right to know all of the details for a reason.

I just hope the person(s) responsible are arrested and face the harshest of punishments sooner rather than later. Nobody deserves the horrific way in which Nancy was treated, especially an 84 year old woman, minding her business just living her best rest of days out.

JMO

 

[Mistermagoo]

Isn't that the way it should be? On going investigation. Gather evidence, build an 'iron-clad' case. Every case deserves this. The last thing a case needs is anything that can lead to an 'unfair trial'.

100% agree. Just saying that I'm surprised.

 

[Trino]

You are doing such important work from a psychological perspective. Providing closure for the family. Humans invented funerals and burial as a way to cope with death and loss. The ability to have a sacred ritual to help the deceased pass to an afterlife and to place the body in a known location. This gives closure to a family.
But you need a body for this. A grave marker with no body feels entirely wrong.

I know the Guthries want closure.

Have a military deceased friend who was cremated, buried in church lot. Hometown decided to honor him with a memorial stone in the local cemetery miles and miles away. No body. Just a stone. It happens.

 

[Trino]

I think it would depend on the intention and the intellect of the abductor. (although they've avoided capture thus far)

Local, no good bad guy looking for a quick crash and grab, not long, maybe a few days or a week. Perhaps they've done some other B&E's with success? They may not have even known Nancy was SG's mother until they got in the house, and then decided spontaneously to kidnap her for ransom. Odd Bitcoin ransom demand sent to media and TMZ that never materialized.

An intelligent abductor, purpose driven to actually receive a ransom or to settle some perceived slight or obsession with SG I would guess much longer...weeks or months. A discarded ransom demand because proof of life was not viable if Nancy passed away shortly after the abduction.

JMO

No more ransom communication. Either she's deceased or the ransom was a hoax. Should LE/SG have complied with the ransom - an unanswerable question that will be with them forever.

 

[Forest_Wood]

So this makes me think items were taken from the house. ..

dbm - jewelry on body already discussed upthread

 

[Forest_Wood]

I'm also wondering why LD dressed the way he did for the interview. He looked very covered up.

He sure was layered up! He looked chunky or bulky with all his layers of sweaters/jacket when he was sitting, and I was surprised seeing his lower body look slim when walking in.
MOO