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Social Media Chaos Haunts Nancy Guthrie and Idaho Murder Cases
Viral online accusations against innocent people have devastating consequences in high-profile crime investigations.
Published on Mar. 9, 2026
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The ongoing disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of NBC Today co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, has drawn troubling comparisons to the 2022 Idaho student murders. In both cases, social media users have appointed themselves as amateur detectives, falsely targeting and harassing innocent individuals with no connection to the crimes. This pattern of 'TikTok chaos' has ruined lives, as seen in the $10 million judgment awarded to University of Idaho professor Rebecca Scofield after a TikToker accused her of orchestrating the Idaho killings.
Why it matters
These cases highlight the growing problem of social media users taking investigations into their own hands, often with disastrous consequences. The ability of online communities to rapidly spread unsubstantiated claims and target innocent people has become a major issue in high-profile crime cases, undermining official investigations and causing severe harm to those wrongly accused.
The details
In the Nancy Guthrie case, social media users circulated claims that Dominic Evans, a longtime friend of Guthrie's son-in-law, matched the description of a masked individual seen in doorbell camera footage near Guthrie's home. However, law enforcement has shown no interest in Evans, and there is no evidence connecting him to the crime. Similarly, in the Idaho murders, a TikToker named Ashley Guillard repeatedly and publicly accused University of Idaho professor Rebecca Scofield of orchestrating the killings, based on fabricated claims about a romantic relationship and her tarot card readings. Scofield had never even met the victims.
- Nancy Guthrie was last seen at her Catalina Foothills home on the evening of Jan. 31, 2026.
- Scofield was awarded $10 million in damages in federal court on Feb. 27, 2026.
The players
Nancy Guthrie
The 84-year-old mother of NBC Today co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, who was reported missing from her Tucson-area home on Feb. 1, 2026.
Dominic Evans
A longtime friend and former bandmate of Nancy Guthrie's son-in-law, Tommaso Cioni, who was falsely accused by social media users of being involved in Nancy's disappearance.
Rebecca Scofield
A history professor and department chair at the University of Idaho, who was falsely accused by a TikToker of orchestrating the 2022 Idaho student murders.
Ashley Guillard
A TikToker who described herself as a psychic and tarot card reader, and repeatedly and publicly accused Rebecca Scofield of being involved in the Idaho murders.
Brian Entin
A NewsNation reporter who has covered the Nancy Guthrie case and examined the social media dimension in both the Guthrie and Idaho investigations.
What they’re saying
“There was never any evidence behind the scenes that they were going to raid Dominic's house, or that he's ever been connected to the crime. So it's just one example of this happening, where a couple of people online with big followings decide to call somebody out, even when there's no evidence of it, and it spirals out of control.”
— Brian Entin, NewsNation reporter (YouTube)
“This professor fought back, and ended up taking this TikToker all the way to federal court. A jury ended up rewarding the professor a $10 million judgement that the TikToker now has to pay.”
— Brian Entin, NewsNation reporter (YouTube)
What’s next
The judge in the Scofield case will decide on Tuesday whether to uphold the $10 million judgment against Ashley Guillard.
The takeaway
These cases underscore the urgent need for social media platforms and users to exercise greater responsibility and restraint when it comes to making unsubstantiated claims about criminal investigations. The devastating impact on innocent lives must serve as a wake-up call for curbing the spread of 'TikTok chaos' and its corrosive effects on high-profile crime cases.
