Podcast Summary: The Megyn Kelly Show, Ep. 1248

Episode Title: Nancy Guthrie and Daughter's Homes Searched Again, Plus NEW Ransom Details, with Brian Entin, Fitzgerald, Ayers, and O'Shea
Date: February 9, 2026
Host: Megyn Kelly

Overview

This episode is dedicated to the escalating crisis surrounding the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of NBC's Savannah Guthrie. The focus is on recent law enforcement activity, new ransom details, the handling of the investigation by the Pima County authorities, and psychological aspects of the evolving situation, with updates and expert analysis from journalists and former law enforcement personnel.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Case Status and Critique of Law Enforcement

• Nancy Guthrie has been missing for 9 days. She suffers from limited mobility and needs lifesaving medication.
• The outlook is bleak, and frustration is mounting, especially with the Pima County Sheriff's Department's lack of visible progress.
• Megyn criticizes Sheriff Chris Nanos for being seen at a basketball game amid the crisis, calling it “completely tone deaf” (03:30).
• Inexperience among homicide detectives is an issue, with the most senior detective having only three years in homicide (04:30).
• Relief expressed that the FBI is increasingly involved, surpassing sheriff's questionable performance (04:50).

2. Timeline and Ransom Notes

• Two ransom notes have surfaced: one with a demand for $4 million by Thursday, increasing to $6 million by 5pm Monday (22:00).
• The notes have provided no proof of life. Messages reference specific details (the location of Nancy’s Apple Watch, a smashed outdoor floodlight) but nothing a perpetrator couldn't have obtained as a visitor or contractor.
• Notes were not sent directly to the family but to news outlets via anonymous tip forms with scrambled IP addresses, complicating tracking (28:00).
• Debate about the legitimacy and purpose of these notes, with suspicion it's an opportunistic extortion, not evidence Nancy is alive.

3. Siblings’ Video Responses

• Savannah Guthrie and her siblings released videos acknowledging these notes and addressing potential captors:
  • “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.” – Savannah Guthrie (06:31, replayed at 24:40 and 83:49)
• Megyn Kelly and experts note the somber and resigned tone, suggesting the family may have privately accepted Nancy may be deceased (“the only way we will have peace”, “celebrate with her”—interpreted as a euphemistic allusion to a memorial).

4. Investigative Activity

• Nancy’s car was only recently impounded and searched, raising questions about delay in evidence handling.
• Law enforcement took interest in surveillance from a Circle K near Annie’s (Nancy’s daughter's) home—potential tie-in to abduction route (18:00).
• Annie’s home was searched late Saturday by deputies, reportedly with family's consent. The search lasted three hours, focused on evidence gathering and photography (15:25). The reason for the late-hour search is unclear but may relate to new tips or the need for specialized forensic work (e.g., luminol for blood detection).

5. Focus on Family

• Law enforcement is scrutinizing the brother-in-law Tomas. He has not appeared in recent days, and sources suggest he’s being considered as a person of interest (17:52).
• NBC is highly protective of Savannah, apparently controlling its reporting to avoid implying family culpability.
• Consensus among experts is that with FBI involvement and high-profile nature of the case, the family is being treated as cooperating (32:00).
• Discussion that behavioral evidence makes an “inside job” less plausible, but not impossible (68:47).

6. Law Enforcement & Expert Analysis

• Brian Entin (News Nation reporter):

  • Provided on-site observations: deputies’ search at Annie’s, details of law enforcement logistics and the family's whereabouts.
  • Remarks on Pima County’s inexperience, referencing former homicide detectives who left due to departmental issues (18:47).

• Commander Daniel O’Shea (Navy SEAL, hostage negotiator):

  • “No way, shape, or form has the group that is claiming to hold her been operating in good faith … I am suspect that the group that abducted her is the group sending the messages. They may be related. But I really think this is part of the show and drama to drive up this news media story.” (42:29)
  • Warned against paying a ransom without proof of life, suspecting the family is being tortured for attention, not money (49:53).

• Jim Fitzgerald (former FBI, linguistics):

  • Noted the distinction in tone in family communications, possibly signaling a shift from ‘rescue’ to ‘recovery’ mindset (84:39).
  • Drew comparisons to notorious kidnappings (e.g., Sidney Riso), reinforcing the rarity of true ransom kidnappings in the US.

• Chad Ayers (former SWAT/Sheriff):

  • Agreed that no viable evidence the brother-in-law or a family member could be orchestrating the ransom logistics, given the scrutiny and logistics involved (66:34).

7. Potential Leads, Delays, and Technical Gaps

• Discovery of a wildlife camera on Nancy’s rooftop (previously unnoticed) may be a significant new piece of evidence. The timing of this discovery could relate to new optimism from federal officials and President Trump (115:49, 118:11).
  • Megyn: “It does get interesting that it was Friday night President Trump made his comments.” (117:59)
• Intensive searches in Nancy’s backyard, including manholes/water tanks, with use of metal detectors (potentially hoping to locate a pacemaker or weapons).
• Satellite teams and canine units (including cadaver dogs) have not been confirmed visible on the ground, but are presumed active (109:19).
• Search and recovery efforts are expanding, including grid searches and new intelligence assets (FBI’s CAST team).

8. Presidential Involvement

• President Trump referenced possible breakthroughs:
  • “We’re doing very well on that regard… We have clues that are very strong, and I think we could have some answers coming up fairly soon…. Not talking about a search, I’m talking about a solution… things that could be definitive.” (51:56, 60:12, 117:23)
• Speculation over what “solution” means—whether it refers to an ID of the note-writer, a suspect, or the possibility of major developments tying to a surveillance find (119:44).

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On law enforcement priorities:

  • “If you want to blow off steam in the middle of a possible murder, possible kidnapping situation, you should have dinner with your family … You should not go out in public and cheer on a sports game. It looks insensitive, sir.” – Megyn Kelly (03:30)

• On the notes’ veracity:

  • “I am suspect that the group that abducted her is the group sending the messages. … I really think this is part of the show and drama to drive up this news media story.” – Daniel O’Shea (42:29)

• On the family’s response:

  • “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.” – Savannah Guthrie (06:31, 24:40, 83:49)
  • “The whole tone of it sounded to me … like an acceptance that perhaps their mom is gone and … they will pay to receive her remains.” – Megyn Kelly (06:46)

• On ransom payment decision:

  • “I would strongly recommend to not pay the ransom—because I think that would be money going into the wind for nothing. Because ... they're just torturing Savannah and her family.” – Daniel O’Shea (49:53)

• On the dangers of setting precedent:

  • “If money goes out and she's never released, never found, that's a bad precedent... all the publicity this is getting, it may just happen again.” – Jim Fitzgerald (92:16)

Important Timestamps

• 03:30: Megyn's criticism of sheriff’s public actions during the investigation.
• 06:31/24:40/83:49: Savannah Gurthrie's video appeals.
• 15:25: Brian Entin’s on-the-ground observations at Annie’s home.
• 18:47: Ex-cop’s critique of Pima County’s experience and investigative delays.
• 22:00: Ransom note demands and timeline.
• 28:00: How ransom notes were sent, details on their digital anonymity.
• 32:00: Law enforcement’s treatment of the Guthrie family.
• 42:29/49:53: Daniel O’Shea’s hostage negotiation analysis.
• 51:56/60:12/117:23: President Trump’s remarks on the investigation’s progress.
• 66:34: Why family members under scrutiny are unlikely to be involved in note logistics.
• 84:39: Jim Fitzgerald analyzes shift in the siblings’ public communications.
• 109:19: FBI search protocols, including use of animal scat in searches for remains.
• 115:49/118:11: Discovery and potential importance of rooftop wildlife camera.

Overall Tone & Language

The tone is intense, skeptical, and at times emotional—ranging from outrage and frustration (directed at law enforcement) to empathy (especially for Savannah Guthrie and her siblings) and analytical detachment (in forensics and behavioral analysis). Speculation is grounded in law enforcement and psychological expertise, striving to balance transparency with respect for the ongoing investigation.

Conclusion

The disappearance of Nancy Guthrie remains unsolved, with the investigation marked by public missteps, mounting skepticism over ransom demands, and a community—and nation—left anxious as the search for answers continues. The episode underscores both the limitations of law enforcement in real-time and the agony faced by families ensnared by uncertainty, while also cautioning about the precedent such high-profile ransom incidents may set. Listeners are left to await further developments, especially as federal resources ramp up and critical clues—perhaps from overlooked surveillance—may soon come to light.