00:00:00
This podcast is presented by AMC Plus's Gangs of London, which Vulture has called action at its most sublime.
00:00:08
Season 3 ignites a new war, bigger, darker, and more explosive than ever as London's crime families battle for
00:00:15
control. Gangs of London, new episodes Thursdays only on AMC Plus. Picture this. It's the end of a long
00:00:23
week. You're unwinding in the tub listening to your favorite true crime podcast, and then chronic hives come
00:00:30
back again in the middle of the episode. What a wet blanket. Looks like another spell of
00:00:38
itchy, swollen, red, or skin-colored hives. If you have chronic spontaneous urticaria or CSU,
00:00:46
there may be a different treatment option. Worried about your chronic hives erupting our next episode? Learn more at
00:00:54
treatmyhives.com/garage. >> [music] [music] [music] [music] >> The FBI is investigating the
00:01:42
disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, an 84-year-old grandmother who was last seen at her residence in the Catalina
00:01:49
Foothills neighborhood of Tucson, Arizona on the evening of January 31st, 2026. She is considered to be a vulnerable
00:01:59
adult who has difficulty walking, has a pacemaker, and needs daily medication for her heart condition. The FBI is
00:02:07
offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the recovery of Nancy Guthrie and or the arrest and
00:02:15
conviction of anyone involved in her disappearance. If you have any information concerning this case, please
00:02:22
contact the FBI at 1-800- call FBI. That's 1-800-225-5324. Or you can submit a tip online at
00:02:33
tips.fbi.gov. [snorts] This is True Crime Garage. >> [music] >> Welcome to True Crime Garage. Wherever
00:02:51
you are, whatever you are doing, thanks for listening. I am your host, Nick, and
00:02:56
we are going to Arizona for this one, where the frantic search for 81-year-old Nancy Guthrie continues. The story began
00:03:06
with an urgency that felt like a clock ticking somewhere out of sight. We have worked feverishly through the night to
00:03:15
bring you this report today with a lot of information coming from many different outlets. Some of it clear and
00:03:21
concise, and some of it left open to interpretation. So, bear with us as we do our very best to deliver to you the
00:03:29
news and updates in this ongoing story and investigation. Officials confirm several ransom notes. One of the ransom
00:03:37
notes sent to media included a 5:00 p.m. deadline, which expired yesterday, which
00:03:44
was Thursday, February 5th. Though no one could say which time zone the sender was referring to, but it is assumed
00:03:53
that the abductor or abductors were meaning the 5:00 p.m. Mountain Standard Time. More concrete was another grim
00:04:01
detail, blood found on Nancy Guthrie's porch has been confirmed as hers. The Pima County Sheriff has tried to
00:04:11
instill hope in this case saying he believes Nancy Guthrie is still alive. Quote, "We believe Nancy is still out
00:04:20
there. We want her home." The Sheriff's Department, the FBI, and a network of agencies are working non-stop on this
00:04:29
case. The message repeated and reinforced through the official voice that sought to calm panic while
00:04:37
projecting relentless effort on behalf of law enforcement. The hope is simple, and its simplicity made it feel all the
00:04:45
more urgent. Bring Nancy home and then get to the truth. Bring Nancy home and get to the truth. On the ground in
00:04:54
Tucson, reporter Jonathan Hunt offered up a sobering update saying the most important
00:05:01
questions remain untouched. Where is Nancy Guthrie? Who is controlling her right now?
00:05:08
Without answers to those, we turn to the details, the kind that stitched together
00:05:13
a timeline. We know that Nancy had dinner Saturday night with family members believed to be her daughter
00:05:19
Annie and Annie's husband Tomasso. Then, the pivotal window of time, 41 minutes beginning at 1:47 a.m. Sunday morning.
00:05:29
So, at 1:47 a.m., Nancy's doorbell camera was disconnected. Around 2:12 a.m., another camera indicated and
00:05:38
detected something, a person, perhaps, but no one can say whether any visible video exist from that moment. It was as
00:05:48
if the cameras were aware but silent. Then at 2:28 a.m. a telling disruption occurred.
00:05:58
Nancy Guthrie's pacemaker disconnected from her Apple Watch and her iPhone. This break in the chain, technological
00:06:07
and medical, suggesting separation from these devices. And the point at which she was likely taken from her home, 2:28
00:06:18
a.m. But the largest question remained unanswered, who took her? The sheriff's words were deliberate and carefully
00:06:25
withheld from speculation. They are saying at this time no suspect has been identified, no person of interest named.
00:06:31
The sheriff's department emphasized that they were working at their best to develop leads, but no
00:06:38
one should be considered a prime suspect and no one would be officially ruled out. The
00:06:45
sheriff's remarks at the press conference, cautious. That's how I would describe them, as cautious. Better to
00:06:51
hold the possibility of someone's involvement than to prematurely absolve them and later discover an overlooked
00:07:00
connection. So, nobody ruled out, no suspects named. Earlier in the week, officials said the crime scene at
00:07:07
Nancy's home had been released. The investigative work there was done and complete, but that turned out to be a
00:07:14
temporary conclusion. Because less than a day later, the home became a point of focus again.
00:07:21
Deputies returned, this time with reinforcements. Border Patrol agents with K9 units alongside FBI personnel.
00:07:30
They carried out more items from the home, one of which appeared to be a computer terminal or monitor wrapped
00:07:38
neatly in brown paper. This item was placed into a law enforcement vehicle and driven away. So,
00:07:46
many wondering had something shifted in the investigation, something new or an insight
00:07:52
that possibly led investigators to want to come back to the scene of the abduction, Nancy's
00:07:58
home, and look again, further this time, more detailed, looking harder at the crime scene.
00:08:06
We also have the ransom notes. So, the caveat here, listeners, is these ransom notes are not fully
00:08:15
authenticated, and as you will later hear with some more information we have, there's some problems with these ransom
00:08:22
notes, these ransom letters. But, of course, you have to take this very seriously
00:08:28
at the same time. The FBI agent in charge spoke directly to those who might be holding
00:08:35
Nancy captive. The appeal was human, pleading, and practical, stating simply that Nancy Guthrie is an
00:08:45
84-year-old grandmother who needs vital medication. The window for doing the right thing, they added, still exists.
00:08:54
The FBI agent saying there's still a chance to return Nancy home to prevent things from getting worse. If she were
00:09:02
to pass because she's denied medication that she needs, vital medication, and she's in the control of these abductors,
00:09:12
that's murder. Your charges go from kidnapping and extortion to murder. Now, neither the FBI nor the
00:09:21
sheriff would discuss what was threatened in the ransom letters, the ransom notes,
00:09:27
or what was promised if the deadlines were missed. But, the key word there is deadlines. There are deadlines in these
00:09:37
ransom letters. So, what do we have in this case? Everybody's watching. What do we have? We have uncertainty.
00:09:46
No one knows, not even Nancy's famous daughter, Savannah. In a video plea to the abductors and to her mother,
00:09:56
Savannah says, "Mom, please come home if you can." The phrase, "if you can" is a complicated one.
00:10:05
Because some are even wondering, is this a kidnapping or a hoax? Without proof of
00:10:10
life, there is a line that the family says they will not cross. Without proof of life, there is a
00:10:18
line that the family, Nancy's family, says they will not cross, saying, "No money
00:10:24
will be wired to a Bitcoin account without knowing 100% that Nancy Gauff free is alive and will be returned." So,
00:10:35
some very good questions here. It would appear that this is about money, but if this is about money,
00:10:42
we know that the abductors have chose to communicate not through the family, not
00:10:47
through law enforcement, to seek this money, but through the media, through national media and
00:10:55
through local media there in Tucson and around Tucson, Arizona. So, if it's about money, why involve the
00:11:05
media? Why turn it into this big spectacle? Do they want everyone's eyes on this?
00:11:11
To me, I think that the publicity feels a bit intentional. How couldn't it not? It feels intentional. Aimed at creating
00:11:21
national attention, something a kidnapper typically, normally, would avoid. Unless there is some strategy
00:11:29
behind it. And if that is the case, what is that strategy? Again, we have the blood trail, house to
00:11:36
driveway, then stopping. We can surmise that this implies a struggle and resistance
00:11:44
>> [snorts] >> before the abduction and departure by a vehicle. So, we might go in circles here a bit,
00:11:50
but we want to give to you everything that we have on this case. Again, a lot of
00:11:57
information coming in fast and furious here, and we're doing our best to sift through it and give it to you in the
00:12:03
most concise manner possible. So, first, the timeline. All right, we will go through this completely, and then as a
00:12:12
follow-up, we can go through this in greater detail before we wrap up here and go back to
00:12:20
collecting more information as this story progresses, and hopefully as this leads to the capture of the
00:12:27
person or persons involved and the safe return of Nancy Guthrie. The timeline starts
00:12:34
with January 31st, 2026 at 5:32 p.m. Nancy traveled to a family member's home. This is a local
00:12:44
visit. At 9:48 p.m., family members or a family member dropped Nancy off at home,
00:12:53
and her garage door was opened. 2 minutes later at 9:50 p.m., her garage door is closed as it closes.
00:13:01
Now, to the small hours of February 1st, 2026 in the early early morning, we have
00:13:08
1:47 a.m. This is when everything starts to get very scary. 1:47 a.m., her doorbell
00:13:18
camera disconnects. And of course, given the result, we know this is intentional. 2:12 a.m.
00:13:28
Software security software detects a person on camera. Now, we need to be clear here.
00:13:35
There is no video available for this. They as far as we are being told, law enforcement
00:13:43
and the family does not have video of this person. Just simply a an alert an alarm saying that a camera has picked
00:13:53
something up, something in motion, we believe a person. Okay, so what's going on here? They have no video available.
00:14:00
There was no subscription at the time. Uh no current subscription for this security software that was
00:14:11
active. 2:28 a.m. Nancy Guthrie has a pacemaker. Her pacemaker app shows that it's
00:14:19
disconnected from her other devices. Okay, so she has devices, smart devices, her phone and Apple Watch monitoring and
00:14:29
keeping in contact with this pacemaker. The pacemaker app shows a disconnect at this time, 2:28 a.m.,
00:14:37
from her other devices. 11:56 a.m. Her family goes to check on her. And again, we'll get more into these
00:14:46
details as we go through the information. The devil's in the details, some say, and some say God is in the
00:14:53
details as well. 12:03 p.m. 911 is called. The 911 call goes to PCSD. That's the Pima County Sheriff's
00:15:07
Department. This is alerting them that something is wrong and that Nancy is missing. She's not at
00:15:14
her home where they expected her to be. 12:15 p.m. Patrol and Sheriff's Department personnel, the deputies are
00:15:23
on the scene. They're at Nancy's home. So, the disconnection of the camera or cameras
00:15:29
would suggest professionalism, precision, and then the movements prior of our victim, of our missing person, Nancy
00:15:38
Guthrie. She goes to a family member's home. She's returned just before 10:00 p.m.
00:15:44
Garage door open, garage door closes. You have to wonder what was going on in the home, if anything,
00:15:52
during that time that she was gone. Perhaps a person or persons, maybe they were inside before Nancy was
00:15:59
dropped off just before 10:00 p.m. on that Saturday night. Now, as we said, there was a second look
00:16:06
at the home, at the crime scene by FBI and deputies. While this may be standard protocol,
00:16:14
the FBI conducting their own sweep, or it could be something else, maybe prompted by some type of new discovery,
00:16:22
triggering them to return to the scene. Agents also went to the sister's house, Savannah's sister's
00:16:32
home. So, Savannah's sister has been met with some media scrutiny, internet scrutiny, directed at the
00:16:40
sister and particularly her husband. It looks like electronics have been taken for data downloads and digital
00:16:50
evidence both at Nancy's home and the sister/daughter's home. And there's been some confusion
00:17:00
that has stemmed from mixed statements coming out from law enforcement in this case.
00:17:10
We have forced entry that was mentioned and then retracted, and then information withheld. So,
00:17:17
changing details about whether there was forced entry or not forced entry into the home, changing
00:17:23
details about who dropped Nancy off. First, that person was mentioned by name at one point.
00:17:32
It So, it went from being she was dropped off by someone to family dropped her off to a specific person in the
00:17:38
family dropped her off to now back to just saying that family or a family member
00:17:45
was the one to return Nancy to her home on Saturday evening. Not just confusion here, but there's
00:17:52
also a level of scrutiny against the sheriff's department. Many citing the absence of a patrol car.
00:18:02
So, it's believed that nobody was guarding the scene for days. So, once they left initially and before they came
00:18:08
back, nobody was locking down the crime scene. So, you have reporters that were able to approach the house. And we know
00:18:16
that there's evidence outside of the home, outside of those four walls. We have the blood spatter on the front
00:18:22
porch. Could leaving this scene unsecured and not locked down, could this potentially compromise
00:18:33
the crime scene? The site of the abduction. Some even calling the sheriff's department's work
00:18:40
amateurish. Of course, very strange too is the multiple deadlines that we get in these
00:18:45
ransom letters, ransom notes. To me, that also feels a bit amateurish. Multiple deadlines?
00:18:54
So, we still have the deadline looming on Monday, this coming Monday at 5:00 p.m.
00:19:00
Now, a kidnapping for ransom involving someone with medical needs, I would say that there's reason to
00:19:07
believe that this person knew in advance that the victim has medical needs has medication that they need. She's not
00:19:18
extremely mobile, either. So, I think this could very well suggest more than one person is likely involved.
00:19:26
If that is the case, this would be an opening for the investigation to find weaknesses through
00:19:32
communications between co-conspirators. Find those communications. Those communications, often digital,
00:19:41
leave a footprint, leave a, for lack of better term, paper trail, a breadcrumb trail. These would be
00:19:50
extreme vulnerabilities to this operation and to avoid going undetected. Just a lot of questions and concerns looming
00:19:59
within the details on this ongoing story and investigation. The cameras that went dark, the blood
00:20:08
confirmed as Nancy's, the pacemaker disconnecting, these points form a skeleton of facts.
00:20:16
Law enforcement's returning to the house, then the removal [snorts] of electronics.
00:20:21
We also have the appeals to the potential kidnappers. The silence >> [snorts] >> from the media and from law enforcement
00:20:28
about the threats in the ransom note. The investigation is unfolding under intense pressure.
00:20:36
Pressure to bring Nancy home and now media pressure, as well. The family's pleas have echoed alongside
00:20:48
with caution. And yet, as this case drags on, hope is holding on steady that Nancy Guthrie is still alive
00:20:57
somewhere and there is still a chance to bring her home safely. More after this quick beer break.
00:21:07
>> [music] >> This show is sponsored by BetterHelp. Everyone is still just figuring it out,
00:21:18
whether it's single, dating, or in a relationship, we're all still trying to figure it out. February is the month of
00:21:26
hearts, roses, and chocolates. No matter where you are on your romance journey, single, dating, or just focusing on you,
00:21:33
therapy can be a helpful way to sort through it all. Signing up for therapy with BetterHelp can help you find your
00:21:40
way by understanding what you want from a relationship and taking some of the pressure off yourself. BetterHelp is the
00:21:47
world's largest online therapy platform and handles the initial therapist matching work for you. Just take a short
00:21:54
questionnaire to share your needs and preferences, and thanks to BetterHelp's industry-leading match fulfillment rate,
00:22:01
they usually get your match right the first time. You can also feel confident knowing BetterHelp therapists work
00:22:08
according to strict code of conduct and are fully licensed in the US. Everyone is still finding their way. Find yours
00:22:16
and feel lighter. Sign up and get 10% off at betterhelp.com/garage. That's betterhelp.com/garage.
00:22:25
Treat yourself by checking out betterhelp.com/garage today. With shorter days and packed schedules,
00:22:31
it's easy for kids to lose focus. IXL gives them a simple, stress-free way to keep skills sharp and stay engaged
00:22:40
without adding pressure. IXL is an award-winning online learning platform that helps kids truly
00:22:47
understand what they're learning. Whether they're building math confidence, strengthening reading and
00:22:53
writing skills, or reviewing science concepts, it covers math, language arts, science, and social studies from pre-K
00:23:01
through 12th grade with personalized interactive content that adapts to each child's level and pace. IXL's used in 96
00:23:11
of the top 100 school districts in the US. It's an easy way to support learning as the school year moves into its most
00:23:19
important stretch. Make an impact on your child's learning. Get IXL now and True Crime Garage listeners can get an
00:23:27
exclusive 20% off IXL membership when they sign up today at ixl.com/garage. Visit ixl.com/garage
00:23:40
to get the most effective learning program out there at the best price. A well-built wardrobe is about pieces
00:23:48
that work together and hold up over time. That's what Quince does best. Premium materials, thoughtful design,
00:23:56
and everyday staples that feel easy to wear and easy to rely on even as the weather shifts. Quince has the everyday
00:24:05
essentials with quality that last. Organic cotton sweaters, polos for every occasion, lighter jackets that keep you
00:24:14
warm in the changing seasons. The list goes on. Quince works directly with top factories and cuts out the middle men,
00:24:22
so you're not paying for brand markup, just quality clothing. I've told you before, one of my favorite and best
00:24:30
purchases I made late last year was Quince's men's cotton pique knit overshirt. It comes in three colors and
00:24:38
I love it so much that I got two of them. And I always pick up tees and some socks while shopping Quince. And
00:24:45
quince.com is not just great clothing. Shop for furniture, jewelry, travel, men's, women's, baby, and kids. Get a
00:24:54
Valentine's gift for her. Get a Valentine's gift for him. I love quince.com. Refresh your wardrobe with
00:25:01
Quince. Go to quince.com/garage for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too.
00:25:12
That's q u i n c e dot com slash garage. Free shipping and 365-day returns. quince.com/garage.
00:25:23
Stop paying too much for wireless just because that's how it's always been. Mint Mobile exists purely to fix that.
00:25:31
Same coverage, same speed, just without the inflated price tag. The premium wireless you expect, unlimited talk,
00:25:39
text, and data, but at a fraction of what others charge. And this is why I love Mint Mobile. It's the same wireless
00:25:47
that I always got. Unlimited talk, text, and data, but guess what? At a fraction
00:25:52
of the price. I'm saving roughly around $100 per month. That's crazy. That's $1,200 a year. With Mint Mobile, I'm
00:26:01
getting great coverage at a fraction of the price. I couldn't be happier. Ready to stop paying more than you have to?
00:26:08
New customers can make the switch today and for a limited time get unlimited premium wireless for just $15 per month.
00:26:16
Switch now at mintmobile.com/tcg. That's mintmobile.com/tcg. Upfront payment of $45 for 3 months, $90
00:26:26
for 6 months, and $180 for 12-month plan required. $15 per month equivalent. Taxes and fees extra. Initial plan term
00:26:36
only. Over 50 GB may slow when the network is busy. Capable device required. Ability, speed, and coverage
00:26:44
varies. Additional terms apply. See mintmobile.com. Switch now at mintmobile.com/tcg.
00:26:55
>> [music] >> Welcome back and cheers. The disappearance of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie from her home just outside of
00:27:07
Tucson, Arizona has triggered a frantic search, a puzzling ransom demand, and a family's desperate plea for her safe
00:27:15
return. Now, here is some very, very recent news, maybe connected, maybe not, but very interesting and it's difficult
00:27:23
to believe that this is 100% a coincidence. So, on the very same day that Nancy Guthrie vanished from her
00:27:31
Tucson residence, a separate, yet strangely parallel, dramatic drama unfolding just 2 hours
00:27:39
away. This is in the affluent city of Scottsdale, Arizona. Beautiful city of Scottsdale, Arizona. If you get the
00:27:47
opportunity, go there. Experience Scottsdale. It's great. While law enforcement officials have remained
00:27:53
tight-lipped on this one, making no official statements connecting this incident with the
00:28:00
incident in the ongoing investigation into Nancy Guthrie's disappearance and abduction,
00:28:06
there are simil- similarities. There are similarities here between them that are
00:28:11
very hard to ignore and we won't. So, the Scottsdale case centers around a multi-million dollar cryptocurrency
00:28:21
scheme allegedly orchestrated by two teenagers whose identity is known. They've been apprehended, but
00:28:30
their identities are being protected due to their status as minors. And as the information goes,
00:28:39
we know that on January 31st, these two young individuals reportedly approached a Scottsdale home
00:28:47
under the guise of being delivery drivers. This ruse, this disguise, simple, yet effective,
00:28:57
was designed to lower the guard of the residents within side that home. Once the door was opened, they allegedly
00:29:03
forced their way inside with their intentions quickly turning from delivery to domination. The victim was swiftly
00:29:10
overpowered and bound with duct tape, now a prisoner in their own home. According to court documents, the story
00:29:17
of how these two teenagers arrived at this moment is as convoluted as the crime itself, as convoluted as the Nancy
00:29:25
Guthrie story. But, the pair only recently met, which is very strange, and they were were reportedly being extorted
00:29:34
by some shadowy figures, known only by the cryptic monikers Red and Eight, persons identifying
00:29:45
themselves only as Red and Eight. These mysterious individuals allegedly dispatched the two teens from
00:29:53
California, providing them with a sum of $1,000 to procure provisions to carry out this abduction
00:30:07
or hostage situation. Okay, so this money is not for personal use. This was was earmarked for specific nefarious
00:30:17
purposes. To purchase supplies for this criminal enterprise. The shopping list included disguises to conceal their
00:30:28
identities, restraints to subdue their target, and an assortment of burglary tools. Once inside the Scottsdale home,
00:30:37
the home invasion began to unravel. The teenagers confronted one of the victims,
00:30:42
demanding that they turn over their cryptocurrency. However, the victim denied possessing any such digital
00:30:49
assets. Unbeknownst to the intruders, another person was actually in the house. This is an adult son was in a
00:30:55
different room. He managed to quietly call the police, alerting them that this situation is unfolding in real time. We
00:31:04
have a home invasion going on here. The arrival of law enforcement officers sent
00:31:08
the teenagers scrambling. They fled the scene in a desperate attempt to escape, but
00:31:15
the chase was short-lived. They were soon apprehended and taken into custody. Now, the case took another turn when one
00:31:22
of the teenagers' mothers discovered a series of alarming text messages on her son's phone.
00:31:29
The messages detailed a plan involving dressing up in a delivery uniform and committing a burglary. Critically, these
00:31:37
texts also contained the specific home address in Scottsdale that was the target.
00:31:44
The concerned mother immediately contacted law enforcement authorities in California, in the state of California,
00:31:50
who then turned over and notified Scottsdale Police Department about this what was looking like a potential burglary
00:32:01
attempt. So, these people have to endure this home invasion because unfortunately
00:32:08
this crucial piece of information actually arrived, made its way to Scottsdale Police
00:32:15
after the home invasion had already taken place. So, following their arrest, the two teenagers are now facing a
00:32:23
handful of serious felony charges, including burglary, aggravated assault, and kidnapping. During their capture,
00:32:31
police reported that the teens were in possession of a 3D printed gun. We're starting to see this pop up in other
00:32:40
cases, very recent cases, some of them that we have covered here in the garage. However, police noted that the weapon
00:32:47
contained no ammunition. Now, its actual functionality remains uncertain at this
00:32:52
time. This violent home invasion in Scottsdale, a city just 2 hours north of Tucson, where Nancy Guthrie has been
00:33:00
abducted, cast a long shadow over that ongoing investigation. The ongoing investigation
00:33:06
into the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie. Now, as investigators work tirelessly to
00:33:11
piece together the final moments before she went missing, there's still those strange echoes between a kidnapping plot
00:33:19
for cryptocurrency and a woman's sudden disappearance, Nancy Guthrie's sudden disappearance,
00:33:25
that is leaving many more questions than answers. And then, we also have this. There is this as well, separate story
00:33:35
here. A 42-year-old California man was arrested for allegedly sending fake ransom text.
00:33:43
I'm saying the plural there, text, to Savannah Guthrie's family in connection to missing mother Nancy Guthrie.
00:33:51
A criminal complaint in that situation was filed on Thursday, February 5th, identifying this man as Derek
00:34:01
Calella. And I'm going to spell that because I don't feel confident that I'm saying it
00:34:05
correctly. Derek c a l l e l l a. Quote, "We have made one arrest related to an impostor ransom demand, and a complaint
00:34:16
will be presented to a magistrate judge later today." Said FBI agent Heath Jenke during a news
00:34:25
conference that took place early on Thursday. Quote, "My next message is to those imposters who are trying to take
00:34:34
advantage and profit from this situation. He's talking about missing Nancy Guthrie. And he adds, "We will
00:34:42
investigate and ensure you are held accountable for your actions." End quote. Now, let's go through this Nancy Guthrie
00:34:50
abduction timeline in some greater detail. This was to be an ordinary Saturday night. Nancy Guthrie, a regular
00:34:59
churchgoer, it's reported she took an Uber to the nearby home of her daughter Ann and her son-in-law, Tomasso. And
00:35:08
after an evening of dinner and games, a family member, remember it's now reported as a family member, dropped her
00:35:15
back at her house. This would be at 9:48 p.m. This sounds like a lovely evening together with family.
00:35:24
If it were me getting dropped off, little TV, maybe a glass of wine, hitting the hay. But that's not going to
00:35:30
be the case here. So, initial reports were vague about who this family member was, with the local sheriff only
00:35:36
confirming that it was family. However, subsequent report in The New York Times,
00:35:41
quoting the sheriff, identified the individual who dropped her off as the son-in-law, Tomasso.
00:35:47
And according to that report, he also allegedly ensured that Nancy made it safely inside the home before he pulled
00:35:56
off, before he drove off. Now, this discrepancy would later become a point of confusion and speculation as the
00:36:02
sheriff's office reverted to the more ambiguous quote family member end quote description a day later.
00:36:11
We know that Nancy entered her home through the garage, according to that report.
00:36:15
And for 2 minutes, the garage door remained open before closing. It is unknown if she locks her doors.
00:36:23
It's unknown if someone was already inside the home lying in wait. Now, the first sign that something was
00:36:29
terribly wrong occurred in the early hours of Sunday morning at 1:47 a.m. Nancy's doorbell camera was
00:36:36
disconnected. Authorities would later state that it had been physically physically removed
00:36:43
from the house and remains missing. So, not just disconnected, whoever disconnected it took it with them when
00:36:50
they took Nancy from the home. Then, just 25 minutes later at 2:12 a.m. security software connected to another
00:36:58
camera at the residence flagged the presence of a person. However, a critical failure in
00:37:06
the system meant no video was recorded. The homeowner, Nancy Guthrie, did not have a subscription for the service, so
00:37:12
the system was set to overwrite its own data like in a continuous loop. So, this
00:37:18
is a leaving investigators with the notification and alert, but actual no visual evidence,
00:37:27
or at least we are being told. At 2:28 a.m., this is 16 minutes after the person was detected on the property,
00:37:36
Nancy's pacemaker app, which was connected to her phone, was disconnected. It disconnected from that
00:37:42
device. So, this makes sense as her phone was later found left behind in her bedroom along with her Apple Watch. So,
00:37:51
somebody was mindful enough about these items or didn't care for them regardless
00:37:58
of the situation. We would probably be you know, we'd be able to find Nancy or have a better better lead as to her
00:38:07
location if either of these items were removed from the home or remained on her person. So, this 41-minute window,
00:38:17
right, from the disconnection of the doorbell camera to the pacemaker app going offline, This is going to be the
00:38:24
critical point of focus for the investigation. And as we said the following morning,
00:38:29
Nancy's absence was noted when she failed to show up for church, which was extremely unusual for Nancy. This was a
00:38:39
big time deviation from her routine. So by noon on Sunday, concerned family members went to check on her at the
00:38:47
house. They found the home empty. Nancy was gone. It's not known if they discovered the blood that has been
00:38:54
reported on the porch. The police were immediately called and what began as a wellness check quickly
00:39:02
escalated to a kidnapping investigation. Investigators arriving at the scene discovered evidence that pointed towards
00:39:10
a violent struggle. They were saying that very quickly that this was a crime scene that Nancy did not want to leave.
00:39:18
This has got to be from what they're seeing inside the home, obviously, but what's been reported, what we do know,
00:39:24
of course, is that blood found on the porch of the home. And then forensic analysis of that blood later confirmed
00:39:31
that it belonged to Nancy Guthrie. The case immediately after this entering a critical forensic
00:39:39
phase, authorities began the painstaking work of piecing together what happened. They started
00:39:47
reviewing surveillance footage from neighboring homes, analyzing cell tower data, and checking license plate cameras
00:39:54
in the area. And we're being told that all of this there's no signs of Nancy. Now, the investigation took a strange
00:40:04
and public turn with the emergence of a ransom note. However, this does not seem to be a typical kidnapping
00:40:14
scenario, right? Cuz instead of contacting the family directly, the note was sent to media outlets including a
00:40:21
local news station and the celebrity news site TMZ. If you have been alive and breathing the
00:40:31
last few years, you know exactly what TMZ is. They're all over social media, they're on
00:40:37
they're creeping into every body else's shows across all networks constantly. So, the
00:40:43
details of this ransom letter were described as the as as of this recording those ransom letters have not been made
00:40:52
public. If we have an arrest, if she's returned safely if this thing goes to court
00:40:59
we'll see those ransom letters. But from what we're being told, they're described
00:41:03
as terrifying, quote terrifying. This is how a local news anchor described the one they received saying that
00:41:14
the ransom communication they received contained sensitive information that only someone
00:41:20
directly involved in the abduction would know. The letter reportedly began by stating that Nancy is okay, but scared
00:41:28
and that she was aware of the letter and the demands within that letter. Crucially though, the ransom note
00:41:36
provided no proof that Nancy was alive and just as puzzling, no method for communication. How do we get in touch
00:41:45
with you? How do we communicate with you so we can execute giving you the money in return for the safe return of our
00:41:52
mother? The ransom letter did, as we state stated earlier, laid out a series of deadlines with the first set for 5:00
00:42:00
p.m. Thursday. That's come and gone. And a second deadline for this coming Monday. So, the
00:42:07
first deadline came and went with no contact from the supposed kidnappers. The lack of communication channel is
00:42:15
highly unusual for a kidnapper for ransom case, a kidnapping [snorts] for ransom case.
00:42:22
Because typically the primary goal of the perpetrators is to establish a direct private line of
00:42:30
communication to negotiate payment and receiving that payment. The family left in an agonizing state of
00:42:37
uncertainty made a public appeal. In a video message Nancy's son, his name is Cameron, so Cameron Guthrie spoke
00:42:45
directly to the captors saying, "Whoever is out there holding our mother, we want
00:42:50
to hear from you. We need you to reach out. We need a way to communicate with you so that we can move forward, but
00:42:57
first we have to know that you have our mom. We want to talk to you and we are waiting for contact." End quote. The
00:43:07
family later released a second video reiterating their desperation for proof of life. Quote, "We are ready to talk.
00:43:15
However, we live in a world where voices and images are easily manipulated. We need to know without a doubt that she is
00:43:21
alive and that you have her." During a second search, we talked about them going back, law enforcement going back,
00:43:28
during a second search of Nancy's home federal agents including border patrol and canine units
00:43:37
were seen removing items from the home including what appeared to be a computer monitor wrapped in brown paper. As the
00:43:43
investigation broadened, the FBI's presence became more prominent. FBI agents, federal agents were seen at the
00:43:50
home of Nancy's daughter, Annie, carrying a Cellebrite device. C E L L E B R I T E Cellebrite device. So this is
00:44:02
high-tech equipment. We often talk about the advantages these days that law enforcement have even at
00:44:10
the local level, not just at the federal level, at the local level. The Batman utility belt. What tools do you have in
00:44:16
your crime-fighting Batman utility belt? How can you detect crime? How can you identify criminals? How can you stop
00:44:24
them? How can you apprehend them? This is just another great device. And this is one of the first times that I'm
00:44:30
hearing of such of a such a device. So, this is high-tech equip equipment used to extract data from phones and
00:44:39
computers. That's to put it as simple as possible. We'll go through the intricacies of such device. So,
00:44:48
the families' own devices were being searched as part of this investigation. Makes sense.
00:44:54
The sheriff publicly stated that no one has been ruled out as a suspect. When asked specifically about family members,
00:45:01
he reiterated, "We don't have any suspects. We don't have any persons of interest." So, yes, at this point
00:45:06
everyone effectively remains a suspect. Former FBI agent who was a hostage negotiator, his name
00:45:15
Kyle Van Wechel, described the family's public pleas for contact as quote, "Not a positive sign."
00:45:25
Noting that in a typical kidnapping, the captors are the ones initiating communication to secure the ransom.
00:45:32
The fact that they sent the note to the media instead of the family, he says suggested a desire for attention
00:45:40
or possibly an ulterior motive beyond just getting paid, just getting that bag. The passing of the first deadline
00:45:50
without any word is also deeply wor- worrisome. Quote, "That would be a reason potentially for
00:45:57
the captor not to communicate back if there's no reason to communicate back, Bow Winkle said.
00:46:05
This, of course, alluding to the grim possibility that something may have gone wrong during the abduction or
00:46:13
the threat has been neutralized, I guess, where the that's the other thing that we have to consider here. That's a
00:46:19
sad possibility. It's rare, but it's also a sad possibility. Just because they are
00:46:25
demanding a ransom for her safe return, that doesn't 100% mean that Nancy Guthrie is still alive.
00:46:32
There is a public cry, a public urge for help with $50,000 a $50,000 reward offered for information
00:46:42
leading to Nancy's location. Billboards with her picture, with Nancy's picture, have gone up across the state of
00:46:49
Arizona. The public is advised to watch for unusual behavior in their communities.
00:46:57
Person or persons stockpiling supplies, restricting access to their homes, or being obsessively fixated on the news
00:47:07
coverage of the case. Former FBI special agent Tom Baker expressed hope, stating that with a
00:47:16
kidnapping for ransom, the FBI has a strong track record of resolving such cases with the vast majority of the
00:47:24
victims being recovered alive. If the motive wasn't money, he noted, it would be much harder to predict the
00:47:32
kidnapper's actions. Baker also commented on the decision to reprocess the crime scene, stating it
00:47:39
was not surprising as initial searches can miss crucial evidence. Other questions we have and others have,
00:47:48
simple. Why kidnap an 84-year-old woman? We know that there's a lot of money this
00:47:52
family has considerable assets, but why kidnap an 84-year-old woman? This demographic accounts for a very
00:48:02
minuscule percentage of all kidnappings. If it was about money, why make it a public spectacle by sending notes to the
00:48:10
media? And most importantly, of course, where is Nancy Guthrie? And now with no suspects, no definitive
00:48:18
motive, and a chilling silence from these abductors, her family and the authorities
00:48:25
are waiting, clinging to hope, hoping that they receive a message, a message that they desperately need,
00:48:34
proof of life. Now, back to the communication coming from the family. Nancy's son, Cameron
00:48:39
Guthrie, released an emotional video on Instagram. He spoke plainly and directly on behalf
00:48:45
of the family. "Whoever is holding their mother," he said, "needed to reach out to establish
00:48:51
a line of communication, any line." They needed proof that she was in their custody. They wanted to talk. They are
00:48:59
waiting. They are ready, but first they needed confirmation that whoever they are
00:49:04
dealing with truly has their mother. We already mentioned one hoax here in the situation.
00:49:12
The local Arizona news anchor, who had eyes on the ransom note, one of the ransom communications, described the
00:49:21
moment that her her station, her news station, realized this was in the form of an email, that a
00:49:27
ransom email they received was legitimate. She said, "Tips arrive in our newsroom constantly,
00:49:34
but this message was different. It included a specific dollar amount, a precise deadline, and details only a
00:49:41
focused abductor would likely know." The team who first saw it flagged it immediately. A few sentences in, they
00:49:49
say the tone shifted. "This didn't feel like a prank. They say it felt structured, pointed, and potentially
00:49:57
real. So, they reported it. TMZ reported the second deadline. And live on air, their team stated that
00:50:05
the first deadline changed the demands while the second set for Monday was, quote, much more serious, end quote.
00:50:13
I would love to know the particulars and the details of those communications and
00:50:20
have the opportunity to cross-reference them. So, how do we save Nancy? Well, authorities,
00:50:27
as we said, this this is the high-tech way of solving these types of cases. Authorities appear to have removed a
00:50:37
UFED device, a Cellebrite device. So, this is, uh, UFED standing for Universal Forensic Extraction Device.
00:50:46
And it's believed that this was spotted removing it from Annie's home, one of Nancy's daughters,
00:50:53
and it being carried out of Nancy's home as well. So, Cellebrite technology can extract data from devices at multiple
00:51:01
levels. Physical, file system, and logical. It can pull deleted content, encrypted messages, app
00:51:10
communications, timestamps, fragments, virtually everything that's ever passed through the devices storage systems.
00:51:20
Okay, so any device in this general area inside these homes, it should be able to
00:51:25
extract information, any, as said, virtually everything that's ever passed through the devices storage systems. So,
00:51:35
if this investigation is digital, then the UFED is a critical step. So, investigators were looking for and from
00:51:42
which devices, right? What are they looking for and from which devices? The likely answer, everything digital
00:51:48
connected to the family's home ecosystems. Phones, tablets, laptops, routers, watches, cameras.
00:51:55
What do we know? Well, one thing, and I keep going back to this, there was a spike in Nancy's pacemaker around 2:00
00:52:03
a.m. Okay? So, this would be consistent with a moment of surprise, fear, or sudden
00:52:10
change in her physical state. Guesses here, based off of the the limited timeline we have, the abductor somehow
00:52:18
enters the home from somewhere other than the front door, right? Not picked up by that Nest camera. Navigates the
00:52:24
house without tripping visible, you know, visibly getting tripped up or seen on any cameras or devices, and manages
00:52:33
to reach that doorbell camera, the the Nest device, and disables it or yanks it without being recorded. Then, around
00:52:41
2:00 a.m., that spike that pacemaker spike around 2:00 a.m., Nancy is likely awakened or startled, and the pacemaker
00:52:49
spikes then. We also know within 28 minutes the pacemaker's Bluetooth connection to her
00:52:56
iPhone disappears, indicating physical separation beyond normal Bluetooth range. Okay? So, this means
00:53:03
not a cardiac failure and not death. This is just distance. So, in that span, she is moved off of the premises.
00:53:12
These Celebrate devices retrieve communications broadly, and I'm going through a lot of what I'm learning about
00:53:19
the Celebrate device with you, as I've just learned a lot of this information myself. What remains on a
00:53:27
phone, according to the information I have, what remains on a phone is often far more than what the user
00:53:34
would even realize. So, some things, some key things, again, with this investigation here, and even with all
00:53:41
this data collection, we're still yet to identify any suspect or name a person of
00:53:46
interest. Of course, investigators will be looking and have looked at the family first, spouses, children,
00:53:54
siblings, including Savannah, the public figure. This is routine. The Cellebrite device, as said, it's a
00:54:03
physical extraction. These tools extract data at multiple levels. Physical extraction to the deepest level. A
00:54:12
comprehensive dump that can reveal touches, opens, fragment carvings, everything that a device ever did,
00:54:19
according to what they are saying publicly. Everything that a device ever did, right? File system extraction, they can
00:54:26
recover deleted files, deleted messages, emails, calls, and communications. And again, people often mistakenly believe
00:54:34
deleted items are gone. In reality, digital forensics can reconstruct or at least recover See, this is key, too. Can
00:54:42
reconstruct or at least recover vast amounts of data. Meaning the majority or mostly all.
00:54:50
We're hoping for all. Smart devices of all sorts, they can pull information from them. Phones, tablets, laptops,
00:54:56
routers, Apple watches, ring cameras. The other thing, too, I mean, even in this day and age, we have smart
00:55:02
refrigerators. It's going to be a mountain of data that will be pulled by these devices. And
00:55:10
even Nancy's phone, again, left behind, left at the scene, could ironically provide the FBI
00:55:16
with rich insight into everything around her, the house, the network, the house network, the ecosystem, patterns before
00:55:23
she was abducted, patterns in her lifestyle before she was abducted. The ransom letter's second deadline,
00:55:32
Monday, 5:00 p.m., is obviously the real real threat here. But, also these ransom
00:55:38
letters can deepen the digital footprints for [snorts] this case and investigation. So, we all know
00:55:46
the FBI uses sophisticated technology, sophisticated analytics, including AI-assisted crime analysis to trace
00:55:54
origins, IP addresses, and network behaviors. And while there are those in the public who can mask IP addresses,
00:56:02
law enforcement armed with warrants can work through service providers to peel layers of anonymity.
00:56:09
These efforts are already underway. They have to be already underway in this case.
00:56:13
And we know that because we have already seen deployment of teams specializing in
00:56:18
cellular activity examining cell phone data across dozens of towers within a defined radius of this kidnapping. On
00:56:27
this show, on True Crime Garage, in the last 15 to 18 months, we have talked a lot about license plate readers. We've
00:56:35
talked about several cases involving license plate readers. And how much they are helping us catch the bad guy.
00:56:46
Not only catch the bad guy, we can often track a a trail of the offender. We might be able to figure out how the
00:56:54
offender got to Nancy's home, how they left her home, what route they took, and where they are. Nancy's location, the
00:57:01
location of the abductors. We might be able to figure that all out with license plate readers, street cameras, and
00:57:07
surveillance systems. So, even if someone has used stolen plates, you know if you've listened to this show
00:57:13
long enough that these readers capture vehicle make, model, and color offering leads. And in some cases, they're so
00:57:20
detailed. In some locations, they're so detailed and close enough that the camera angle can provide you an idea of
00:57:28
what the driver may look like, a description of the driver. Someone disconnected and stole Nancy Guthrie's
00:57:36
doorbell camera. That to me is very interesting and again, it would appear I would think somebody from inside the
00:57:43
home opens up the front door and puts their hand and arm out there and rips that thing off of the wall. They're
00:57:51
never seen, never spotted by that camera. The camera, this doorbell camera was removed from the scene. Keep that in
00:57:58
mind. It's still missing from the scene. Very serious stuff. We hope and pray for the very best for Nancy
00:58:05
Guthrie. Nancy Guthrie is an 84-year-old grandmother with a pacemaker and she needs vital
00:58:12
medication. Okay, so she takes daily heart medication. She needs this presumably daily. I'm hoping and praying
00:58:20
it look Traditionally, the kidnapper takes a victim, demands a ransom, and in some cases gets that ransom and returns
00:58:28
the victim or lets the victim go. I'm hoping that that abductor or these abductors in Nancy's case were smart
00:58:36
enough and knew enough about her that they want to keep her alive. It It would seem to me that it is in their best
00:58:42
interest uh for a multitude of reasons to keep her alive. And if that is the case,
00:58:48
hopefully they brought this medication with them and can continue to give it to her, give her food and water, and at
00:58:54
least keep her comfortable. Please do not hurt her. Nancy Guthrie is an 84-year-old
00:59:00
grandmother with a pacemaker and she needs vital medication. Anyone with any information at all, please call. The
00:59:07
number for help here is 1-800-CALL-FBI. 1-800-C-A-L-L-F-B-I. The number for information
00:59:18
1-800-CALL-FBI. There is a $50,000 reward leading to the location of Nancy Guthrie. We thank you
00:59:26
for listening. We thank you for telling a friend about True Crime Garage. Join us back here in the garage next week
00:59:33
when we take a look at a cold case with some new information, some very new vital information on a cold case.
00:59:43
And until then, be good, be kind, and don't litter. >> [music] [music] [music] [music]
01:00:23
>> How do you make chicken nuggets like 7,000% better? >> [music] >> Short answer, you let Taco Bell make
01:00:28
them. Long answer, start with all white meat chicken nuggets, bread them in crunchy tortilla chips, and serve them
01:00:34
with Hidden Valley Diablo Ranch. >> [music] >> Yep, that's Hidden Valley Ranch mixed
01:00:38
with Taco Bell Diablo sauce. It's exactly what it sounds like [music] and somehow even better. Simple math, spicy
01:00:46
results. Crispy chicken nuggets from Taco Bell. >> [music] >> A brand new classic. At participating US
01:00:52
Taco Bell locations for a limited time only, while supplies last. >> [music]