Finding Nancy Guthrie: Playing Kidnapping Games - Ep. 13

Summary

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Finding Nancy Guthrie: Playing Kidnapping Games – Ep. 13

Podcast: Finding Nancy Guthrie
Host: Lynden Blake (Daily Wire)
Date: February 18, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode arrives on Day 18 of the search for Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of Today Show co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, who mysteriously disappeared from Tucson, Arizona. Lynden Blake investigates new developments—polygraph testing, suspicious Google searches, the latest on ransom notes, the $100,000 Crime Stoppers reward, and evolving theories about Nancy's targeting and potential international developments. The episode reveals escalating tension and unusual details casting new light on the case's trajectory.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

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Polygraph Testing at Pima County Sheriff's Department

Timestamp: 01:18 – 03:21

• Lynden Blake reports that polygraph testing, a traditional investigative tool, was finally conducted by the Pima County Sheriff’s Department.
• She highlights that, while some have questioned why it took so long, modern investigations often lean on other methods:

  "Polygraph test isn't always a let's go to it right away because it goes off emotion...it's not the end all be all." – Lynden Blake (01:50)

• Polygraph tests are seen as helpful but not definitive; they're part of broader investigative options.

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The Unnerving "Kidnapping Game" from Savannah Guthrie’s Childhood

Timestamp: 03:21 – 03:32

• Attention has turned to an anecdote from Savannah Guthrie’s book "Mostly What God Does," where she discusses playing a "kidnapping" game as a child:

  "Mom, cousin Terry kidnapped us to take us to her house. My mother would feign shock, protest how terribly she would miss us, then assure us she'd drive up to retrieve us." – Savannah Guthrie (Audio, 03:21)

• The eerie coincidence between this childhood game and the real-life abduction has captured widespread attention.

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Bizarre Google Searches Before Nancy’s Disappearance

Timestamp: 03:32 – 07:00

• Google Trends reveal that just days before Nancy vanished, someone searched for "Nancy Guthrie's address" and "Savannah's salary." Oddly, many of these searches originated from Algeria.
• Lynden explores possible explanations: VPN masking, genuine international involvement, or mere coincidence.
• The timing of these searches (January 26–27) is striking, as Nancy disappeared January 31–February 1.
• Lynden questions whether Nancy was being specifically targeted—a theory recently confirmed by Sheriff Chris Nanos:

  "But today Nano's told a news outlet that Nancy had a target for whatever reason." – Lynden Blake (07:36)

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International and Cross-Border Investigation Developments

Timestamp: 08:40 – 09:30

• The FBI is now working with Mexican authorities, suggesting Nancy may have been taken across the border after her abduction.
• Lynden clarifies this is a routine approach for cases in border regions but marks a notable shift in the investigation’s scope.

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Multiple and Evolving Ransom Demands

Timestamp: 09:35 – 11:00

• TMZ reported receiving a new, separate ransom demand—notable for its sophisticated nature, use of cryptocurrency (different from previous requests), and explicit threats if the ransom isn’t met.

  "This ransom was around $6 million...but this one was requested with a different type of cryptocurrency, not bitcoin...a different crypto account." – Lynden Blake (10:25)

• No proof of life has been provided to date, and authorities remain cautious about the credibility of such communications.
• The Guthrie family has not responded publicly to these new ransom notes.

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$100,000 Crime Stoppers Reward: Unexpected Altruism

Timestamp: 11:00 – 12:19

• Michael Hoope, a Milwaukee attorney with no prior personal connection to the case, donated $100,000 to Tucson’s Crime Stoppers (88 Crime) to aid Nancy’s recovery.

  "This case stuck out to me because of the age of the person, the need for medical treatment, the pacemaker, and how important time was...So I said, I better do it." – Michael Hoope (11:03)

• Michael details Crime Stoppers' strict anonymity protocols:

  "When you call, we don't take your phone number. We don't take your name...We just take the information you give us. If that results in an arrest, you get a reward." – Michael Hoope (11:48)

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Behind-the-Scenes: DNA and Genealogy in the Investigation

Timestamp: 12:19 – 13:24

• Pima County Sheriff continues to investigate DNA evidence, with genealogy analysis underway.
• An expert notes if the person has American roots, DNA matches can come within hours to weeks:

  "[Genealogical analysis] could take anywhere from hours to a few weeks, not years, as it does in some cases." – Lynden Blake (12:59)

• Lynden assures listeners that, though it may not seem obvious, significant investigative progress is being made.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the eerie connection between childhood games and the current crisis:

  "It was this game, but now it's their real life. Very eerie." – Lynden Blake (03:10)

• On the strange pattern of Google searches:

  "How often...can you go back on the trends and see that Nancy Guthrie's address was never searched?...It’s just very weird." – Lynden Blake (05:20)

• On Michael Hoope's motivation:

  "Time still is important. No one came forward and pushed Crime Stoppers. So I said, I better do it." – Michael Hoope (11:05)

• On maintaining tipster anonymity:

  "You go to an undisclosed location, give them your number, your code number, and you get the reward. And I don't know of an instance where this has not worked..." – Michael Hoope (11:57)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |------------------------------------------------------|---------------| | Savannah Guthrie’s “kidnapping game” recollection | 03:21–03:32 | | Google search revelations & targeting theory | 03:32–07:36 | | FBI engages Mexican authorities | 08:40–09:30 | | New ransom note details & skepticism | 09:35–11:00 | | Michael Hoope’s $100K Crime Stoppers donation | 11:00–12:19 | | Crime Stoppers anonymity explained | 11:48–12:19 | | DNA genealogy progress report | 12:19–13:24 |

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Flow & Tone

Lynden Blake maintains a cautious, investigative, and empathetic tone throughout the episode. She balances hard facts with speculation responsibly, seeking clarity for listeners while expressing the emotional weight of the story. The episode is marked by moments of deep unease—the line between childhood innocence and adult tragedy, a community galvanized by altruism, and new leads that both baffle and bring hope.

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For tips:
FBI Tip Line: 1-800-CALL-FBI
Tucson's Crime Stoppers (88 Crime): Information line for anonymous leads.

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Transcript

[A]

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[C]

Today show host Savannah Guthrie made an eerie confession that she played kidnapping games as a child years before her mom, Nancy disappeared. Also, TMZ receives a new highly sophisticated ransom demand.

[A]

Again, in crypto, the demand graphically describes the consequences if the demand is not met.

[C]

And we can confirm the check is cleared. We talked to the guy who offered $100,000 to find Nancy Guthrie.

[D]

This case stuck out to me because of the age of the person, the need for medical treatment, the pacemaker and how important time was. And no one came forward and pushed crime Stoppers. So I said I better do it.

[C]

I'm Lyndon Blake and this is Finding Nancy Guthrie. A Daily Wire True Crime investigation. It is Wednesday, February 18th. We are in day 18 in the search for Nancy Guthrie. So there's been this tool that hasn't been discussed yet in this case and it's the good old fashioned polygraph test. Well, today we can report polygraph testing happened at the Pima County Sheriff's Department. This is something that's been on a lot of people's minds as to why hasn't this been done yet. When I talk to my sources on this, they're saying, well, you know, there's other ways in this day and time to go about an investigation that a polygraph test isn't always a let's go to it right away because it goes off emotion, which is very helpful. But it's not always the end all be all. If you watch the Today show, if you know Savannah Guthrie, you know, she released this book a couple years ago called mostly what God Does. It is a very precious book about her life and she shared personal stories and talked about her faith and it was just a really special project to her. But now since Nancy has been missing her 84 year old mother, there's one little anecdote in that story that is getting some attention. And it's when Savannah describes this Game they used to play when she and Annie were growing up, and it was a kidnapping game. Now, everyone played the games growing up. Hansel and Gretel. I mean, this is just purely an eerie coincidence. But in this book, she talks about how Annie, her sister and her would be air quotes, kidnapped and taken somewhere in Tucson. And, you know, they would call Nancy and Nancy would play along with it and be like, oh, no. And it was this game, but now it's their real life. Very eerie. Listening to the audio.

[E]

Mom, cousin Terry kidnapped us to take us to her house. My mother would feign shock, protest how terribly she would miss us, then assure us she'd drive up to retrieve us.

[C]

Another odd thing that has come to a lot of people's attention today. You can go to this thing called Google Trends, and that's how they get, you know, the word of the year for 2025 and all this stuff. You can track searches on Google Trends and someone searched for Nancy Guthrie's address and Savannah's salary days before Nancy was kidnapped. Now, this is a Google trend. This is not for fact, but Google Trends is used in a lot of instances for accurate trends on the web. So it was interesting as the pinged Google search for Nancy's address was around January 26th and 27th. She went missing the night of January 31st into February 1st. And what was even weirder about this, on Google Trends, you can select United States worldwide, view other countries. The most searches that were being pinged for Nancy Guthrie's address during that January 26, 2020 seventh era was from Algeria. That's a country in Northern Africa. That is weird. Could be a vpn, could be hiding the identity of someone's IP address, or it could be someone in Algeria. These are just things, again, that are bizarre about this. There's no indication that the search for Savannah's salary is linked to the search for Nancy Guthrie's address. But I mean, let's be real. How often you can go back on the trends and see that Nancy Guthrie's address was never searched. Like, no one's out there just searching. I mean, people are searching about the Winter Olympics right now. That's the number one Google trend, just to show you what it does. But it's just very weird that couple days before she went missing, there were searches for that. The reason that this all is just kind of just sticking in my brain at this point in the investigation is because for a long time, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nantos wouldn't say if he thought Nancy was targeted or not whether this was random or targeted. And that's important to know, obviously. But today Nano's told a news outlet that Nancy had a target for whatever reason. So now we're saying that Nancy was targeted. It goes back to Sheriff Chris Nanos doing individual interviews with different media outlets, mostly local to Tucson. But this is why I'm team press conference, because there's just so many new developments and things that you need clarification on that's just not being put out there. So did someone stalk Savannah? I mean, again, the Today show is known for this family atmosphere. They share their family life, they share their kids, their spouses. Savannah took all of America back to Tucson back in November and showed us all around the desert, the zoo, her college campus at University of Arizona, her mom at these restaurants. So was. Is there someone like whoever is responsible? Were they stalking Savannah? Did they put the dots together that Nancy was alone in Arizona? Because it's well known that. Or not well known maybe. But if you follow the Today show, you know that Nancy raised the Guthrie siblings as a single mother, that Savannah's dad died young. It's just so scary to think about and just so horrible. So horrible that an 84 year old woman was targeted in all this. Again, no public lead so far, but TMZ is saying, plus other outlets that now this search has gone international and FBI has contacted Mexican authorities. And the thought behind this is that they don't think necessarily that this was some type of cartel involved operation, but there is a chance that in the days after the kidnapping that Nancy was taken across the border to Mexico. FBI says, you know, it's normal to work with Mexican authorities given Tucson's proximity to the border. But again, this is the first that we're hearing that this is being done on day 18. Okay. And I know that every time you hear the word ransom note, you're just probably thinking, what the heck? But hear me out here. TMZ said today they got another ransom note. Now everyone is like, what Harvey levin just said 12 hours ago. He was done saying they got notes. Guys, this is another ransom note. We have to separate the ransom notes from the emails about I know who the kidnapper is. They are being treated at this time as two separate things. So, yeah, Harvey said to Sean Hannity Tuesday night, we're done sharing. If we get any more emails from this person that claims to know the kidnapper is. Because if we keep saying every time we're contacted and then all of a sudden we stop saying that we've been contacted, that could tip off the kidnapper that now someone snitched on him. That's smart. But he didn't say he was not going to stop saying that. They've been given ransom notes, and there's a difference. Ransom note. There is a ransom involved. And that's the note that TMZ got today. Another ransom note. And Harvey Levin said this ransom was around the $6 million mark of the first note. But this one was requested with a different type of cryptocurrency, not bitcoin. And there was a different crypto account linked to this note than the original. Remember, the originals had the same bitcoin address. This one has a different cryptocurrency address. So FBI, of course, they're looking into it. And again, we're not giving any credibility to these ransom notes because there has been no proof of life. Authorities have said they don't know if there's been any more communication with the family and this person directly. And we frankly haven't seen the Guthrie family address this person behind the ransom note since they said that they would pay the ransom more than a week ago. And one thing that was stressed in this ransom note is the author graphically described the consequences and if that ransom wasn't met. But FBI has to look into it because at this point in the case, that's where we are. So another award was given out. We can tell you that the check has been sent to Tucson. A attorney out of Milwaukee took it upon himself to give $100,000 to Crime Stoppers of Tucson to try to figure out what happened to Nancy Guthrie. We tracked down Michael Hoope, and he's the guy that did this. And let me tell you, this is not what he does every day. Like, let's find these cases and let's go help out these local Crime Stoppers organizations. Something about this case really stuck out to him.

[D]

This case stuck out to me because of the age of the person, the need for medical treatment, the pacemaker, and how important time was. Time still is important. And no one came forward and pushed Crime Stoppers. So I said, I better do it. I've heard no mention of Crime Stoppers coming from Tucson. So I said, I better do something.

[C]

And I've worked the Crime Stoppers for years, but this was new information to me. I've never gone that far to be like, how does this actually work? We know the tips are anonymous, but how do they promise that they remain anonymous and that no one knows who the person tipping off investigators are? Well, Mr. Michael Hoope explained that well, it's anonymous.

[D]

When you call, we don't take your phone number. We don't take your name. We don't take any information about you. We just take the information you give us. If that results in an arrest, you get a reward. We still don't take your name, any information about you. You go to an undisclosed location, give them your number, your code number, and you get the reward. And I don't know of an instance where this has not worked, where anyone's been betrayed by the system.

[C]

So just for clarity, Crime Stoppers in Tucson is called 88 crime. So today, Pima county did confirm that 88 crime did get that $100,000 reward sent from Wisconsin. It may not seem like it, but things are happening in this case. And you could even argue things are heating up in this case as the DNA is continued to be investigated as well as the multitude of leads that Pima county sheriff and the FBI in regards to the DNA testing that goes down the genealogy trail. An expert said that it could take anywhere. If the person has roots that go back in the United States, it could take anywhere from hours to a few weeks, not years, as it does in some cases. So just know that all that work is being done behind the scenes as authorities are working to find Nancy Guthrie. Tip line for the FBI. 1-800- call FBI. And again, there's that Crime Stoppers reward, too. I'm Lyndon Blake, and this is finding Nancy Guthrie. A daily wire true crime investigation.

[F]

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