Transcript

Signs That the Nancy Guthrie Disappearance Was NOT a Real Kidnapping, with Former Hostage Negotiator

From Megyn Kelly · Episode page · Watch on YouTube

· 12 min · 2,389 words · 20 timestamped sections

This is the full, timestamped transcript of "Signs That the Nancy Guthrie Disappearance Was NOT a Real Kidnapping, with Former Hostage Negotiator", an episode of Megyn Kelly published February 10, 2026 (12 min, about 2,389 words). It mentions 33 people, works and ideas, including Nancy Guthrie, Commander Daniel O'Shea, Savannah Guthrie, Guthrie family, Daniel O'Shea.

What this episode is about

The discussion centers on the mysterious disappearance of Nancy Guthrie and the family's belief that ransom notes may be linked to her captors, especially in light of troubling Instagram videos from her children. Former hostage negotiator Commander Daniel O'Shea, with extensive experience in managing kidnapping incidents, offers insights into the emotional turmoil of hostage situations and examines the evidence surrounding Guthrie's case, highlighting the complexities and uncertainties that often accompany such disappearances.

Key takeaways

  • Ransom notes sent to tabloids hint at a potential sideshow rather than serious negotiation—drama over dollars?
  • A seasoned negotiator suggests kidnappers prioritize media attention over cash; why not leverage the spotlight for influence?
  • If you're going to kidnap someone, a floodlight reference is weak—true proof of life is personal, not generic.
  • Violence is a tactic here, but so is theatrics; the motives behind Nancy Guthrie's case might not be financial.
  • In hostage situations, hope balances on a knife-edge; experience shows even amidst anguish, there’s always room for resilience.

Who speaks in this episode?

What is discussed, and when

  1. – 3:00: Nancy Guthrie, Daniel O'Shea, Commander Daniel O'Shea, Guthrie family
  2. – 6:00: Savannah Guthrie, Nancy Guthrie, TMZ, TMZ
  3. – 9:00: Margaret Assan, Bitcoin, Nancy Guthrie, Guthrie family
  4. – 12:00: Birch Gold Group, Gold, Al Qaeda, Al Qaeda

Notable quotes from "Signs That the Nancy Guthrie Disappearance Was NOT a Real Kidnapping, with Former Hostage Negotiator"

  • Commander Daniel O'Shea is a retired Navy Seal who served as the coordinator of the hostage working group for the US embassy in Iraq from 2004 to '06. O'Shea managed more than 400 hostage incidents in his time in Iraq and by the time he.
    about Commander Daniel O'Shea · at
  • Families from all over the world to try and bring their loved one home that was taken hostage by the likes of Al Qaeda and other jihadist groups in Iraq.
    about Al Qaeda · at
  • So, the big one of the big questions here is, are the people torturing the family with these notes the same people that have or hurt Nancy Guthrie 8 and a half days ago? I was saying to Brian Enton in the first.
    about Nancy Guthrie · at
  • The norm range for an American because that's you know this is a big business and because obviously Sav Savannah Gunthy you know big news network morning show host she's going…
    about Savannah Guthrie · at
  • Evil people out there that will do terrible things to wonderful human beings. I double that. we had a woman in Iraq. Her name was Margaret Assan. She was the director of Care…
    about Margaret Assan · at
  • The fact that I know the cartels have no problem with kidnapping. They're they're beyond al Qaeda. They're probably the biggest kidnapping ring out there. formerly the FARC had that.
    about cartels · at
  • The media is what they're going for. So, we had deadlines come and go with Al Qaeda. Jill Carroll, that young Christian Science reporter, 28-year-old girl, American girl, she…
    about Jill Carroll · at
  • The US economy. See if holding gold in a tax sheltered retirement account is right for you. Birch Gold can help you convert an existing IRA or 401k into an IRA in gold. Just…
    about Birch Gold Group · at

Who and what is mentioned in this episode?

People

  • Nancy Guthrie — Person · Primary victim in the discussed case · 5 mentions · first at
    The alleged abducted person; discussion centers on proof of life, the ransom notes, and the likelihood of survival after a violent abduction.
  • Commander Daniel O'Shea — Person · Main guest · 2 mentions · first at
    Brought in as a seasoned hostage negotiator to assess the ransom notes, proof-of-life issues, and whether the family should pay.
  • Savannah Guthrie — Person · Central referenced figure (victim’s daughter; public figure driving media attention) · 4 mentions · first at
    Her public profile and her Instagram account are central to the case narrative; the guest discusses motives for targeting her family and the media dynamics.
  • Daniel O'Shea — Person · Same as Commander Daniel O'Shea (shortened name used in conversation) · 3 mentions · first at
    The host addresses the guest as “Dan,” and the transcript also references him as Daniel O’Shea; this is the same individual as Commander Daniel O’Shea.
    Guthrie 8 and a half days ago? I was saying to Brian Enton in the first segment, Dan, I just have a really hard time believing the people writing these notes were involved in…
  • Megan Kelly — Person · Host · 1 mention
    Megan Kelly is a well-known media personality and host, providing context to the conversation.
  • Margaret Assan — Person · Referenced case example (past hostage victim) · 2 mentions · first at
    Used by O’Shea as an illustrative example from Iraq to emphasize that “good” people can still be targeted and harmed.
  • Jill Carroll — Person · Referenced case example (hostage survivor) · 1 mention · first at
    Cited as a precedent where deadlines passed and the hostage was released after sustained pressure, supporting the argument against paying ransom.
  • Brian Enton — Person · Referenced journalist / prior segment interlocutor · 1 mention · first at
    The host mentions discussing the case with him earlier, framing skepticism about whether the note-writers are the actual abductors.
    Torturing the family with these notes the same people that have or hurt Nancy Guthrie 8 and a half days ago? I was saying to Brian Enton in the first segment, Dan, I just have…
  • Virginia Grufet — Person · Referenced interview subject (Epstein victims coverage) · 1 mention · first at
    Mentioned as part of Savannah Guthrie’s past interviews; raised as a possible motive theory tied to media attention and the Epstein news cycle.
    Two-minute se, segment on a news channel. she interviewed a lot of the Epstein victims. in-depth interviews with Virginia Grufet and some of the other women and what came out a…

Companies & orgs

  • Al Qaeda — Company · Key argument · 3 mentions · first at
    Discussed as a terrorist organization with a history of kidnappings, providing a comparison to the current case.
  • TMZ — Company · Case study · 1 mention · first at
    Discussed as the outlet that received the ransom note, highlighting unusual behavior in the kidnapping case.
    Had that suspicion literally from almost day one when the first ransom note came out. First off, they sent the ransom note to TMZ, a tabloid network, and then the local news media. All right, that's not how Kmart kidnap for ransom works.
  • US embassy in Iraq — Company · Referenced expert · 1 mention · first at
    Mentioned as the workplace of the guest, providing credibility to his expertise in hostage negotiations.
    Commander Daniel O'Shea is a retired Navy Seal who served as the coordinator of the hostage working group for the US embassy in Iraq from 2004 to '06. O'Shea managed more than 400 hostage incidents in his time in Iraq and by the time he.
  • FARC — Company · Referenced expert · 1 mention · first at
    Mentioned as a former major kidnapping group, providing context for current cartel activities.
    Biggest kidnapping ring out there. formerly the FARC had that title. So, was that a connection to the FARC? excuse me, to the cartels cuz they have a propensity to violence.…
  • Care International — Company · Referenced expert · 1 mention · first at
    Mentioned as the organization where a victim of kidnapping worked, providing context for the discussion.
    Beings. I double that. we had a woman in Iraq. Her name was Margaret Assan. She was the director of Care International. She was a 5'1 180 lb Irish woman who'd lived in Iraq for…
  • Christian Science — Company · Referenced expert · 1 mention · first at
    Mentioned as the affiliation of a kidnapping victim, providing context for the discussion.
    The media is what they're going for. So, we had deadlines come and go with Al Qaeda. Jill Carroll, that young Christian Science reporter, 28-year-old girl, American girl, she…
  • Better Business Bureau — Company · Referenced expert · 1 mention · first at
    Mentioned as a rating agency for Birch Gold Group, providing credibility to the sponsor.
    989898 to receive your free info kit on gold. There's no obligation, just useful information. With an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau and tens of thousands of happy…

Concepts & topics

  • Guthrie family — Concept · Key argument · 2 mentions · first at
    Central to the discussion about the kidnapping of Nancy Guthrie and the ransom demands.
    One thing that's clear is the Guthrie family believes there is at least a chance the ransom notes are from NY's captor or capttors. There's no other explanation for the three Instagram.
  • Gold — Concept · Core topic · 2 mentions · first at
    Discussed as a valuable asset during economic uncertainty and a key part of financial diversification strategies.
    Strategy. It gives you peace of mind given all the events that could impact the US economy. See if holding gold in a tax sheltered retirement account is right for you. Birch…
  • Al Qaeda — Concept · Key argument · 3 mentions · first at
    Discussed as a terrorist organization with a history of kidnappings, providing a comparison to the current case.
    Families from all over the world to try and bring their loved one home that was taken hostage by the likes of Al Qaeda and other jihadist groups in Iraq.
  • cartels — Concept · Key argument · 1 mention · first at
    Mentioned as potential perpetrators of the kidnapping due to their history of violent abductions.
  • Bitcoin — Concept · Key argument · 2 mentions · first at
    Mentioned as the method for ransom payment, highlighting modern aspects of the kidnapping case.
    Because right now it's the day of the deadline, 5:00 PM tonight, and TMZ is just reporting that a the Bitcoin account allegedly set up to accept these funds is empty. as of…
  • Epstein victims — Concept · Key argument · 1 mention · first at
    Mentioned in the context of potential motives for the kidnapping, linking to Savannah Guthrie's interviews.
    News channel. she interviewed a lot of the Epstein victims. in-depth interviews with Virginia Grufet and some of the other women and what came out a week before the this…
  • jihadist groups — Concept · Key argument · 2 mentions · first at
    Mentioned as groups involved in kidnappings, providing context for the current case.
    Families from all over the world to try and bring their loved one home that was taken hostage by the likes of Al Qaeda and other jihadist groups in Iraq.
  • Epstein file — Concept · Key argument · 1 mention · first at
    Mentioned as a potential motive for the kidnapping, linking to recent news coverage.
    Of the Epstein victims. in-depth interviews with Virginia Grufet and some of the other women and what came out a week before the this abduction, days before the Epstein files…
  • Special forces — Concept · Key argument · 1 mention · first at
    Mentioned as a group involved in rescuing hostages, providing context for the discussion.
    Brought home after 83 days of captivity because of pressure put on by special forces, the unit that went out every night to hunt for her. And she was brought home safely…
  • IRA — Concept · Key argument · 1 mention · first at
    Mentioned in the context of financial strategies, specifically converting retirement accounts into gold.
    Tax sheltered retirement account is right for you. 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…
  • 401(k) — Concept · Key argument · 1 mention · first at
    Mentioned in the context of financial strategies, specifically converting retirement accounts into gold.
    Tax sheltered retirement account is right for you. 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…
  • Zarat — Concept · Key argument · 1 mention · first at
    Mentioned as a religious practice of a kidnapping victim, providing context for the discussion.
    Irish woman who'd lived in Iraq for 20 plus years. She married a local. She lived the fourth pillar of Islam, which is Zarat. She gave arms to the poor. She fed the poor. She…

Places & events

  • Iraq — Place · Setting · 2 mentions · first at
    Provides historical context for hostage negotiation experiences discussed in the episode.
    Commander Daniel O'Shea is a retired Navy Seal who served as the coordinator of the hostage working group for the US embassy in Iraq from 2004 to '06. O'Shea managed more than…
  • Arizona Mexican border — Place · Setting · 1 mention · first at
    Mentioned as a potential location for cartel activity related to the kidnapping.
    Again a week ago was a cartel involved in this because the close, proximity to the Arizona Mexican border.

Media & podcasts

  • TMZ — Media · Case study · 2 mentions · first at
    Discussed as the outlet that received the ransom note, highlighting unusual behavior in the kidnapping case.
    Had that suspicion literally from almost day one when the first ransom note came out. First off, they sent the ransom note to TMZ, a tabloid network, and then the local news media. All right, that's not how Kmart kidnap for ransom works.

Sponsors

  • Birch Gold Group — Company · Sponsor · 2 mentions · first at
    Promoted as a service for diversifying savings into precious metals, particularly gold, during economic uncertainty.
  • text MK to 989898 — Product · Sponsor call-to-action mechanism · 1 mention · first at
    A direct-response CTA used in the Birch Gold Group ad read to request a free information kit about gold/precious metals IRAs.
    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. There's no obligation, just useful information.…

Full transcript with timestamps

One thing that's clear is the Guthrie family believes there is at least a chance the ransom notes are from NY's captor or capttors. There's no other explanation for the three Instagram videos from Savannah's account where the siblings ask for further communication about how to get their mother home. To help us analyze all this, we wanted to bring in a seasoned hostage negotiator. And it's hard to find someone with more experience than our next guest. Commander Daniel O'Shea is a retired Navy Seal who served as the coordinator of the hostage working group for the US embassy in Iraq from 2004 to '06. O'Shea managed more than 400 hostage incidents in his time in Iraq and by the time he left, kidnappings had dropped to the single digits. Uh Dan, welcome to the show.

It's my pleasure and honor to be here, Megan. Uh, okay. So, just we're going to play it one more time, the latest video, and get your take on what, if anything, you think has changed here. Here it is. This was released on um Saturday night. We received your message and we understand. We beg you now to return our mother to us so that we can celebrate with her. This is the only way we will have peace. This is very valuable to us. and we will pay.

What do you make of it, Dan? It's heartbreaking. Um, you know, I I saw hundreds of these pleas from families from all all over the world to try and bring their loved one home that was taken hostage by the likes of Al Qaeda and other jihadist groups in Iraq. So, it's uh it's troubling because it's the the pain and anguish um of not knowing and um you know, it brings back a lot of uh flashback of a lot of memories and but you can never give up hope. We had cases where there was a deadline set um presumably we know this this group harmed you know Miss Guthrie in the initial abduction because there was blood left at the scene and we only know what blood was left outside. We don't know anything about what's done been done forensically inside the house.

Um, so that's that's my biggest concern is that the propensity for violence from the get-go is why everyone should be very concerned and not so much because of the deadline, but because that the groups doing this has already shown they're willing to be violent with an 84y old woman grandmother as well. So, I mean, the big one of the big questions here is, are the people torturing the family with these notes the same people that have or hurt Nancy Guthrie 8 and a half days ago? Um, I was saying to Brian Enton in the first segment, Dan, I just have a really hard time believing the people writing these notes were involved in NY's kidnapping or whatever happened to her. Because I was saying that if if I had Nancy Guthrie, if I were if I went to the trouble to kidnap somebody and then wanted to prove to somebody that I had her, I would not be referencing some damaged flood light or where her Apple

Watch was in her home. That's that's That's the kind of stuff you manage to see through a window and you to me it sounds like you're trying to sound like you know more than you do. If you've got Nancy, you can ask her anything. Anything that would prove to her three children who know her better than anybody that you actually have her. You don't have to do a picture. You don't need a video.

You just need her to tell you things only the children and the mother would remember from their childhoods.

100%. And that's I I you're not you're you're you're not a H&R a KN&R background or hostage negotiator, but I had that suspicion literally from almost day one when the first ransom note came out. First off, they sent the ransom note to TMZ, a tabloid network, and then the local news media. All right, that's not how Kmart kidnap for ransom works. If kidnapping is a business around the world, and the groups that do the kidnapping, they have the prize. They grab the price and they want to keep that price protected and they want to demonstrate to the prospective ba buyer payer that we have who you're looking for. let's start in the negotiation and you come out with a a large number that 4 million initial to 6 million the latest ransom event that's not outside the norm range for an American because that's you know this is a big business and because obviously Sav Savannah Gunthy you know big news network morning

show host she's going to have the resources to probably come up with that kind of money and that's what they're counting on but then you've got to negotiate in good faith and from no way shape or form has the group that is claiming to hold her been operating in good faith faith and the fact that they haven't been able to provide a substantive proof of life or even trying to submit some AI version of it which could have been you know suspect that they're trying to do this but I I am suspect that the group that has her um is the the group that took her response for abduction is the group that is sending these messages they may be related but I really think this is part of the show and drama uh to drive up this nud news media story and why is that happening let's go to the underlying motives and the motives may not be money and I don't think it's money they want here. I think they want the news media attention, focus on this

case to maybe get some other news stories off off the net and then go why did they target, you know, Samantha Gunthy and you have to look at well she's not a controversial figure like yourself or say a can of someone where you have people on the left or right. I mean, just being honest, um, that you've got enemies, you've got people that don't like you, but you know, Savan Savannah Gunry is, you know, I I don't watch your morning show, but I know who she is, and she seems like a very nice lady. And, you know, what's the most controversial thing she's ever done?

Maybe some of her interviews in the past. Well, I mean, she's No, she's not controversial, but that that doesn't rule out some freak stalker who just interpreted some report she did as an attack or as some sort of, you know, that that element is still alive and well around her. And we can't rule that out that it's some stranger who's obsessed with her.

Oh, of course. Of course. But then why are you going after the mother unless you're trying to hurt her? So, who has a reason to want to hurt Savannah Guthrie? Wouldn't it be a The list would not be long, but go to some of her interviews. And I'm not trying to I'm not the one coming up with this um because this conversation I've had, you know, with virtually everyone I've talked to, especially offline when you don't have a two-minute se, you know, segment on a news channel. Um she interviewed a lot of the Epstein victims. Um in-depth interviews with Virginia Grufet and and some of the other women and what came out a week before the this abduction, days before the Epstein files, all over the news, and now what has taken over the news media and maybe that was done intentionally. I'm not saying that's the case, but there's more to this group. I do not think it's a traditional kidnap for ransom. They're not demonstrating

any of the things that are normally associated with people that are in the kidnapping business to make money. And I think it's the media attention. Uh but you have to go into it that there are evil people out there that will do terrible things to wonderful human beings. I double that. You know, we had a woman in Iraq. Her name was Margaret Assan. She was the director of Care International. She was a 5'1 180 lb Irish woman who'd lived in Iraq for 20 plus years. She married a local. She she lived the fourth pillar of Islam, which is Zarat. She gave arms to the poor. She fed the poor. She was a There we go. a beloved woman, and that did not protect her. She she was murdered by by her.

And I'm one of the few Americans who sadly had had to watch that execution video. And it was it was very trouble and very sad. So,

there's evil in the world. No matter how good you are, that doesn't protect you from someone that wants to hurt you.

So, if you were advising this family at this point, and we are told that the second note did not contain proof of life, that they're revealing very little about it, but we are told it did not contain proof of life. And we know the first letter said they had Nancy and claimed she was alive, I believe, but did not have proof of life. You saw the video from the family begging for such proof after they received the first note. Would you advise them to pay? Because right now it's the day of the deadline, 5:00 PM tonight, and TMZ is just reporting that a the Bitcoin account allegedly set up to accept these funds is empty. Uh, as of this time this morning, it's unclear how long it typically takes accounts to update, they write, but as of now, the confirmed balance in the publicly viewable account stands at zero with no transactions recorded. So, at least as of almost 1:00 p.m. Eastern time, the family has not

made any deposits into the Bitcoin account. How would you advise them? Well, this is just very harsh and you know, it's uh only comes from experience because I I think the someone evil enough to hurt an 84 year old woman um makes me lean, okay, my initial thoughts again a week ago was a cartel involved in this because the close, you know, proximity to the Arizona Mexican border. the fact that I know the cartels have no problem with kidnapping. They're they're beyond al Qaeda. They're probably the biggest kidnapping ring out there. You know, formerly the FARC had that uh title. So, was that a connection to the FARC? Uh, excuse me, to the cartels cuz they have a propensity to violence. They have kidnapped young social media influencers in Mexico and murdered them.

So, they're not above above the thought. But I I again I always started with the the notion especially when I would talk to the ambassadors from these countries where they had hostages. I would always be upfront with them and say sir you have to begin with the presumption that your your citizens that have been kidnapped by this group claiming to be affiliated with al Qaeda or whoever that they're not coming home. You have to start with that presumption and the and the fact that th this group has not shown proof of life and I I really think the media is what they're going for. So, we had deadlines come and go with Al Qaeda. Uh Jill Carroll, that young Christian Science reporter, 28-year-old girl, American girl, she had deadlines come and go, and she was ended up brought home after 83 days of captivity because of pressure put on by special forces, you know, the unit that went out every night to hunt for her. And she was

brought home safely because the unit, the kidnapping ring finally said, threw their hands up and said, "Maybe if we give her up, these bad dudes will stop coming after us." And that's ultimately what happened. So the family I would I would strongly recommend to not pay the ransom, not pay any of it because uh I I don't think uh I think that'd be money going into the wind for nothing because um I I I don't trust there's no trust um and good faith between this group and the family. And they they've shown none of it and they're just torturing Savannah and her family. And I I would be blunt enough to speak to the family that let's start with the presumption that your mother did not survive the initial the initial abduction and and this may have been a home invasion that went wrong, may have been a stalker as you said to do the same, but uh I would recommend strongly against paying the ransom today by that deadline.

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Questions about this episode

Who speaks in "Signs That the Nancy Guthrie Disappearance Was NOT a Real Kidnapping, with Former Hostage Negotiator"?

Megyn Kelly (Guest), Commander Daniel O'Shea (Guest).

What is "Signs That the Nancy Guthrie Disappearance Was NOT a Real Kidnapping, with Former Hostage Negotiator" about?

The discussion centers on the mysterious disappearance of Nancy Guthrie and the family's belief that ransom notes may be linked to her captors, especially in light of troubling Instagram videos from her children. Former hostage negotiator Commander Daniel O'Shea, with extensive experience in managing kidnapping incidents, offers insights into the emotional turmoil of hostage situations and…

What is mentioned in this Megyn Kelly episode?

33 people, works and ideas are mentioned, including Nancy Guthrie, Commander Daniel O'Shea, Savannah Guthrie, Guthrie family, Daniel O'Shea, Megan Kelly. Each one on this page links to its own page with every episode that mentions it.

How long is "Signs That the Nancy Guthrie Disappearance Was NOT a Real Kidnapping, with Former Hostage Negotiator"?

The episode runs 12 min; the transcript is about 2,389 words in 20 timestamped sections.

More from Megyn Kelly

About this transcript: the episode's spoken words as captioned on YouTube, split into timestamped sections. Reclip.Me locates every person, work and idea in the text, keeps the time it is first named, and quotes the words around it verbatim. Last updated February 10, 2026.