Experts question if 'Today' segment gave Nancy Guthrie's abductor a lead
A 2025 broadcast detailing Savannah Guthrie's Tucson upbringing is being re-examined for clues about the ransom notes and the specific details known to the sender.
By Sarah Montgomery ·
A video aired one year ago on the "Today" show is drawing fresh scrutiny from investigators and forensic experts as a potential source of information for Nancy Guthrie's abductors.
The segment, which premiered on Nov. 5, 2025, featured Savannah Guthrie visiting her hometown of Tucson, Arizona. It included footage of Guthrie with her mother, Nancy, and her sister, Annie, at a local restaurant called El Charro. The video did not show their home address or specific neighborhood. However, it did show Nancy wearing a white Apple Watch. Experts believe this visual detail may have been used by the person who wrote the early ransom notes.
Nancy Guthrie was taken from her home in the Catalina Foothills neighborhood in the early hours of Feb. 1. Her family discovered her absence after she missed a church gathering. Home security footage from a Nest doorbell camera showed a masked intruder wearing gloves and carrying what appeared to be a gun. The FBI and Google recovered the video, but the suspect's identity remains unknown. Nine months later, no arrests have been made and no suspects have been publicly identified.
Two ransom notes arrived shortly after the disappearance. One note, sent on Feb. 2, referenced specific details about the crime scene, including the location of Guthrie's Apple Watch and a smashed floodlight in her backyard. Authorities reported that these details were not yet public when the note was received. Morgan Wright, CEO of the National Center for Open and Unsolved Cases, noted that an elderly person might reasonably be expected to wear a watch, but the specificity raises questions. He suggested the notes might not be credible and that the information could have been obtained simply by watching the archived video.
Lisa Miller, a retired detective and law enforcement executive, described the broadcast as a strong possibility for how a potential offender learned about Nancy. She said the segment could have planted the seed of an opportunity for someone fixated on Savannah Guthrie or looking to extort money. Miller emphasized that the broadcast does not place responsibility on Savannah, who shared her pride in her mother's life and career. Jim Clemente, a retired FBI supervisory special agent, added that Savannah's fame and the visible bond between the two women could have triggered feelings of jealousy or a desire for retribution in a perpetrator.
Bob Krygier, a retired SWAT commander with the Pima County Sheriff's Department, said he did not know Guthrie was from Tucson until the segment aired. He advised public figures to be careful about sharing personal details but noted they do not need to hide completely. The segment was sponsored by Visit Tucson, a local nonprofit, and remains available on YouTube. It highlighted Guthrie's roots in the city, where she grew up and attended the University of Arizona. The family had lived in Tucson since the 1970s.
Savannah Guthrie renewed her public plea for help on Nov. 1. She and her siblings are reviewing all communications, including social media and phone calls, to identify how the abductor may have interacted with the family. Rewards totaling more than $1 million remain unclaimed. Investigators are asking anyone with information to call 1-800-CALL-FBI or 520-88-CRIME.
