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The crime desk, arresting podcasts.
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You guys came here in the 70s and you'd been moving all around.
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What made you want to stay in Tucson and plant roots? It's so wonderful.
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Just the air, the quality of life.
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Is laid back and gentle. I like to watch the javelina eat my plants.
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But the best thing about you, son.
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Is coming home, seeing you guys.
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Should we raise a glass?
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Prickly pear margarita.
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Cheers. Cheers.
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Cheers. Love you. Love you.
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That was Nancy Guthrie speaking to her daughter Savannah in her last appearance on the Today show before she was reported missing on Sunday. And that is our main story of the week. Nancy is the 84 year old mother of Today show host Savannah Guthrie, a household name for many of us in the states whose face millions of Americans wake up to every morning. At the time of this recording on Wednesday, here's everything we know so far. Nancy was last seen around 9.45pm on Saturday. She was reported missing after she didn't show up to church the next morning. A key digital clue has narrowed down the timeline. Her pacemaker stopped syncing with her apple watch around 2am on Sunday. The watch was found inside of the home. Police say Nancy is mentally sharp but physically frail. She needs daily medication to survive and was taken without it. Investigators are examining alleged Bitcoin ransom notes sent to TMZ and a former hostage negotiator says the evidence may suggest more than one person was involved. The FBI is assisting and police say all leads are being followed. But as of now, there is no suspect and no person of interest, Savannah Guthrie said in part in a statement on Instagram. Please pray now. Senior investigative reporter Steve Helling joins us to break this down in detail. We'll also bring you the verdict in the Brandon Banfield case and the charge against Jill Biden's ex husband accused of murdering his wife. This is the Trial usa. I'm Kayla Brantley. We'll be back in just a moment with our main story. This is an ad by BetterHelp.
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Did I talk too much? Can't I just let it go? I wish I would stop thanking so much.
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With endless scroll algorithms and AI flooding feeds, podcasting stands out. They're sought, not served. Audiences actively choose choose to hear trusted voices on topics they care about. In fact, 72% of listeners say podcasts shape cultural conversations for marketers. That means podcasts shift brand perception like no other channel. Acast's Podcast Pulse 2025 report has the proof. Get all the insights@podcastpulse2025.com.
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I'm joined now by senior reporter of the Daily Mail, Steve Helling. Steve, you have been covering this case since it broke and I really wanna start with a timeline. We know that Nancy Guthrie was last seen Saturday night. What have we learned since then? If you could walk us through Saturday night onward.
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Well, Saturday night was a normal night. Nobody thought anything weird. She went out, she came back with the family, they dropped her off at her house and she went inside, which is exactly what you would expect. She was supposed to go to church the next morning. And Nancy Guthrie was a very regular churchgoers. She never missed a service unless she was sick and she didn't show. And so members of the church were actually nervous that something, you know, she's an 84 year old woman who, you know, could get sick or whatever. So they contacted the family and Savannah Guthrie's sister went and checked and that's when we started seeing that there were signs of something wrong. And you know, the police were called and that began this whole thing. And really that's the timeline that matters. Ever since then, nothing has happened. You know, she hasn't been found. You know, police are going through their investigation, but yeah, that was last weekend is when it happened and you know, we're still waiting to see what happens from here.
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Yeah, we're at five days since she was last seen. And one thing that's that we've learned is that she's on this medication that she needs to take within 24 hours or it could possibly, possibly be fatal. One thing that I want to talk about is this scene. When did this go from a missing person's case to now? This is a crime scene. We've had statements from the Sheriff. But not much detail about what was actually found at the scene other than that there was evidence of a crime that was committed. What do we know?
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Well, it immediately went into a crime scene because the things that were in that house were not normal. You know, there was a struggle of some sort in the bed, we believe, and the police believe that she was taken out of her bed. So bed clothes, you know, the linens were pulled. You know, we know that there was blood found at the scene. We also know that all of Nancy's things, including her medication, were not taken. Her wallet, her purse, you know, her phone, her keys, none of that was taken. And, you know, that was all still there in the house. And that is a sign that somebody left without planning to leave because she didn't pick up her keys or anything to go. There was some blood found on the outside. On top of it all, the front entrance, which seems to be the entrance that they would have left through, was unlocked. So there was that. But also there is some sort of evidence of forced entry. And the cops haven't told us, is it the front door? Was it kicked in? Was a window broken? They're not telling us that. But, you know, there's certain signs of forced entry that certainly show that something bad has happened. And that's kind of what police saw. So between the blood and the sheets and the forced entry and the unlocked door and all of her personal effects and some lights were on that would have normally been turned off. You know, that's not right. So it turned into a crime scene right away.
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And we did learn that Nancy had a pacemaker that was connected to her Apple Watch. What have authorities said about that?
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Well, we know that that stopped syncing at 2am so I don't know. It depends on what her settings were, how often it should have synced with everything. But 2am it synced and then it didn't sync after that. So at some point after 2am she was taken from, away from the house that she, that she's in. And, you know, the other thing is, what does that mean? And there's. That's a big question that, you know, cops are asking and so forth. Is it that she's far away from her devices? Is that what it is? Or is it that the heart isn't beating? It could be either. And, you know, that is obviously going to make everybody really nervous. We're hoping that all it means is that she was taken away from proximity from her Apple Watch. That's what we're hoping.
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A lot of theories have been swirling around, and I think it's important to talk about her daughter, Savannah Guthrie. You know, this is why the story has gained such national attention, because she is the mother of someone who's very popular and very famous. You know, she is a journalist, a well respected journalist, but it's someone that you turn on your TV every morning and watch and kind of feel like, you know, so can you just talk us through who Savannah Guthrie is and her relationship with her mother, Nancy?
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Well, Savannah Guthrie is, of course, one of the hosts of the Today show. She's been there for several years now, you know, and she has a devoted following. One thing that people don't necessarily realize is that these morning show people tend to have a really strong following because they're in your home every day, you see them every day, they're kind of getting you ready in the morning as you're going to go off to work. So people get really attached to, you know, the people from Today show her Good Morning America or whatever. And, you know, Savannah was no different. I think, you know, she's. She is smiley and bubbly and very pleasant, you know, on air. And I think a lot of people feel like they know her and they feel like, you know, that there, there's some sort of familiarity there. So one thing that Savannah Guthrie has going for her that maybe some other newscasters don't have is this level of not just trust, but, you know, like people like her. People are attracted to her and want to hear what she has to say, and they care about her. And she's never been shy about talking about her family or her life or that type of thing. She will talk about it on air if it makes sense at the time to do it. So people kind of know her. You know, they did a segment at one point about hometowns where they introduced her mother. So, you know, Savannah Guthrie is somebody with a really high favorability rating. And that comes with both the good and the bad in the fact that people know her and they like her. But sometimes you don't want everybody to know you and to like you. And so, you know, cops have had to look into that as well.
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Yeah. And I think you raise a good point that people feel like they really know Savannah, because when you look at the Today show hosts, I mean, just a few weeks ago, Savannah under went vocal cord surgery, and she shared that whole process with the fans, you know, really letting the cameras in. Also on the Today show, Chanel Jones lost her husband last year and, you know, their lives become part of their job and part of, you know, the story that they tell and part of the entertainment that people feel like they have an inside look to these people's lives. So when something like this happens, it feels like it hits home. It feels like this happened to a friend. And I think that that's why this story has resonated with so many people. But also to your point that this couldthat level of fame could now bring some nefarious things that now there are theories of ransom. What do we know about these alleged ransom notes?
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Well, these ransom notes came out, but you have to keep in mind these ransom notes were sent to media. They weren't sent to the cops. So what does that mean? This has become such a big story that you could write a ransom note right now and send it to one of the news outlets. So is that real? Does that mean anything?
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What was in these notes?
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Basically the idea of if you want her back, we want some money. That's pretty much the general, the general gist of it. And you know, that's cops haven't said one way or the other. They've said to us that they are aware of these notes and they're investigating these notes, but they certainly haven't given any indication that they're taking them seriously. As you know, the suspect decided to send a note to news to the news. That doesn't really make a lot of sense.
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We're taking a quick break after this. This is an ad by BetterHelp.
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A
Did I talk too much? Can't I just let it go?
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Take a breath. You're not alone. Let's talk about what's going on. Counseling helps you sort through the noise with qualified professionals and online therapy makes it convenient. See if it's for you. Visit betterhelp.com randompodcast for 10% off your first month of online therapy and let life feel better. Lifelock, how can I help? The IRS said I filed my return, but I haven't.
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B
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- [13:33]
A
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B
I do feel like in this case the authorities haven't really given much. You know, when you watch the news conferen, they say that she's missing. They say that there's a crime scene, but they didn't really go into detail. They speak about the notes. They haven't said that there's a person of interest. Despite reports that they're looking at potential fans of Savannah, that there was a report today that they're looking at her brother in law, the husband of Savannah Guthrie's sister. What do we know for fact and what are right now just theories?
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A
Well, you know, that's such a good question. Because a lot of times when facts don't get out there, theories kind of, you know, formulate and then they kind of spread across the news outlets and suddenly that becomes fact in a lot of people's minds. You just laid out the facts that we know she's missing. Nobody knows where they are, where she is. There's been no person of interest who's been named. We don't know whether she's dead or alive. Cops are looking for her and you know, the family is in distress. Those are the facts that we know for sure. There are other things that we know through. You know, obviously there's a lot of law enforcement that's dealing with this and you know, talking to sources and people about, around that. We do know a lot about the, you know, the scene that we described, described earlier. But, you know, we don't know if of course the cops are going to say there's no suspect, even if there is one, because the whole point is you don't want to tip off the suspect.
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Well, that's what I was going to ask you. Is this a calculated measure to not give too much, or do they really just have no leads? It appears that they have no leads. If you're going to go off of the press conferences or is this more tactical than we think?
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Well, and that's the million dollar question. And I would say they probably know a lot more than what they're saying. That's generally what happens in these situations. You know, you don't want to tell everything because then, you know, there's nothing held back. And you want to catch somebody in a lie. You want to catch them not knowing or knowing something that they shouldn't already know, something along those lines. And you can't do that if you tell the news media everything. So. So I get it. Of course it's frustrating as a reporter when the cops don't tell you everything. But you know, generally speaking, this is the phase where they hold things close to the chest and frankly, this is the phase where they lie. This is the phase where they say, we don't have anybody in mind. We don't have any person of interest when they really do, because that's a tactic that they use. We know it, they know it. They know we know it. And, you know, I don't even think anybody really begrudges them from doing it. Like, you know, that's.
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Yeah.
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Doing what they need to do. But, yeah, I don't put a lot of stock in the idea that, gee, we don't have any new updates for you. The keywords for that are for you. It's not that they don't have any new updates. They just don't have any new updates for us.
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I think of the Bryan Kohberger case, where these murders happened, and everyone was looking to the police, saying, you bungled the investigation. How could you have no suspects? These four students were murdered in their beds, and then suddenly there's an arrest. And it felt like there were no leads at all. And then they got the guy because they were conducting this, you know, mission the whole time, and they didn't want people to know. Savannah Guthrie, she hosts the news. She tells the news. She and her co workers, that's her job. But now she has become the news. How can you. Can you even imagine what she's going through? And I don't know, like, what do you make of something like that? Where you're so used to being on the other side, and now you are the headline?
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You know, I've wondered that. I've thought that very question a lot in the last couple days, because, you know, we do what we do. You know, somebody is found dead or missing or whatever, and we go. We talk to the cops, we talk to the family, we talk to the suspects, we talk to whoever we talk to. And, you know, sometimes it's very easy for news people to really forget that. Yeah, we're talking about people, like real people that this is happening to, and Savannah is getting a taste of that right now. I mean, this is the other side of the coin for her. I can imagine it's awful. But I also imagine that she. She does have more resources, and I'm not talking about financial resources, but she has more resources for a situation like this than maybe the average person would. You know, you do learn things from reporting things out. You do learn things from standing in the rain talking to a cop or whatever it is that, you know, that I've done, that most reporters have done, that she's done. So I think she this, the good news for her is that she does know the questions to ask the police. She does know how this is being done. She is the journalist in America right now that knows the most about this case. And I guarantee you that she has asked the cops some very pointed questions just to kind of figure out what's going on.
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B
And I do want to make a point that there was an earlier report that her brother in law was being looked at. The sheriff's office has since put out a statement that investigators have not identified a person or a suspect or person of interest in this case. That they continue to speak with the family and that they're working closely with the family. They even said, you know, sharing unverified accusations or false information is irresponsible and does not assist the investigation. So they reiterated that there's no suspect or person of interest identified, publicly identified at this time. Just to, you know, ease any confusion there that, that there may be. Is there a chance that Nancy Guthrie is alive right now?
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I mean, I sure hope so. I think we all hope so. It's not looking great. I mean, that's the, you know, that is the blunt answer. It doesn't look great. You know, we are Talking about an 84 year old woman with mobility issues who was taken out of her bed. She's doesn't have her life saving medications with her and there was blood found at the scene. None of that adds up to a really happy ending. But miracles have happened before. We've seen it happen before. We've assumed something and it's turned out not to be true. So here's hoping that she is still alive. But if we're gonna be completely practical about it, it does seem unlikely.
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Most cases, and you can know this from watching any crime documentary or even, you know, a TV show, a Cops TV show. Most of the time a crime is committed by someone who knew the victim. And it doesn't seem in this case that this is just some random attack that happens to be Savannah Guthrie's mother. You know, we don't have a suspect, we don't have a person of interest. So we don't really have any motive at this time. But I think we can only imagine that much, much more will come out. And I really do hope for the family that there is some type of closure either way.
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A
Absolutely. Yeah. One thing that's worth noting is that the cops have said that there's no danger to the community at large, which certainly is. That made my ears perk up because that means they know something. Because if it were just a random crime of opportunity. An older woman home alone, somebody came in. If that were the case, then there would be a real risk to the community. Lock your doors, make sure everything's okay. And they're doing the opposite. So I really do hope for the best. But I am also prepared for the idea that maybe it's going to be some sort of targeted attack.
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All right. Well, thank you for being here, Steve.
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Thank you so much.
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B
We also want to bring you up to speed on this case that's involving Jill Biden's ex husband. William Stevenson, he's 77 years old, is now being held in custody in Delaware after being charged with first degree murder in the death of his wife, Linda Stevenson, who was found unresponsive at their Wilmington home late last year. Police were called to the house just after 11pm following reports of a domestic dispute. Despite life saving efforts, Linda was pronounced dead. Authorities have not yet released an official cause of death and no motive has been made public. William Stevenson was previously married to Dr. Jill Biden in the early 1970s when she was a college student. They divorced in 1975, before she later married Joe Biden in 1977. In the past, Stevenson had previously claimed that Jill Biden had an affair with Joe Biden, but representatives have strongly denied those claims. As for what happens next, the case now moves into the pretrial phase. Stevenson remains jailed after failing to post a $500,000 cash bail and prosecutors and defense attorneys will begin filing motions and preparing for a potential trial. First degree murder is the most serious charge under Delaware law and carries the possibility of life in prison if he is convicted. Joe Biden has not commented publicly on the charges and future updates are now expected to come from the courtroom. We have an update on the Brandon Banfield murder case. He has been found guilty of murdering his wife. A jury in Virginia has delivered the verdict in the case of the father accused of orchestrating his wife's murder and killing a stranger to cover it up. Prosecutors said the plan was chilling. Brendan Banfield, a former IRS law enforcement officer, lured an unsuspecting stranger to his home as a fall guy, then staged the killing to look like self defense. Jurors found him guilty on all major counts, including two counts of aggravated murder, using a firearm in a felony, and child endangerment. The prosecutors argued Banfield wanted a life with the family's Brazilian au pair, with whom he was having an affair. To make that happen, they said he and the au pair impersonated his wife online using a BDSM site to lure Joseph Ryan to the house under the guise of a sexual fantasy. When Ryan arrived, prosecutors said Banfield shot him, then stabbed his wife, Christine Banfield, and tried to frame Ryan as the attacker. The au pair later pleaded guilty to manslaughter and testified against Banfield, describing the plan in detail. Banfield denied this plot, but after two days of deliberations, the jury rejected his version of events. He now faces the possibility of life in prison, but sentenced to scheduled for May 8th. That's all for this week. Thank you for joining. I'm Kayla Brantley and this is the Trial usa. We'll be back next week. See you then. Lifelock how can I help? The IRS said I filed my return.
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A
But I haven't 1 in 4 taxpaying Americans has paid the price of identity fraud.
- [25:08]
B
What do I do?
- [25:09]
A
My refund though. I'm freaking out. Don't worry, I can fix this. Lifelock fixes identity theft guaranteed and gets your money back with up to $3 million in coverage.
- [25:17]
B
I'm so relieved. No problem. I'll be with you every step of the way.
- [25:21]
A
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