Finding Nancy Guthrie – Ep. 16: "Don’t Stop Believing" (February 25, 2026)

Episode Overview

In this emotionally charged episode, Daily Wire investigative reporter Lynden Blake delivers critical updates on the Nancy Guthrie disappearance, a case now entering its fourth week without resolution. The major developments include Savannah Guthrie’s public plea and announcement of a $1 million reward, conflicting information on potential suspect sightings, discouraging DNA findings, and unsettling parallels to another recent case involving a missing elderly person in Pima County. The tone is deeply empathetic, urgent, and at times critical of the investigative process and media attention.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Savannah Guthrie’s $1 Million Reward Public Plea

• [00:29]: Savannah Guthrie, daughter of Nancy and Today show co-anchor, released an “agonizing” four-minute video after over a week of silence, offering a $1 million family reward for information leading to her mother’s recovery or whereabouts.
  • Lynden recounts the pain in Savannah’s voice:

    “You could just see the pain on her face… she literally was fighting back tears.” ([01:26])

• Savannah acknowledges that Nancy may have already passed but holds hope for a miracle.
  • Savannah:

    “We believe in miracles… Either way, we want to bring her home.” (Paraphrased [01:38])

• Savannah’s plea extends beyond her family:

  “This is your sign. Say something.” (Savannah, cited by Lynden, [03:23])

• The Guthries also donated $500,000 to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, showing solidarity with other families of missing loved ones. ([04:32])

2. Delayed Reward Announcement – Questions Raised

• Lynden critically examines why the reward wasn’t offered sooner:

  “Why didn’t you put up the reward on day one? Why day 24?” ([02:50])

• NBC reports law enforcement advised the family to wait to avoid overwhelming investigators with leads, but Lynden’s sources dispute this:

  “We would never tell someone to do that. That is completely the family's decision.” (Anonymous law enforcement source, cited by Lynden, [03:08])

• Lynden highlights that given the family’s resources, delaying the reward is “sad” if it was based on possibly flawed law enforcement advice.

3. New Information on Doorbell Cam Suspect Photos

• [05:31]: Source-leaked reports indicate two suspect photos from Nancy's porch were taken on different nights—a critical clue.
  • One suspect image differs in backpack, gun holster, lighting, shoe marking, and possibly date.
  • If true, this could mean:
    • The perpetrator may have canvassed the home ahead of the kidnapping.
    • There could be multiple perpetrators.
  • Law enforcement (Pima County) calls the two-date theory “speculation” for now.
  • Lynden dives into the potential investigative impacts:

    “This previous date changes everything… It brings in a whole new timeline into the investigation.” ([07:11])

• He also raises technical questions:

  “Did she not have it on her phone where she would get an alert? I mean, I know she's 84, but... these elderly people, you know, have the kids that set them up…” ([08:45])

4. DNA Evidence – Another Disappointment

• DNA collected inside Nancy Guthrie’s home was only a partial sample, not viable for the FBI’s CODIS database. ([09:52])
  • Lynden’s assessment:

    “That is discouraging because the DNA in the house was the best bet… If it's not coming up with something then you're gonna have to go back to again... someone spotting this person.” ([10:09])

• Investigators are “still working with Walmart and other stores around Tucson” to track items identical to those seen in the doorbell camera footage.

5. Parallels with the Thomas Reuter Case

• Lynden draws attention to another local case: Thomas Reuter, a 77-year-old man missing since 2024, whose remains were found months earlier in the Catalina foothills, cause of death still unknown ([11:15]).
  • Lynden reflects:

    “Is there just someone out in Pima County that is killing old people? Canvassing old people's houses, looking for vulnerable people? … Kidnapping an 84-year-old is just unheard of.” ([12:10])

• Points to rare but distressing pattern: two elderly disappearances in a short timeframe, one unresolved, one ending in tragedy.

6. The Human Toll & Hope That Remains

• Lynden closes emphasizing the hope that reward money brings and the importance of public vigilance:

  “You would hope that money will continue to talk and someone out there has a heart and sees Savannah Guthrie's plea to just help them find answers for their mom.” ([13:05])

• Tip lines are reiterated: 1-800-CALL-FBI and a local anonymous tip line with its own reward.

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• [01:26] Lynden Blake:

  “You could just see the pain on her face... she literally was fighting back tears.”
  (On Savannah Guthrie’s video plea)

• [03:23] Savannah Guthrie (cited by Lynden):

  “This is your sign. Say something.”
  (Directly pleading with the public for information)

• [04:32] Lynden Blake:

  “They said they're donating also half a million dollars to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children because they know they're not the only family going through this.”

• [07:11] Lynden Blake:

  “This previous date changes everything… It brings in a whole new timeline into the investigation.”

• [10:09] Lynden Blake:

  “That is discouraging because the DNA in the house was the best bet… If it's not coming up with something then you're gonna have to go back to again... someone spotting this person.”

• [12:10] Lynden Blake:

  “Is there just someone out in Pima County that is killing old people? Canvassing old people's houses, looking for vulnerable people? … Kidnapping an 84-year-old is just unheard of.”

Important Timestamps

• [00:29] – Savannah Guthrie’s reward video airs publicly
• [01:26] – Lynden’s emotional recount of Savannah’s plea
• [03:23] – Savannah’s direct appeal “This is your sign…”
• [04:32] – Guthries’ $500,000 donation to NCMEC
• [05:31] – Discussion of two dates for suspect doorbell photos
• [07:11] – How a new timeline could shift the investigation
• [09:52] – DNA results from Nancy’s home
• [11:15] – Coverage of the Thomas Reuter parallel case
• [13:05] – Final hope for public response and tip line info

Summary

This episode underscores the agonizing wait for answers in the Nancy Guthrie case, the impact of a national figure’s emotional plea and reward on an investigation, and the complexities hampering law enforcement. Lynden Blake’s narrative is empathetic, analytical, and at times critical—especially regarding the delayed reward and mixed messaging from officials. The episode draws a bigger picture around elderly vulnerability and unresolved disappearances, blending personal stories with broader societal questions. For listeners, the message is clear: the Guthries—and all families in their position—need public vigilance, compassion, and information to break the silence surrounding these tragedies.