The
Bachman Gazette
~Our Ancestors' Stories and Our Descendants' Dreams.
Legacy Corner
The fifth child born to married couple Josephine Novak and Louis Bachman on Saturday, May 15, 1926.
~Margaret (Bertha) Bachman Barton~
Josephine Novak and Louis Bachman's legacy lives on through their oldest living relative, proudly known as the Family Historian. Her meticulous notes on family events keep their memory alive, reminding us of the rich history and connections that bind us together. With her historical knowledge we not only honor their past but also celebrate the vibrant family story we continue to write today.
The fifth child born to married couple Josephine Novak and Louis Bachman on Saturday, May 15, 1926.
Just a few months into her tiny life she won a Beautiful Baby contest. She would go on to prove that her beauty wasn't just skin deep when she made her personal decision to dedicate her life to her God, Jehovah at the tender age of sixteen when she presented herself for baptism.
99 Year Legacy
Wonderful World Of Margaret (Bertha) Bachman Barton
Growing Legacy
~Mavis Michelle Marie Valentin
Josephine Novak and Louis Bachman's legacy continues to advance through their youngest living relative, affectionately known as the Newest Leaf. With the wise and loving guidance of her parents she is learning that there is nothing to fear in life. Yet, her journey is proving to be a challenging one, with the complexities of growth and discovery. Each lesson, though tough, is shaping her into a resilient individual ready to embrace her heritage.
Join us in welcoming this budding bundle of joy into our family. She resembles her great great grandmother in beauty and bliss.
Wonderful World Of Mavis Michelle Marie Valentin
The first child born to married couple Jamie Michelle Lorraine Paul and James Valentin on Tuesday, January 7, 2025.
The Edgar Allan Poe Connection
The Edgar Allan Poe Connection for the Bach Family is a fascinating story rooted in history. Both of Louis Bachman's grandmothers owned taverns the vibrant Fells Point area of Baltimore, one on Wolfe Street and the other on Lombard, where they actually competed for patrons. Having visited Edgar Allan Poe gravesite at Westminster Hall and Burial Ground multiple times, I felt compelled to uncover more about this connection. With my’s insight about their taverns, the journey of discovery began, intertwining our family history with that of the iconic writer.
POLISH CUSTOMARY TRADITIONS
Stylish Polish traditions blend deep-rooted folklore with elegant, modern aesthetics, emphasizing meticulous presentation, respect, and vibrant craftsmanship. Key traditions include wearing ornate, regional folk costumes (like those from Kraków or Kashubia) at festivals, elaborate "wycinanki" (paper-cutting) art, and elegant, respectful etiquette such as hand-kissing or offering seats.
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Stylish Folk Fashion: Polish regional attire is highly stylized, featuring intricate embroidery, colorful ribbons, and distinctive elements like peacock feathers in caps (Kraków) or delicate,, blue-and-gold, Kaszubian needlework. Men often wear vibrant, striped pants, while women display embroidered vests and floral skirts.
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Elegant Etiquette: A high level of personal presentation is expected, with polite greetings, such as kissing a woman's hand, still observed by some. Dressing well is a priority, and casual clothing is often considered inappropriate in public settings.
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Artistic Traditions: Wycinanki (intricate paper cut-outs) from the Łowicz region are a stylish, artistic tradition that influences modern design, characterized by symmetrical, colorful floral patterns.
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Refined Hospitality: Dining in Poland is highly stylized, often featuring elaborate, multi-course meals and a strong emphasis on welcoming guests with warmth and fine,, home-cooked, dishes.
Request For Genealogy Information
Despite the extensive research conducted on our family ancestors and descendants, several pieces of information are still missing. Most of the family tree is as complete as it can be unless there is a resurrection of the dead. The descendants are few and far between. If you could provide any dates related to births, deaths, and marriages, it would greatly assist our genealogy records for future generations.
If you or a family member would like a copy of the current genealogy record, please request it via email at: normajgannuscio@gmail.com
Re. Bachman Gazette
Interesting News From Around The World
Brad Arnold
Lead Singer and Drummer for
Three Doors Down
Arnold died peacefully in his sleep on Saturday, February 7, 2026, at 47 years old.
His passing came after a year-long struggle with Stage 4 kidney cancer.
In May 2025, Arnold publicly announced his diagnosis, revealing that clear cell renal carcinoma had spread to his lungs.
The diagnosis led to the cancellation of the band’s planned summer tour in 2025, prompting Arnold to concentrate on his treatment and his Christian faith.
During the earBradly days of the band, Arnold was both the lead singer and drummer. It was at this time that he penned the lyrics to 'Kryptonite' while sitting in a high school algebra class.
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'Kryptonite': The 2000 debut that launched the band to international stardom.
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'Here Without You': A 2003 power ballad that became a worldwide anthem for long-distance relationships and military families.
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'When I’m Gone': A song that topped the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart for 17 weeks.
Passed suddenly on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026 at her Brentwood neighborhood home following a brief illness. She cultivated a dedicated fanbase over the course of her career, bringing many diverse characters to life in productions ranging from Home Alone to Schitt's Creek.
'Sanford and Son' actor dies at the age of 79. The news of his passing came on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. The cause of death being complications from cancer. Despite his acting success, Wilson left Hollywood in the 1980s to become an ordained minister.
January 2026 Celebrity Deaths
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Catherine O’Hara (1954-2026) Actor known for Schitt’s Creek, Home Alone, SCTV, Beetlejuice, and more
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Bob Weir (1947-2026) Founding member of the Grateful Dead and an influential rock guitarist and songwriter
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Grady Demond Wilson (1946-2026) Actor best known for Sanford and Son and The New Odd Couple
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T.K. Carter (1956-2026) Actor known for The Thing, Punky Brewster, and Space Jam
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Kianna Underwood (1992-2026) Former star of Nickelodeon’s All That
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Scott Adams (1957-2026) “Dilbert” Creator
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Roger Ewing (1942-2026) Former Gunsmoke star
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Rob Hirst (1955-2026) Midnight Oil Drummer, known for songs like “Beds are Burning”
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Francis Buchholz (1954-2026) “Scorpions” bassist
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John Forté (1975-2026) Recording artist and producer
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Kenny Morris (1957-2026) Drummer for the iconic post-punk band “Siouxsie and the Banshees”
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Matt Kwasniewski-Kelvin (1999-2026) Guitarist for rock band “Black Midi”
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Lowell “Sly” Dunbar (1952-2026) Highly influential drummer and reggae legend who co-founded Taxi Records and worked with icons like Bob Marley and Bob Dylan
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Bret Hanna-Shuford (1979-2026) Broadway actor known for “Wicked” and “Beauty and the Beast”
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Glenn Hall (1931-2026) Known as “Mr. Goalie,” two-time Stanley Cup winner, Hall of Famer, record holder
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Bob Pulford (1936-2026) Hockey Hall of Famer and long-time NHL executive who won four Stanley Cups
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John Brodie (1935-2026) Former NFL MVP and Iconic San Francisco 49ers Quarterback
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Yeison Jiménez (1991-2026) Colombian popular music artist
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Guy Moon (1962-2026) Composer known for Fairly OddParents and other television scores
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Claudette Colvin (1939-2026) Known for refusing to give up her bus seat in 1955 and becoming a respected civil rights figure
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Ahn Sung-ki (1952-2026) Iconic South Korean actor known for movies like A Fine, Windy Day and Two Cops
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Dave Giusti (1939-2026) Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher who helped win the 1971 World Series *
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Elle Simone Scott (1976-2026) America’s Test Kitchen host
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Béla Tarr (1955-2026) Hungarian movie director known for movies like Sátántangó and The Turin Horse
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Ueli Kestenholz (1975-2026) Snowboard World Champion and Olympic Bronze medalist **
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Jayne Trcka (1963-2026) Bodybuilder and former Scary Movie star
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Michael Reagan (1945-2026) President Ronald Reagan’s son and radio host
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Eva Schloss (1929-2026) Holocaust Survivor and educator who was Anne Frank’s friend and later stepsister
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Victoria Jones (1991-2026) Daughter of actor Tommy Lee Jones
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George Vassiliou (1931-2026) Former Cyprus President
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Phil Goyette (1933-2026) Former NHL forward who won four Stanley Cups before becoming the New York Islanders’ first coach
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Wilbur Wood (1941-2026) MLB All-Star who played for the Chicago White Sox
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Chet Brooks (1966-2026) NFL player who became a two-time Super Bowl Champion with the San Francisco 49ers
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Clendon Thomas (1935-2026) A Hall of Fame running back for Oklahoma Sooners
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Sal Buscema (1936-2026) Iconic Marvel comic book artist
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Alexis Ortega (1987-2026) Spider-Man voice actor for Latin American
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Roger Allers (1949-2026) The Lion King co-director, who wrote the Broadway musical adaptation of that movie
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Valentino Garavani (1932-2026) Iconic fashion designer behind Valentino fashion house, “Valentino red,” and dressing stars like Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Elizabeth Taylor, and more
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Dan Sturges (1985-2026) Former Michigan State player and director of hockey operations
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Tucker Zimmerman (1941-2026) Cult folk music singer known for “Burial at Sea” **
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Bruce Bilson (1928-2026) TV director who worked on shows like Get Smart and Hogan’s Heroes
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Kevin Johnson (1970–2026) – Former Oakland Raiders and Philadelphia Eagles Lineman ***
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Floyd Vivino (1951-2026) Comedian known as “Uncle Floyd”
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Ota Zaremba (1957-2026) Olympic weightlifting champion who exposed a doping scandal
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Yvonne Lime (1935-2026) Actor and philanthropist known for co-founding Childhelp and her roles in The Rainmaker and I Was a Teenage Werewolf ****
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Guy Hovis (1941-2026) Singer known for The Lawrence Welk Show performances
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Dr. William Foege (1936-2026) American epidemiologist who was a leader in the battle against Smallpox
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Mackenzie Paul (1999 or 2000-2026) TikTok star who documented her cancer battle
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Peter “Produce Pete” Napolitano (1945-2026) – Beloved NBC New York personality who was a TV mainstay for 33 years
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Shirley Raines (1967-2026) TikTok star and founder of the non-profit Beauty 2 The Streetz who fed, groomed, and treated unhoused people with respect
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Roland Steadham (1958 or 1959-2026) the chief meteorologist for Idaho CBS News Channel 2
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Kim Vo (1970-2026) Celebrity hairstylist who worked with stars like Paris Hilton and Tori Spelling
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Jardyn Walker (2002-2026) Two Ways With Erica Mena contestant
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Charity Pierce (1975 or 1976-2026) My 600-lb Life Season 3 alumni
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Virginia Oliver (1920-2026) Maine’s “Lobster Lady” who worked in the industry for decades
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Sean Swayze (1962-2026) Patrick Swayze’s brother
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Victoria Jones (1991-2026) Tommy Lee Jones daughter and a former child actor
Written By: Norma Jean
February 7, 2026
Weathering The Storm Together
Written By: Norma Jean
February 1, 2026
It feels like we’ve swapped climates with Baltimore, Maryland! Even though the thermometer says 42 degrees here in Interlachen, that biting wind chill makes it feel like a freezing 22. We’ve decided to embrace the chill by lighting a fire; the dogs are already stretched out by the hearth, and the glowing flames make our family dinner feel incredibly cozy.
While we stay warm, let’s look out for our community. Please check in on your elderly neighbors—share your number and offer a hand with groceries or a hot meal.
Don’t forget your pets and livestock! Bring the little ones inside, cover your delicate plants, and ensure farm animals have fresh, liquid water to drink so they aren't stuck chewing on ice.
Surviving extreme snowy and cold conditions requires a combination of proactive preparation and smart, cautious habits to maintain safety, warmth, and health. To stay safe and warm at home, dress in insulating layers, use blankets, and close off unneeded rooms, while ensuring emergency heat sources are properly ventilated and kept at least three feet from flammable materials. If you are forced to travel, keep your car's gas tank at least half full, pack a survival kit with blankets, food, water, and an ice scraper, and if stranded, remain in your vehicle to increase visibility, running the engine only sparingly to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning. Driving requires low speeds, increased following distances, and avoiding cruise control. Stay in touch with family by using text messages, which are more likely to go through during outages, or by relying on a battery-powered radio for updates. Finally, eating healthy and staying hydrated with warm liquids or water is crucial to providing your body with energy to generate heat, as cold air is dry and can lead to rapid dehydration.
Wishing you a safe and warm tomorrow!
Smoke from 300+ acre wildfire disrupts life in Interlachen, Florida
Many sleeping in the Lake Estates area of Interlachen were awoken by the smell of a smoldering wildfire. The smoke was so thick that authorities had to close State Road 20 at 3:00am and force traffic to U-turn and some businesses had to remain closed most of the day. By 1:00pm the smoke had subsided and traffic was once again flowing without delay. The community was put on high alert to be ready to evacuate if the fire could not be contained. Fortunately the fire has become 75% contained. The county has declared a BURN BAN for all residents and businesses. No one was injured in the blaze.
Brendqn Banfield Found Guilty
Of Double Murder
A Virginia jury found Brendan Banfield guilty of killing his wife and another man as part of an elaborate scheme with the family’s au pair.
Prosecutors argued Banfield plotted with the au pair – with whom he was having an extramarital affair – to lure another man, Joseph Ryan, into their home with a fetish website and frame him for the murder of his wife, Christine Banfield.
Brendan Banfield was convicted of two counts of aggravated murder, a firearms offense and child endangerment. His daughter, who was 4 at the time, was in the home at the time of the killings, prosecutors said.
Banfield appeared stoic as the Fairfax County jury’s verdict was read aloud in court. The panel got the case midday Friday and deliberated much of Monday.
He is expected to be sentenced to life in prison, the mandatory penalty for the highest murder charge in Virginia. Sentencing is scheduled for May 8.
Steve Descano, commonwealth’s attorney for Fairfax County, said Banfield’s actions were “monstrous.”
“I hope he thinks about his wife in jail and about what a heinous thing he did,” Descano told reporters after the verdict Monday. “Because that’s something he’s rightfully going to have to live with for the rest of his life.”
Banfield was in love with the au pair, Juliana Peres Magalhães, and plotted to get rid of his wife so they could be together, prosecutors said. Together they created fake accounts to pose as his wife on a fetish website to lure Ryan to the home under the guise of a consensual but violent sexual encounter with Christine, the au pair testified.
Prosecutors say Banfield fatally stabbed his wife and shot Ryan when he intervened in the 2023 encounter between Ryan and his wife and then staged the crime scene to make Ryan’s killing appear to be an act of self-defense.
The trial began January 12. Prosecutors called about 20 witnesses in the case over four days and another two witnesses in a short rebuttal.
The defense called several law enforcement witnesses to bolster its claims of a flawed investigation that led prosecutors to manipulate evidence to make a case against Banfield. The defense also put on a digital forensics analyst who said data recovered from Christine Banfield’s devices suggests there could not have been a catfishing scheme as prosecutors asserted.
Nancy Guthrie: Missing
Written By: Norma Jean
February 3, 2026
As of February 2, 2026, 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, mother of Today show host Savannah Guthrie, has not been found. She is missing from her Tucson, Arizona home, with local authorities and the FBI treating the case as a potential abduction or crime. Evidence suggests she did not leave on her own.
Thanks to CNN for posting the TIMELINE
https://www.cnn.com/us/live-news/savannah-guthrie-mom-nancy-missing-02-07-26
Timeline: What has happened so far in weeklong search for Nancy Guthrie\
From CNN's Danya Gainor
Nancy Guthrie was last seen by her family on January 31 when she joined relatives for dinner and game night near her Tucson-area home.
As the search for the 84-year-old mother of “Today” host Savannah Guthrie is in its seventh day, here are the events that unfolded over the week:
Saturday, January 31
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Guthrie takes an Uber to her daughter Annie’s home at around 5:32 p.m.
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Family members take her back home, with Guthrie’s garage door opening at approximately 9:48 p.m. and closing at 9:50 p.m.
Sunday, February 1
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At 1:47a.m., a few hours after Guthrie is believed to have returned home, her doorbell camera is disconnected.
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At 2:12a.m., surveillance camera software detects movement.
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Guthrie’s pacemaker app data shows it disconnected from her phone at 2:28a.m.
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Relatives check on Guthrie at 11:56 a.m. after finding out she was uncharacteristically absent from church. They discover that she wasn’t home.
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Relatives call 911 at 12:03 p.m. to report her missing.
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Pima County Sheriff’s Office patrols arrive at her home by 12:15 p.m.
Tuesday, February 3
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Several media outlets, including TMZ and CNN affiliate KOLD-TV, receive purported ransom letters demanding millions of dollars in bitcoin for Guthrie’s return. One note includes a first deadline of 5:00p.m. Thursday and a second deadline for next Monday.
Wednesday, February 4
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The Guthrie siblings post a video on Instagram with Savannah Guthrie saying they “need to know without a doubt that she’s alive and that you have her.” She emphasizes that her mother is in “constant pain” and needs her medication to survive.
Thursday, February 5
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The first deadline mentioned in the purported ransom note passes at 5:00p.m.
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Savannah Guthrie’s brother Camron issues another plea on social media at 5:00 p.m. local time, the first deadline given in the ransom note. “We need you to reach out and we need a way to communicate with you so we can move forward,” he says in the video.
Friday, February 6
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KOLD receives a second note about Guthrie’s disappearance. Anchor Mary Coleman says the latest message included sensitive information and no deadline, unlike the first letter.
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Investigators resume searches at Guthrie’s home and in the surrounding area. A car which appeared to be Guthrie’s is towed away.
Saturday, February 7
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Guthrie’s children plead for their mother’s return in a video posted on social media. In the clip, Savannah Guthrie says: “We will pay.”\
RECENT UPDATE
News outlets TMZ and KOLD 13 News announced on Tuesday they received unverified ransom notes demanding money for Nancy Guthrie's return.
The note received by TMZ reportedly demanded millions in Bitcoin cryptocurrency, with the outlet verifying the Bitcoin address was "real."
TMZ said the letter, which was sent to authorities, included unreleased details about her disappearance and had a deadline.
Our legacy is rooted in our commitment to the communities we call home. We pride ourselves on being good people guided by strong morals, inspiring those around us to noble decisions. Our beliefs go beyond mere words; they are deeply ingrained in our hearts and reflected in our daily actions. Together, we strive to make a positive impact and foster a brighter future for all.
Beautiful Tails Animal Sanctuary