True Crime Buffs Are Trying to Figure out Why Someone Would Abduct Nancy Guthrie

Savannah Guthrie's mother, Nancy Guthrie, was last seen by family members on Jan. 31, 2026, before she disappeared after an apparent abduction. Afterward, authorities in her town near Tucson, Ariz., began to piece together what happened and why someone might forcibly remove Nancy from her home. But what some are wondering is why Nancy Guthrie would be abducted in the first place.

She is the daughter of a high-profile Today Show host, and Savannah's net worth of around $40 million proves that she could be the target if money is what alleged abductors want. But there are other theories among armchair detectives and true crime buffs on the internet. Some believe they know what happened to Nancy. Others have ideas about why she would be abducted in the first place.

As of Feb. 6, 2026, authorities did not have an answer about Nancy's whereabouts or where she was taken, per USA Today. The timeline of her disappearance does put focus on her doorbell camera being disconnected hours after she arrived home the night before she was last seen. Her pacemaker app was disconnected from her pacemaker not long after.

On one Reddit thread about Nancy's disappearance, a user commented to say they don't think the abduction is about money.

"Don't know what the motive could be, but they could have stolen credit cards or any valuables in the residence, which does not appear to have happened," they wrote. "It does sound like whoever it was knew the layout of the property and locations of cameras to either remove or destroy them."

Another user in the same thread speculated that the abduction is related to a fan's interest in Savannah and even Nancy as a public figure.

"The fact she's related to someone famous is the big variable in this case," they commented. "Entirely possible this [is] the result of someone's parasocial delusion. Especially considering Nancy has been on TV with her daughter before."

Another Reddit post about Nancy's abduction, with theories on why she would be taken from her home, points to something bigger at play.

"I think someone is trying to intimidate journalists, and this poor woman is a pawn," they wrote. "What I know — I agree with the post [that] stated most kidnapping victims don't last beyond the first 24 hrs. However, I feel that the woman is still alive, and I feel like she is not supposed to be murdered. As we all know — circumstances change based on events. But I feel as if the intent was/is not to murder but to intimidate."

After Nancy disappeared, an alleged ransom note was sent to TMZ. The note was not immediately confirmed to be from the potential kidnappers, but, per the details of the note, Nancy was safe at the time it was sent. TMZ founder Harvey Levin shared details of the note in a video posted on X (formerly Twitter).

"I will say the letter begins by saying she is safe but scared, and they go on to say she knows exactly what the demand is," he explains in a video posted by Sean Hannity. "They are, through us, telling the family exactly what they are demanding, and they are saying that Nancy is aware of it. They are also saying that this will be their only communication and that they are done communicating and negotiating."

This ransom note later led to the arrest of a man named Derrick Callella, who authorities say is not connected to Nancy's disappearance and was instead attempting to financially exploit her family.