What to Know
To some, the Nancy Guthrie case is an open and shut situation. She was kidnapped and either intentionally or unintentionally killed afterward and now, her captors are scrambling to figure out what to do and how to still financially benefit from the crime. For others, it’s not that simple. In fact, there are even theories about the abduction being an inside job. As in, people believe that someone close to Nancy is responsible.
But her adult children, including TODAY show host Savannah Guthrie, were cleared early on of any involvement. Still, that’s one idea that people are still hanging onto despite everything that has happened in the case and the little developments along the way. For many, it’s a case that has too many unanswered questions.
Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance has generated tons of theories.
@cnn A note sent to media outlets in February claimed that Nancy Guthrie, the mother of NBC “Today” anchor Savannah Guthrie, died shortly after her disappearance, multiple law enforcement sources briefed on the investigation told CNN. CNN and a local television station in Tucson, Arizona, agreed to a request from law enforcement and the family not to report the contents at the time so future communications from a possible kidnapper or kidnappers could be authenticated. #CNN #News ♬ original sound – CNN
After CNN posted new details on TikTok about the ransom notes on the case, users responded in the comments to share their thoughts. According to the video, the details prove that Nancy is dead and that she has been dead for quite some time, despite the report coming out five months after her disappearance. But the kicker is that people really think the entire thing was fabricated in some way.
“I forgot all about this. I still think it was staged,” one user commented on the TikTok.
The same user added that it “just felt fishy the entire time.”
Another person wrote, “So it takes five months to figure this out? This has been sketchy from the beginning.”
Someone else commented, “None of the information that has been made public doesn’t make any sense and the math ain’t mathing.”
A note claimed that Nancy Guthrie died after she was taken.
The second ransom note in the Nancy Guthrie case said she died and was "buried with nature now," according to a source close to the investigation.
— Brian Entin (@BrianEntin) June 22, 2026
The note indicated Nancy's death was not intentional, but did not offer a direct apology.
@NewsNation
According to CNN, a February note believed to have been sent by Nancy’s captors to local news outlets admitted to Nancy’s death. That goes against what most people believed at the time, as the internet came up with tons of theories about what happened to Nancy.
CNN Chief Law Enforcement and Intelligence Analyst John Miller said, per the outlet, “The second note said, basically, it wasn’t intended to work this way but in the course of the kidnapping some things happened and Nancy Guthrie is dead.”
Miller explained that this part of the note was kept under wraps to prevent the public from discontinuing concern for Nancy and her well-being.
“They also didn’t want people to say, ‘Oh, well, she passed away, I guess the case is over,’ and to not continue to come forward with tips when they were getting a lot of information,” he also explained.
Some people believe that someone close to Nancy Guthrie is to blame.
As for the inside job, or “staged” claims, there are others who have theorized that idea on social media. Some users on a Reddit post about Nancy’s disappearance agreed that they believe someone close to her has known more than they let on for the duration of the case.
“I feel like it’s partially an inside job,” a user commented on the post. “I believe the kidnappers had some affiliation with the local law enforcement and the Guthrie family, and probably knew exactly how to evade the law, she died during the initial kidnapping and the person who did it is on the run.”
The same Reddit post has comments from users who theorized that the case is an inside job or staged because of something to do with the Trump Administration. However, it’s unclear how one would impact the other.
