News of the reported kidnapping of Savannah Guthrie’s mother spread rapidly across social media, capturing widespread attention. The “Today” show host’s mother’s disappearance quickly became a trending topic.
Influencers eagerly shared updates, detailing the timeline since Nancy Guthrie was last seen. They even posted images of the blood discovered on her porch, later confirmed to belong to the 84-year-old. Many took to calling out individuals they found suspicious and documented their efforts to search her neighborhood.
Authorities suspect that Nancy Guthrie was forcibly taken from her home near Tucson, Arizona, about a week ago. The case has captivated amateur sleuths online, fueling a fervent quest for answers and clues.
Despite an ongoing investigation with no clear leads, social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, X, Facebook, and YouTube have become hotbeds for theories and tips. While this has drawn much-needed attention to the case, it has also led to the spread of misinformation, prompting law enforcement to clarify facts repeatedly.
Michael Alcazar, a retired NYPD detective and adjunct professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, acknowledges that the benefits of social media engagement often outweigh the drawbacks.
“Increased awareness keeps people vigilant,” he noted. “Knowing she’s still missing might encourage someone to speak up if they notice something suspicious.”
He compared it to the widespread online response to the disappearance and death of Gabby Petito in 2021 and the impact that may have had on her body being found.
Two YouTubers said at the time that an image they posted showed Petito and her boyfriend’s white van and that it led investigators to the area where her body was found. But the FBI didn’t specify what led to the discovery.
“I think it’s just something that we have to adapt to as far as law enforcement,” Alcazar said. “The true crime community is growing. … There’s a lot of people out there that want to help.”
But with the widespread posts also comes the proliferation of misinformation.
Ashleigh Banfield, from the cable network NewsNation, announced on her podcast Wednesday that a law enforcement source told her a Guthrie family member is the prime suspect. She seemed to quickly walk-back the statement seconds later, saying the person “may be a prime suspect,” and adding that family members are often looked at first. The information quickly took off across social media, with people posting photos of the person she named.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos addressed the rumor early in a news conference Thursday, saying authorities don’t have any suspects or persons of interest. That remained the case Friday.
“I plead with you to be careful of what it is we put out there. … You could actually be doing some damage to the case, you could do some damage to the individual, too,” he said later in the news conference. “Social media’s kind of an ugly world sometimes.”
Other posts have included a medium expressing her feeling that Guthrie is close by and a woman using astrology to point her viewers in the direction of what may have happened.
Calvin Chrustie, who has more than three decades of experience in negotiations for kidnapping, ransom and extortions, said if the public truly understood the toll those situations can have on family and law enforcement, they might not hastily post unsubstantiated information.
“This stuff on X and other stuff out there that’s pure speculation is actually making it more difficult for the families and making it more difficult to the police to secure the safe, you know, the safe return of the hostage,” he said.
Julie Urquhart, an elementary school teacher in New Brunswick, Canada, has been posting about the case on TikTok, Instagram and Facebook. She said she was drawn to the disappearance because she has a mother near Guthrie’s age and was fascinated that someone could have taken her seemingly without a trace.
Urquhart said her information comes from national news sites and law enforcement news conferences. One of her posts on TikTok and Instagram amassed more 4 million views, she said.
“That’s 4 million eyes that now saw that story and now maybe will see something or know something or know someone who does,” she said. “There’s just so many people it hits.”
Associated Press reporter Safiyah Riddle in Montgomery, Alabama, contributed.
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