Megyn Kelly Highlights New Information About RANSOM in Nancy Guthrie Kidnapping Press Conference

What this episode is about

The recent FBI press conference in Tucson revealed critical new details regarding the kidnapping of Nancy Guthrie, mother of Savannah Guthrie, including a refined timeline of events; Nancy was last seen at her home around 9:50 p.m., with significant activity detected at her doorbell camera at 12:12 a.m. and a disconnection of the camera at 1:47 a.m., indicating the potential onset of the crime. However, due to the absence of a subscription to her Nest camera

Key takeaways

• A doorbell camera's disconnection signals a crime timeline; technology is both a witness and a victim.
• Nancy Guthrie's pacemaker app disconnects at 2:28 a.m., leaving a 43-minute window for potential foul play.
• Ransom notes are the new tech savvy: Bitcoin by 5 p.m.? That's pressure with a digital twist.
• The law enforcement's 'no prime suspect' narrative raises eyebrows—shifting statements suggest a tangled investigation.
• An impounded car and shifting narratives suggest that family dynamics may be the real mystery unfolding.

Who speaks in this episode?

• Megyn Kelly (Guest) · 13 min speaking
• Jonathan Gilliam (Guest) · 3 min speaking
• Chad Ays (Guest) · 3 min speaking
• Jim Fitzgerald (Guest) · 2 min speaking

What is discussed, and when

1. 0:00 – 5:00: Nancy Guthrie, Annie Guthrie, FBI, Bitcoin
2. 5:00 – 10:00: Jonathan Gilliam, Apple Watch, Chad Ays, Jim Fitzgerald
3. 10:00 – 15:00: Bitcoin, Chad Ays
4. 15:00 – 20:00: Nancy Guthrie, Jim Fitzgerald
5. 20:00 – 22:14: Birch Gold Group, Bitcoin

Notable quotes from "Megyn Kelly Highlights New Information About RANSOM in Nancy Guthrie Kidnapping Press Conference"

• Conference from the FBI and local authorities in Tucson, Arizona in connection with the disappearance of Savannah Guthri's mother, Nancy Guthrie.

  about Nancy Guthrie · at 0:01

• Don't have video of it because it looks like Nancy Guthrie did not have a subscription to the Nest camera which is by Google and in order to get video of any particular moment you have to have a subscription. Unfortunately, she didn't.

  about Google LLC · at 1:32

• Doing that. he went on the record with the New York Times yesterday saying it wasn't Annie Guthrie who dropped her mother back off, which they'd originally reported it was…

  about Annie Guthrie · at 3:53

• Therefore we TMZ are taking it credit or seriously and we believe that law enforcement is well the FBI agent got up there and told us what they were. so we'll play that for you in just a second. anyway, we learned a lot.

  about FBI · at 4:50

• It kind of degrades the reliability of that information. I was wondering if she had an eyewatch. A lot of people have an iPhone, have an eyewatch and could be synced. Both of…

  about Apple Watch · at 8:17

• Birch Gold can help you convert an existing IRA or 401k into an IRA in gold. Just text MK to the number 989898 to receive your free info kit on gold.

  about Birch Gold Group · at 21:36

Who and what is mentioned in this episode?

People

• Nancy Guthrie — Person · Missing person / central subject of the case discussion · 4 mentions · first at 0:06
  The episode centers on the FBI/local-authorities press conference about her disappearance and the evolving timeline, evidence, and ransom-note details.
• Jim Fitzgerald — Person · Panel guest / profiler & forensic-linguistics commentator · 2 mentions · first at 5:08
  Analyzes the ransom note as potential misdirection, discusses kidnap-ransom communication norms, and introduces a framework (POMIC) for staged communications.
  FBI himself. Also joining me is Chad Ays. He's former SWAT team leader and Jim Fitzgerald is back with me now, former FBI himself and profiler.
• Jonathan Gilliam — Person · Panel guest / referenced expert commentator · 4 mentions · first at 5:03
  Brought on as a former FBI figure to analyze the press conference, timeline inconsistencies, and investigative implications (e.g., Bitcoin, cameras).
  We're going to go through it with Jonathan Gilliam. He's formerly of the FBI himself. Also joining me is Chad Ays. He's former SWAT team leader and Jim Fitzgerald is back with me now, former FBI himself and profiler.
• Annie Guthrie — Person · Referenced family member (daughter) discussed in investigative context · 3 mentions · first at 2:59
  Discussed in relation to key investigative questions (who drove Nancy home; whether Annie’s car was towed/impounded).
• Chad Ays — Person · Panel guest / tactical law-enforcement commentator · 4 mentions · first at 5:05
  Provides SWAT/tactical perspective on the press conference, ransom-note handling, and perceived investigative 'wishy-washiness.'
  We're going to go through it with Jonathan Gilliam. He's formerly of the FBI himself. Also joining me is Chad Ays. He's former SWAT team leader and Jim Fitzgerald is back with me now, former FBI himself and profiler.
• Savannah Guthrie — Person · Referenced family member (daughter of the missing person) · 1 mention · first at 0:06
  Mentioned as Nancy Guthrie’s daughter; her relationship frames the case as a family disappearance and drives public interest.
  Conference from the FBI and local authorities in Tucson, Arizona in connection with the disappearance of Savannah Guthri's mother, Nancy Guthrie.

Companies & orgs

• FBI — Company · Law enforcement agency · 2 mentions · first at 0:00
  Key investigative body in the disappearance case discussed in the podcast
• Google LLC — Company · Technology provider · 1 mention · first at 1:36
  Mentioned in relation to Nest camera technology used in the disappearance case

Products & tech

• Apple Watch — Product · Evidence in case · 3 mentions · first at 7:09
  Mentioned in the ransom note as part of the disappearance case

Concepts & topics

• Bitcoin — Concept · Core topic · 4 mentions · first at 4:33
  Mentioned in the context of a ransom demand in the disappearance case
  Know virtually everything. We know that it set a deadline of 5:00 p.m. today by which to send the Bitcoin. We know that it named two things. We heard TMZ earlier today say…

Sponsors

• Birch Gold Group — Product · Sponsor · 2 mentions · first at 21:20
  Advertised during the podcast as a service for diversifying savings into precious metals

Full transcript with timestamps

0:00 We just watched an extraordinary press conference from the FBI and local authorities in Tucson, Arizona in connection with the disappearance of Savannah Guthri's mother, Nancy Guthrie. Um, there have been several uh new items released by the police and the FBI there that were not out in the public before. Okay, I'm just going to give you a couple off the top of my head and then we're going to go through them and the sound bites with our panel in one second. Um, he's ch he's offered more details on the timeline. Okay, so for the first time, we heard that the doorbell camera disconnected at 1:47 a.m. We knew that Nancy was dropped back back off at her home around 9:45 p.m. on Saturday night. Now they have it down to 9:48 to 9:50 because they saw that the garage door, there's a timer on it, I guess, was opened at 9:48 and it was closed at 9:50. Um, so that we believe is when she got back home. Then he told

0:56 us for the first time at 1:47 a.m. the doorbell camera disconnected. Boom. That's the beginning of the crime. That's obviously what he's trying to tell us. By uh 1212 a.m. the doorbell software, though they have no video, he now confirmed. But the software did detect a person on camera. They have a written notification from we were told that it was a Nest camera by Ashley Banfield. uh that it was a written notification person on camera person at the door and you'll get that if you have a Ring camera or Nest Cam and um they don't have video of it because it looks like Nancy Guthrie did not have a subscription to the Nest camera which is by Google and in order to get video of any particular moment you have to have a subscription. Unfortunately, she didn't.

1:47 And so all we have now according to the sheriff is a written record that there was a person at the door at 12:12 a.m. detects person on camera. Now he did say could have been an animal. You know he's not giving complete credibility to the eye of the Nest camera. But we are getting a timeline here. 1:47 a.m. Doorbell camera disconnects and then 13 12 uh let's see 20. Yeah. So 25 minutes later um right 13 + 12 yeah is 25 minutes later the software detected a person on camera. So it's interesting to one to ask yourself what was going on in that time. It was 2:28 a.m. that her pacemaker app showed a disconnection.

2:33 She got far enough away from it that it stopped communicating with her Apple phone which was left inside the house. So by 12:28 a.m. we're guessing she was out of the house. Uh all right. So that's about a 45 minute period, 43 minute period entirely that this whole thing went down. Um and the the the sheriff walked us all through it. He also appeared to confirm that they did tow Annie Guthri's car. He wasn't as clear as we would like. He see he he got very sort of jumbly with his words and seemed to just be saying, "Oh, is this a matter of course? Yeah, we took a car."

3:13 Well, the only car we know of is Annie Guthri's, at least we think we know of, per the Ashley Banfield reporting yesterday, that her source was saying police had towed and impounded Annie's car. He was asked about it. He fudged the answer a little bit. We'll get into it, but that was an interesting thing. Um he said that they have no one of interest and they do not have they he said we have no one you would consider a prime suspect. We're just not there. But he's now shifting his on thereord statements about that that involved Annie Guthri's husband Tomas. And I don't know why he's doing that. Um, he went on the record with the New York Times yesterday saying it wasn't Annie Guthrie who dropped her mother back off, which they'd originally reported it was it was Tomas. So, he made that change himself with the New York Times. Picked up everywhere. Fox and Hollywood Reporter, you name it.

4:09 Now, today he was asked about it and he wiggled again. Today, he shifted to well, let's just say it was family. Well, why are we just saying it was fail? Who was it? Why would you be shifting it and making a point of that? So, there's all sorts of interesting things. And then the FBI agent got out there and while they'd been so careful about not not disclosing any information about the ransom note, I think we now know virtually everything. We know that it set a deadline of 5:00 p.m. today uh by which to send the Bitcoin. We know that um it named two things. We heard TMZ earlier today say there were things in there that turned out to be true that the writer of the ransom note referenced and we believe they were actual true references to the crime scene and therefore we TMZ are taking it credit or seriously and we believe that law enforcement is well the FBI agent got up there and told us what they were. Um so

4:58 we'll play that for you in just a second. Um anyway, we learned a lot. We're going to go through it uh with Jonathan Gilliam. He's formerly of the FBI himself. Also joining me is Chad Ays. He's former SWAT team leader and Jim Fitzgerald is back with me now, former FBI himself and uh profiler. Guys, thank you for being here. All right, let's just go down the line on what you thought was most interesting, that presser. Chad, let me start with you because we haven't heard from you yet today. Uh what was your biggest takeaway?

5:23 Honestly, it's that 5:00 p.m. deadline um that that we saw and and Megan, I don't know if you picked up on it. It's almost like the agent went to the the the rack back there and it's almost like that rack had a copy of that ransom note in his because they kept going back and looking at it. So whether those are just notes that he's made or did he actually have the ransom note on his person um you know obviously or a copy of it, who knows? But the the whole idea um that is so confusing to me is why and and again that the other panelists hopefully can you know give their expertise but why the wishy-washiness back and forth.

5:59 That's that's the frustrating part. Listen, I get it. We we live in a time where where viewers, the American people are are heavily invested in this case. It almost takes me back to the Coleberger case and the frustrations that the American people had and the you know viewers had of what's going on? Why are we not getting the answers that we want? But there was, we do know that Idaho and and that agency had a lot going on behind the scenes. So, could that be happening? Yes. But I don't know. I I feel like from from the press or now, sure, we did get a a great deal of information on that timeline, but you know, is there more to it and and they are just for the integrity of the investigation keeping that tight lipped?

6:36 I don't know. The Now we're on the subject of the of what was in the ransom note. Let me play for you in part that soundbite. Here's the FBI special agent in charge speaking to what appears to have been in there that may have lended credibility to it or maybe not. S 103.

6:53 Why this one? Because this was the ransom that came in and it had facts associated with a deadline with an a monetary value they were asking for. So at that point,

7:03 what were some of those facts if you can because there's been a lot of speculation as you know if you could set the record straight. Yeah, the ransom itself, one talked about an Apple Watch and one talked about a flood light. We're not going to go into specifics. It's very important that um we keep this investigation uh moving forward and we don't want to put more facts out there that others then can use to try to profit from this. One talked about a an Apple Watch, one talked about a flood light. But he also said later, Jonathan, that because one of the reporters, I think it was Brian Enton, who was on this show, we were just talking about this issue, raised the issue of, well, when do we think the ransom note was written because we all heard that there was an Apple Watch at this scene very early on in this case.

7:52 And the agent acknowledged that and even acknowledged whatever's in there about a flood light, he said could have been seen from the road. So what may have sounded out started out sounding very credible may not be at all. Anyway, what was your biggest takeaway today?

8:08 Well, that's right. And that was the questions that I was having. Were were those things said? Were they released uh in a press conference? Um and uh and so it kind of degrades the reliability of that information. I was wondering if she had an eyewatch. A lot of people have an iPhone, have an eyewatch and uh could be synced. Both of those things could be synced to her pacemaker. But I I did take some notes, Megan, if I can go through those real quick about things that I found that were very interesting and very telling. One is that the FBI did not rule out Bitcoin, right? So, they didn't say that Bitcoin was not an issue. So, if that's the case, I'd like to know if any of the relatives have any issue with Bitcoin where they're invested heavily in Bitcoin or they are experts. There's a lot of people consider themselves experts in Bitcoin.

8:54 Um, I'd also like to know at 147 it says the camera went offline, but then it says at 212 the software detected a person on camera. So, I'm not I'm kind of confused on that. Were there two cameras? Because we've been told there were two cameras. What camera did they see uh somebody on online? Did the software detect somebody? Uh because the camera going offline perhaps if there was no movement around that area that the camera went offline. Um and then when somebody moved in front of it, it came back online. They're not clear about that. So I would like to some clarification.

9:29 That's a good point. The re That's a very good point. I hadn't put that together. If the if the doorbell camera was disconnected at 1:47 a.m., then how was the software detecting a person on camera at 2:12?

9:43 Right. So, this that to me is I would like to know it for because if somebody saw somebody coming from the front or if they were coming from the back. If they came from the back, for instance, that tells me they're sneaking in. If they came from the front, they could still be sneaking in, but it might be the fact that they just walked in the front. So that's see these are details that I really want to know in these press conferences that I don't think go above and beyond giving away uh secrets or or information. Um there's a couple other things. Um the um I want to know what family member checked on her so we know who dropped her off now. Who made the call? because we've we've seen

10:25 on Sunday morning on Sunday morning because we've seen in the past where I don't know if you know this statistic but 20 of the pe 20% of the people who call in and report a murder are the people who who actually did the murder.

10:36 So I what yes and so I would like to know who uh called in because it's often that it could be the person uh that uh had something to do with this because as you said earlier in the show she doesn't attend church. She attends church virtually. So this whole

10:55 we think that's that's based on one report from the Daily Mail, not not yet totally confirmed by all of us.

11:01 So where did the concern come from? Did somebody call her earlier? Had they not heard from her? And so where did this this come up? That that was another thing. Um I would like to know if anybody in the family is under a financial burden. Um I'd like to know uh who benefits from her if she dies. Of course, these are things that are common questions. Uh, and was there any landscaping going on in and around that house? That's how Elizabeth Smart got uh targeted was an individual was doing the landscaping and then uh came in through a window that was left open. Um, there was no robbery that we know of. So, that tells me that this was either a personal issue with getting rid of her for a benefit or because of anger or it was for a kidnapping and a ransom. But the ransom thing is it just doesn't happen that often anymore. So, um that would be that's a whole another game to kidnap somebody for a ransom. That is a huge

12:02 game and that is something that gets very technical very quick and you have to be a very smart criminal to carry that out. But what we typically see is that people who commit a crime such as a killing or a a a kidnapping or a robbery um will use a ruse uh such as um some type of a uh a ransom. And so that's why I want to know who in that family or who that they know may know about Bitcoin because either they're the ones going to benefit from it or they're the ones using it for a ruse. So these are questions that I had that came through all this stuff. TMZ did verify that the Bitcoin account that was mentioned in the ransom notes is a legit account, but they're so hard to trace. You were going to say something, Chad.

12:47 Yeah. Did Now, was I under the impression that she was and do we know the distance between their residence and and where she went to to her daughter's residence? Cuz it was

12:58 10 minutes according to Brian Enton. Okay. And didn't they mention that there was an Uber driver took her there?

13:05 But then an Uber driver took her to the daughter's and son-in-law's house for the for dinner and then we were told by this sheriff in the New York Times yesterday the son-in-law brought her home. And now today he wouldn't go that far. Today he was specifically asked who who brought her home and he wouldn't say it. I It's I don't know why. We'll we'll play it in a second. We're still getting all of our sound bites uh together. He also was asked, as I mentioned, are you specifically looking into the son-in-law? And here's what he said. S 107,

13:40 are you actively investigating the the son-in-law in this case? Are there reports earlier this week and you refuted that? You said you haven't eliminated everybody.

13:49 Have you eliminated him or come close to it or are you actively looking at him?

13:52 We're actively looking at everybody we come across in this case. Everybody. Uh it it it it we would be irresponsible if we didn't talk to everybody. The the Uber driver, the the the gardener, the pool person, whoever.

14:11 Okay. So, he didn't I'm going to bring Jim in in a second, but Chad, he did not he didn't rule him out. He said, "We're talking to everybody."

14:19 Yeah. But Megan, what did you make of that? Well, here's here's the thing. He's also said, "We believe either him or the FBI agent says we believe she's still alive." And if he is our prime suspect and he's not acting alone, if we believe he's still she's still alive, well, where is she and who who's got custody of her? You know, that's that if that's the case and you and you're and you're telling the American people, we believe she is still alive, but we know where the son-in-law is. Well, what then they're they're not acting alone, Megan.

14:52 Well, I mean, I see what you're saying. If she's Well, I mean, he could have like a worst case scenario if if it's somebody close to the family or in the family, they could have hidden her someplace.

15:01 Sure. And be keeping her in some sort of a, you know, prison, a makeshift prison, which would free him up. But the cops are all over him right now. There's no You're right. I mean, like, if he did this, they're all over him. The the media is all over him. There's no like going and checking on your kidnapped charge. If if he's taking care of her at all in order to get proof of life, this is just a completely imagined scenario. He would need he would need some help. Here is um here is a question to the sheriff about proof of life and whether NY's alive. Here's S 102.

15:35 Sheriff over here. Has there been any proof of life and has there been any sign of life? I I I'm going to anything to deal with the ransom notes and that I would defer to the FBI, but no, to my knowledge, we're still looking for Nancy.

15:56 Okay. So, Jim, your thoughts on what we witnessed today? Yeah. Uh, not only the profiler, but the forensic linguist in me would really like to see that letter. I think there may be so many clues in that. I don't know if it's five sentences or or 15 or more. Uh there's definitely some information in there that I think someone who knows language could determine a lot from it. I also find it odd that uh there are two deadlines listed like five o'clock today, but then we really mean it by Monday afternoon.

16:28 Usually kidnap ransom. Again, there aren't that many of these that are legitimate. They are very demonstrative and deliberate and here's our demands. You will not violate it. there can be, you know, give and take room to go back and forth the amount, the time frame, whatever. But usually they want to set up, they're in control. Here's exactly what we want and when we want it. Um, interestingly, Megan, uh, about 20 years ago, still in the FBI, I developed an acronym called POMIC. Uh, and it's it stands for a lot of syllables here. Post offense manipulation of investigation communication. You see why I made it an acronym? And what that basically is when a crime is committed uh to cover it up to make it staged look like it's going somewhere else people will write a letter send it to the police uh lawyers the media uh leave it somewhere to be found and that is designed to misdirect the investigation. So I'm not ruling out

17:22 that this is a legitimate kidnapping ransom communication. It may be, but it also could be either a BS, someone playing games with it, uh, just for fun, kicks and giggles, or, uh, or or somebody else who was involved in the abduction. And and and Megan, the first couple minutes we spoke, we we we delineated this abduction was for one of two reasons, for profit or for revenge. And if it is a revenge thing and they decide, hey, people are getting close. let me put this bogus thing out to TMZ and some other news station and make it look like it's a real uh kidnapping when it may not be. But nonetheless, having said that, the FBI has to follow through and and and go every uh method they can to determine the providence of that communication and who wrote it.

18:08 So there there was an interesting comment by TMZ where they said they basically said that the letter told us we don't want to talk, just give us our money. Listen here. This is today from TMZ S 116.

18:24 So, the final thing about the letter, and again, we're not going to get into all the details. Um, but when the family is reaching out to say we're ready to talk, um, this letter suggests, uh, no talk um that

18:41 that was made clear right at the beginning. Yeah. And so I I think that the family sitting down and speaking that way that um they are trying to change the minds of the abductors um and hoping that they actually will one provide that that proof of life. Um but also clearly there was an attempt to humanize not just Nancy but also themselves to say look we desperately want our mother back.

19:12 All right. All right. So, hold on to that in your head and listen to that 108 from the FBI.

19:18 Does the ransom note that you're working to establish any communication protocols in?

19:27 Uh, no, it does not. And that is what I think is important that if someone has Nancy and it's demanding the ransom that there is communication with the family. Um, we talked about there is has been no proof of life. Um, and there was no other demands within that letter. So, um, they're still waiting for communication.

19:50 So, there it is, Jim. There the if this is the actual hostage taker, if if she's being held hostage and the ransom note is from her kidnapper, that person doesn't want to talk. He just wants his Bitcoin.

20:05 But I'll play both sides of the coin here, uh, Megan. If it's also someone covering up their revenge abduction of this person, they don't want to talk either because uh it's a better way to identify them and pick up some kind of a motive. So very convenient to put in the letter the communication I don't want to talk. Again, they can argue in both directions or neither direction. Uh but nonetheless, that's not uncommon uh for people to write. Again, these letters are very rare. These communications kidnap the Lindberg kidnapping had about a half a dozen different communications.

20:35 But again, there was no social media back then. even phone telephones were an early days. So now it's a little bit different and uh we'll we'll see if some other communication comes in. If they want the money, they put a lot of effort into this case. This is a high-risk crime. If they want the money, they're not going to harm Mrs. Guthrie and they're going to somehow further communicate with the family. Otherwise, this is all for not all risk with no gain if in fact uh they don't get the money out of this. So they may want to consider talking to uh to the family.

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Questions about this episode

Who speaks in "Megyn Kelly Highlights New Information About RANSOM in Nancy Guthrie Kidnapping Press Conference"?

Megyn Kelly (Guest), Jonathan Gilliam (Guest), Chad Ays (Guest), Jim Fitzgerald (Guest).

What is "Megyn Kelly Highlights New Information About RANSOM in Nancy Guthrie Kidnapping Press Conference" about?

The recent FBI press conference in Tucson revealed critical new details regarding the kidnapping of Nancy Guthrie, mother of Savannah Guthrie, including a refined timeline of events; Nancy was last seen at her home around 9:50 p.m., with significant activity detected at her doorbell camera at 12:12 a.m. and a disconnection of the camera at 1:47 a.m., indicating the potential onset of the crime.…

What is mentioned in this Megyn Kelly episode?

11 people, works and ideas are mentioned, including Nancy Guthrie, FBI, Jim Fitzgerald, Bitcoin, Jonathan Gilliam, Annie Guthrie. Each one on this page links to its own page with every episode that mentions it.

How long is "Megyn Kelly Highlights New Information About RANSOM in Nancy Guthrie Kidnapping Press Conference"?

The episode runs 22 min; the transcript is about 4,162 words in 47 timestamped sections.

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