Crime Stories with Nancy Grace

Will today's ransom deadline be met for the return of Nancy Guthrie?
Experts suggest the two ransom notes using separate deadlines shows extensive planning and an attempt to control the investigation. As investigators attempt to determine the veracity of the notes, the Guthrie family is forced to treat the notes as real. The replies also share insight into the content of the notes. In their first posted video response, the Guthrie's asked for "proof of life". The familie's third reply no longer seeks this proof and says "we will pay."
Experts suggest the ransom notes using separate deadlines shows extensive planning and an
attempt to control the investigation. As investigators attempt to determine the veracity of the
notes, the Guthrie family is forced to treat the notes as real. The replies also share insight into
the content of the notes. In their first posted video response, the Guthrie's asked for "proof of
life". The most recent reply message no longer seeks this proof and says "we will pay"
Shortly after the release of the Guthrie family video, deputies arrive back on scene at the
home of Nancy Guthrie, while a significant presence of law enforcement arrives at the home
of Annie Guthrie, for a late-night search, continuing for hours. This is at least the second time Annie's home has been searched, and law enforcement is not answering questions.
The search lasts for more than three hours, ending around 10:30pm with officers coming
out of the house wearing blue gloves and carrying brown bags.

Joining Nancy Grace today:
Matthew Lopez - Criminal defense lawyer and owner of the largest criminal defense law firm in Arizona, website: MatthewLopez.com
Caryn Stark - Forensic Psychologist, renowned TV and Radio trauma expert and consultant, www.carynstark.com, Instagram: carynpsych, FB: Caryn Stark Private Practice
Chris McDonough - Director At the Cold Case Foundation, Former Homicide Detective, Worked over 300 Homicides in 25 year career, Trained the first Native American Homicide Task Force; & Host of YouTube channel, "The Interview Room”, website: www.coldcasefoundation.org/chris-mcdonough
Scott Eicher - Digital Forensics Expert, Founding Member of the FBI’s Cellular Analysis Survey Team (CAST), Former FBI agent of 22 years; Former Police, currently with Precision Cellular Analysis, website: pcaexperts.com
Jessica Finn - Senior Investigative Reporter at The U.S. Sun, the-sun.com, jessicafinnnyc (Twitter/ IG) @jessicafinn.bsky.social (Bluesky)
Dave Mack - Investigative Reporter, 'Crime Stories'
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Monday marks the 9th day in the search for 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, with the case escalating into a critical investigation as a ransom deadline approaches
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TIPLINE: 520-351-4900, 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324)
Nancy Guthrie, TV host Savannah Guthrie’s 84-year-old mother, has been missing for a full week.
Her home, according to police, is considered a crime scene.
Nancy Guthrie was last seen Saturday, January 31, around 9:30 p.m. outside her Tucson home. She was reported missing at noon the next day. Police say scenes at her home indicate "she didn't leave on her own."
Nancy Guthrie is 5 feet, 5 inches tall, and weighs about 150 pounds. She has brown hair and blue eyes.
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Listen to Mayhem in the Morgue on all podcast platforms: https://link.podtrac.com/MayhemMorgue

Content Warning: This episode contains discussion of death of individuals. If you’re sensitive to this topic, this episode may not be for you.

The line between curiosity and catastrophe is thinner than most people expect. In this episode of Mayhem in the Morgue, Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Kendall Crowns uses a series of foraging mistakes to show how curiosity, mixed with a hint of bravado, can turn lethal when people rely on folklore, hearsay, or incomplete information. From toxin- secreting toads and misidentified “magic mushrooms” to a drowning case complicated by zebra mussels and cyanotoxins, each case tracks the same pattern: confidence first, consequences later.

Highlights
• (0:00) Welcome to Mayhem in the Morgue with Dr. Kendall Crowns
• (0:30) A radio story from Arizona: people reportedly licking toads to get high
• (1:00) A high school “toad hunt” in Kansas goes sideways with the wrong species and 24 hours of vomiting
• (2:30) Colorado River toad, 5-MeO-DMT, and why "toad licking" is dangerously misunderstood
• (5:45) Case one: a 20-year-old “confirms” magic mushrooms with library photos and dries a batch for tea
• (7:30) Psychedelic tea results in vomiting and GI complications, followed by multiorgan failure and death
• (12:45) Case two: a drowning case is complicated by foreign shells in the airway and stomach
• (15:15) Zebra mussels and cyanotoxins enter the investigation
• (22:00) Closing warning: all mushrooms are edible, some only once

About the Host: Dr. Kendall Crowns
Dr. Crowns is the Chief Medical Examiner for Travis County, Texas, and a nationally recognized forensic pathologist. He las led death investigations in Travis County, Fort Worth, Chicago, and Kansas. Over his career, he has performed thousands of autopsies and testified in court hundreds of times as an expert witness. A frequent contributor to Crime Stories with Nancy Grace, Dr. Crowns brings unparalleled insight into the strange, grisly, and sometimes absurd realities of forensic pathology.

About the Show
Mayhem in the Morgue takes listeners inside the bloody, bizarre, and often unbelievable world of forensic pathology. Hosted by Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Kendall Crowns, each episode delivers real-life cases from the morgue, the crime scene, and the courtroom. Expect gallows humor, hard truths, and unforgettable investigations.

Connect and Learn More
Have a question for Dr. Crowns? Submit them to [email protected]
Learn more about Dr. Kendall Crowns on Linkedin. Catch him regularly on Crime Stories with Nancy Grace and follow Mayhem in the Morgue where you get your podcasts.

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Stay informed, stay safe, and stay ahead with "Crime Alert Hourly Update.”
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