As the hunt for Nancy Guthrie continues, several experts are weighing in on the importance of proof of life in her case.

“Ransom is often not paid without proof of life because paying without verification risks funding a crime with no chance of recovery,” Dan Donovan, the Founder and Managing Partner of Stratoscope Holdings, a security and risk management firm, exclusively tells Us Weekly. “Proof of life is critical: it confirms the victim is alive, validates that the communicators control the victim, and helps assess credibility and intent.”

Retired FBI agent Scott Curtis agrees and shares a warning about the alleged ransom threat Nancy’s loved ones — including her daughters, Today cohost Savannah Guthrie and Annie Guthrie, and son Camron Guthrie — received. (The 84-year-old’s alleged abductor or abductors demanded a reported $6 million by 5 p.m. MST by February 9).

“I believe they haven’t received proof of life. You’re not going to make a ransom payment unless you have proof of life because once that payment goes [through], you will never hear from those kidnappers again, right?” Curtis tells Us. “So you want proof. You want some kind of guarantee.”

He also warns that there is no technical guarantee with advanced technology.

“There still could be some doubt in that proof of life, especially in this AI generated world we’re living in now,” Curtis cautions. “It couldn’t be a still photograph. It would have to be a video with audio with some definitive date stamp on there.”

Former CIA officer and FBI special agent Tracey Walder stresses that it’s the Guthrie family’s decision to pay a ransom or not. (Multiple notes have been sent to media outlets, claiming to be Nancy’s kidnapper and asking for money, including Bitcoin. The FBI has not yet confirmed to the public if any of the ransom notes are real).

“I don’t think they ever received a picture or anything like that, but maybe in the second note it had (details of) something that may have happened to her or not happened to her,” Walder says. “Whether or not to pay that decision lies solely with the family, not the FBI.”

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The camera discovered on Nancy Guthrie’s roof could be a crucial piece to her kidnapping investigation, according to an expert. “That’s not a throwaway detail — it’s potentially one of the most important clues,” Dan Donovan, the founder and managing partner of Stratoscope Holdings, a security and risk management firm, exclusively tells Us Weekly. As […]

She also sympathizes with the struggle Savannah, 54, and her siblings face.

“We don’t know what we would do in that situation. We may say, ‘Oh I am not paying $6 million without proof of life,’ but if it was your 84-year-old mother, and you had that money, then maybe you would.”

On February 10, the FBI released images and video from Nancy’s doorbell camera, showing a masked man armed with what appeared to be a gun outside her front door in Tucson, Arizona, on the night she disappeared.

The individual wore a backpack and gloves as they attempted to cover the camera with their hand and plants from the front yard.

Related: Security Expert Breaks Down Next Steps in Search for Savannah Guthrie’s Mom

Security expert Dan Donovan is weighing in on possible next steps as the search for Savannah Guthrie’s mom, Nancy Guthrie, continues. “The 5 p.m. deadline isn’t the end of the clock — it’s the start of the most dangerous window,” Donovan, founder and managing partner of security and risk management firm Stratoscope Holdings, exclusively told […]

Later that same day, a man from the neighboring town of Rio Rico was detained and questioned in connection with the disappearance of Nancy. He was subsequently released and has maintained his innocence.

Savannah has shared several emotional messages since her mother’s disappearance on February 1.

“We believe she is still alive. Bring her home,” she wrote via Instagram on Tuesday after the images of the masked man were released. “Anyone with information, please contact 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or the Pima County Sheriff’s Department 520-351-4900.”

Christine Quinn
Eyed for Possible ‘Selling Sunset’ Season 10 Return

Published
February 11, 2026
5:30 PM PST

A Pilot Designed for Focus

World-Building Through Iteration

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A Production Model Without Physical Production

Where Three Mediums Converge

A Texas man was sentenced to life in prison after authorities said he continued to sexually abuse a child — who he is alleged to have abused previously — while he was in jail awaiting a murder trial.

Anthony Dewayne Taylor, 46, of Frisco, was sentenced on a charge of sexual performance of a child, the Collin County District Attorney’s Office announced in a news release issued on Wednesday, February 11.

Taylor is accused of abusing a minor victim beginning when she was 14 until she was 16, according to prosecutors.

“After being paroled on a drug trafficking charge from Oklahoma in 2020, Taylor reconnected with the victim’s family and gained access to the child,” the district attorney’s office said.

He allegedly abused her in multiple states and multiple Texas cities, according to prosecutors.

In October 2022, Taylor, described as “a career criminal and confirmed gang member,” was arrested on a murder charge in connection with a killing in Oklahoma City, the district attorney’s office said.

Ahead of his murder trial, Taylor repeatedly called the girl he previously abused from behind bars, according to prosecutors.

These phone calls were being recorded, the district attorney’s office said.

Over the phone, Taylor told the girl to “engage in lewd acts while the child was living in Collin County, leading to the sexual performance charges,” according to the district attorney’s office.

In December 2022 — two years before Taylor ultimately pleaded guilty to murder in December 2024 and was handed a 10-year prison sentence — the girl spoke out about the abuse, the district attorney’s office said.

She “bravely” opened up about the abuse, resulting in her family alerting the Frisco Police Department.

Taylor’s defense attorney, John B. Setterberg, declined Us Weekly’s request for comment on Wednesday, February 11. It was not immediately clear who represented Taylor in his murder case.

According to the district attorney’s office, the child detailed the alleged abuse she experienced from Taylor, including over the phone, in an interview at the Children’s Advocacy Center of Collin County.

Then a Frisco police detective, Kim Pruitt, discovered evidence corroborating what the girl shared when she visited Taylor’s home, the district attorney’s office said. Pruitt also got ahold of the recorded jail calls with the help of the Oklahoma City Police Department.

A Collin County jury ultimately convicted Taylor of sexual performance of a child at trial, which began on January 20, according to prosecutors and court records viewed by Us.

Taylor had been facing a sentence of five to 99 years in prison, or life in prison, the district attorney’s office said.

Related: Woman Accused of Sending Explicit Video of Child to Victim’s Abuser

Florida authorities have accused a woman of sending an imprisoned sex offender sexually explicit videos of the 13-year-girl he was convicted of abusing in 2023, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by Us Weekly. Taylor Dorsey, 33, is alleged to have emailed the footage to federal prisoner Stephon Anderson, 31, who is currently serving a […]

The jury decided a life sentence was appropriate, according to prosecutors.

“This convicted murderer continued to prey on a child even from behind bars,” District Attorney Greg Willis said in a statement. “A Collin County jury saw the full picture and delivered the only sentence that protects the public and our children – life in prison.”

Taylor has since filed an appeal in his case, court records show.

If you or someone you know is experiencing child abuse, call or text Child Help Hotline at 1-800-422-4453.

People often associate the Foo Fighters with arena rock anthems, explosive sound, and high-energy performances. Songs like “Everlong” and “All My Life” have come to define the band’s signature sound. And it’s quite easy to determine where they got their inspiration, as they were inspired by a number of renowned rock bands that preceded them. Not to mention Grohl himself is the former drummer of Nirvana — one of the greatest grunge bands in history, no less. But there was a time when the American rock band leaned into a softer, more melodic sound after listening to too much Fleetwood Mac. That song turned out to be “Ain’t It the Life,” arguably one of their most subdued (and beautiful) songs in their otherwise more hard-rock-driven discography.

“Ain’t It the Life” Showcases a Different Side of the Foo Fighters

The Foo Fighters have never been considered a folk rock band; they are often primarily classified as an alternative rock and post-grunge act. But when Grohl ultimately focused on his project with Foo Fighters, it became clear that he had acquired more creative freedom to experiment. At some point in his career, he also developed an interest in the 1970s music, especially Fleetwood Mac — an influence he playfully acknowledged when writing “Ain’t It the Life.” In retrospect, the two bands differ significantly in both sound and overall aesthetic. While Fleetwood Mac embraced smooth and melodic arrangements typical of 1970s soft rock/folk rock, Foo Fighters built their reputation on explosive riffs and driving rhythms that define their alternative rock identity. Weirdly, Grohl himself was not, in any way, a diehard fan of that specific sound. Explaining how the song came about, the Foo Fighters frontman said:

“That’s what happens when you listen to too much mellow ’70s gold Fleetwood Mac-type stuff while recording… ‘Ain’t it the Life’ sounds like an Eagles song or something, and I hate the Eagles.”

From the Foo Fighters’ third studio album, There Is Nothing Left to Lose, “Ain’t It the Life” stands out with its calm and tender tone. There’s no denying that this exploration beyond their usual style paid off, as “Ain’t It the Life” stands as one of their most sonically distinct tracks, channeling acoustic and laid‑back elements rarely heard in their catalog. The song opens with a gentle sound, immediately setting a mood that signals it is a track different from their usual. Its influence can also be heard, coming off as a nod to Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams,” yet, somehow, still with Foo Fighters’ signature style. The soft, almost conversational tone also allows Grohl’s voice to take center stage. Interestingly enough, it suits Grohl’s voice perfectly, showcasing a more relaxed vocal delivery than the band’s typical high-energy numbers.

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Foo Fighters’ ‘There Is Nothing Left To Lose’ Is a Great Album in Itself

Coming on the heels of Foo Fighters’ most commercially and critically successful album to date, The Colour and the Shape (the same album that features hit tracks like “My Hero,” “Everlong,” and “Walking After You”), There Is Nothing Left to Lose was kind of a risk, as with the success of their sophomore effort they had so much more to lose when it came to meeting fan and critical expectations. However, it was also an album where the band felt like all bets were off, following the departure of guitarist Franz Stahl — hence the album title. Grohl explained: “It’s about when you experience these emotions after you’ve been through a long, difficult period and you finally give into this feeling that, quite simply, there is nothing left to lose. It can seem… positive, desperate and reckless.”

Released in 1999, There Is Nothing Left to Lose received generally positive reviews, with critics at the time praising the record for stripping down the Foo Fighters a bit. Overall, critics appreciated how Foo Fighters managed to evolve their sound without losing their identity, with the album often described as a mature, introspective effort for the band. And while songs like “Learn to Fly” and “Breakout” were some of the clear standouts, “Ain’t It the Life” provided a softer moment on the album, reflecting the band’s willingness to explore a more melodic and nuanced sound. Truly a remarkable addition to the Foo Fighters’ discography — let’s just say, thanks, Fleetwood Mac.

While Western cinema has always been defined by themes of violence, justice, and morality as much as it has been by its sweeping visuals and cowboy characters, the mid-20th century heyday of the genre wasn’t exactly renowned for its hard-hitting or confronting realism. As the decades have rolled on, however, that sense of visceral authenticity has become more enticing to viewers who want to see the genre’s air of fabled American values dismantled in taxing and truthful illustrations of what life was like in the Old West.

The Western movies of the 21st century have appealed to this demographic, and the genre has become synonymous with gruelling intensity and shocking violence over the last 25 years. While some modern classics like True Grit and First Cow prove that lower-rated depictions of the genre can still thrive, the vast majority of Western cinema in recent decades has been R-rated. The best of the century so far has consisted of everything from spaghetti Western callbacks to biographical dramas, revenge epics, and even modern-set neo-Western spins on the genre’s rusted-on tropes and ideas.

10

‘Bone Tomahawk’ (2015)

One of the most viscerally violent and disturbing pictures of the century so far, Bone Tomahawk is a confronting, savage, and mentally scarring illustration of the genre. Accentuated with flourishes of extreme horror and brutality, it follows several men from the small town of Bright Hope as they embark on a trek to rescue three people abducted by a cannibalistic, cave-dwelling tribe.

A directorial debut of astonishing conviction and impact from S. Craig Zahler, Bone Tomahawk presents Western cinema at its most unflinching and raw. It takes a somewhat traditional captivity narrative of heroism and rescue, and imbues it with moments of ferocious violence capable of making even the most hardened viewers squirm in their seats. Bolstered by a litany of strong performances, a dread-inducing slow-burn tempo, and the incredible yet harrowing practical and technical execution of its most violent scenes, Bone Tomahawk soars as a bold and daring Western horror.

9

‘The Hateful Eight’ (2015)

Image via The Weinstein Company

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From one Kurt Russell-starring Western thriller to another, The Hateful Eight tells a winding story of distrust, violence, and close confines intensity that stands as perhaps Quentin Tarantino’s most underrated movie. It unfolds in a haberdashery amid a snowstorm in Wyoming, with eight strangers taking refuge in the small lodge. With bounty hunter John “The Hangman” Ruth (Russell) escorting fugitive Daisy Domergue (Jennifer Jason Leigh) to be executed, every new face presents as a potential threat waiting to strike and free the criminal from captivity.

With its palpable, chamber-play atmospheric tension absorbing viewers in every sudden twist and violent revelation, The Hateful Eight thrives as an immersive pressure-cooker of rich and volatile characters simmering towards an inevitable eruption of violence. Tarantino’s mastery of gripping dialogue and suspense combines beautifully with Robert Richardson’s enrapturing cinematography and Ennio Morricone’s score to make for a masterful modern epic and a dazzling spectacle of Western cinema.

8

‘Hell or High Water’ (2016)

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Hell or High Water is a raging neo-Western masterpiece that questions traditional genre notions of heroism and villainy. With their ranch in debt following the death of their mother and the bank looking to foreclose on the property, brothers Toby (Chris Pine) and Tanner Howard (Ben Foster) start robbing different branches of the Texas Midlands Bank to come up with the money. As their crime spree spreads, two aging Texas Rangers are assigned to the case. The film explores themes of generational poverty, the death of the American dream, the moral ambiguity of crime, and the cataclysmic failing of the nation’s economic structure.

With Taylor Sheridan’s brilliant and piercing screenplay, David Mackenzie’s absorbing direction, and a litany of exceptional performances, Hell or High Water thrives as one of the most engaging Westerns of the past decade. It recreates the atmosphere of the Old West in a contemporary setting, while subverting themes and character archetypes. It aims to illuminate how much America has changed, or at least how far detached it is from the idealized, often celebrated vision of the Old West. Effective, efficient, and exhilarating, it’s one of the essential movies of the 2010s as well as an instant classic of Western cinema.

7

‘The Proposition’ (2005)

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Given that the genre is called the “Western” because it explores life on the expanding frontier of the American West, it stands to reason that most Western stories transpire in America, but that isn’t always the case. A powerfully ferocious and philosophical spin on the genre from Australia, The Proposition sees the genre’s essential themes of colonization and civilization, justice, crime, and even morality reapplied to an outback setting. It follows captured fugitive Charlie Burns (Guy Pearce) as he is given an ultimatum: find and kill his sadistic older brother in nine days, or his naive younger brother will be hanged.

Bereft of glory or heroics, The Proposition soars as an uncompromising immersion in the brutality of the time. This relentless illustration of desperation, depravity, and violence is emboldened by a litany of exceptional performances and the majestic yet merciless landscape of the Australian wilderness. Written by Nick Cave (who also provided the film with its intense and haunting score, alongside Warren Ellis), The Proposition isn’t just a tale of Western brutality, but an immersion in the callousness of Australia’s expanding frontier.

6

‘The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford’ (2007)

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A criminally underrated gem that serves as a poetic and piercing Western drama as well as a thematically rich biopic about violence, celebrity, and obsession, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford is a highlight of revisionist Western cinema. Using its story to challenge genre norms and deconstruct the myth of heroism, gallantry, and honor in the Old West, it unfolds as a methodical and measured slow-burn. This wafting meditation on one of America’s most polarizing figures is also a gorgeous realization of 1880s America, courtesy of Roger Deakins’ brilliance.

With a 160-minute runtime, the Western biopic follows Robert Ford’s (Casey Affleck) initiation into the gang of his idol, Jesse James (Brad Pitt). Over time, Ford’s adoration of James turns to embittered resentment, leading him to hatch a scheme to kill the outlaw. Even in its striking eruptions of violence, the film maintains an air of composure. Director Andrew Dominik imbues the story with gravitas through his restrained pacing, evocative use of silence and narration, and the lingering sense of the wealth, freedom, and infamy deteriorating into something rotten and corrosive.

5

‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ (2023)

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Blending Western ideas with a fiercely important documentation of historical events, Killers of the Flower Moon is one of the greatest movies of the 2020s so far, and an essential Martin Scorsese masterpiece. Set in 1920s Oklahoma, on the land of the Osage Nation, it unfolds as greed, violence, and cut-throat opportunism engulf the community following the discovery of an oil deposit under the land. Amid the murder and carnage, Molly Burkhart (Lily Gladstone) pleads to the U.S. government to investigate, unaware that her husband, Ernest Burkhart (Leonardo DiCaprio), and his family are the driving force behind the deaths.

Epic in scope, runtime, and thematic gravitas, Killers of the Flower Moon is a confronting immersion in a heinous chapter of American history, one that boldly showcases evil not as an enigmatic force of twisted genius or terrible power, but as simple greed combined with opportunity and self-justification. The decision to focus on Molly and Ernest’s marriage, founded on true love and mutual respect, adds another compelling element to the story. The result is an enthralling, albeit disturbing, Western drama that stands among the most commanding pictures the genre has ever seen.

4

‘Django Unchained’ (2012)

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Recreating the slashing style and violent vehemence of spaghetti Western cinema with the technical advancements of modern-day filmmaking, Django Unchained is an enjoyable indulgence, a cathartic revenge flick loaded with panache and punch. Jamie Foxx stars as Django, a recently freed slave working with bounty hunter Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz) to track down outlaws. In exchange for his help, Schultz agrees to help Django reunite with his wife, Broomhilda (Kerry Washington), who has been sold to the plantation of the notoriously cruel Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio).

Django Unchained successfully blends together the adventure and amorality of the spaghetti Westerns of old while incorporating periods of sustained suspense and outbursts of hilarious black comedy into the fold. The result is 165 minutes of outrageous, unadulterated fun. It displays the genre at its most exuberant and excessive, making for one of the most relentlessly entertaining movies of the century so far, and a soaring highlight in Quentin Tarantino’s filmography.

3

‘Brokeback Mountain’ (2005)

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Stoic masculinity blanketing any notion of emotional vulnerability has long been a defining characteristic of Western drama. It is an idea that is brilliantly used in 2005’s Brokeback Mountain, an ingenious marriage of neo-Western and queer romance storytelling based on Annie Proulx’s short story of the same name. It follows the forbidden love that blossoms between sheep herders Ennis Del Mar (Heath Ledger) and Jack Twist (Jake Gyllenhaal) over a summer together in 1963. While both men return to their homes and marry their girlfriends, the passion they shared on Brokeback Mountain never leaves them, complicating their lives as their sporadic romance carries on for years.

It may be an unconventional Western, especially as it secures its R-rating through sexual content and coarse language more so than violence, but Brokeback Mountain embodies the defining characteristics of the genre. It presents a picture of sweeping, naturalistic majesty while tackling themes of masculinity, repressed emotions, and isolation. Anchored by two outstanding lead performances and Ang Lee’s deft direction, Brokeback Mountain endures as a piercing romantic drama, and one of the most ambitious, tender, and culturally timeless Westerns of all time.

2

‘There Will Be Blood’ (2007)

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Despite there being some great Westerns from abroad, the genre is innately American, with the original Western movies from the ’30s through to the ’60s presenting a mythic version of the nation’s history. There Will Be Blood takes this air of myth and might and turns the genre into a breathtaking dismantling of capitalist greed. Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, it follows oil magnate Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day-Lewis) as he treks to California to investigate claims of an oil deposit and forms a vicious rivalry with the duplicitous local preacher, Eli Sunday (Paul Dano), in the process.

Through the story of Plainview’s posturing and ambition, There Will Be Blood presents American capitalism at its unfiltered, unfeeling worst, bolstered by Daniel Day-Lewis’s astonishing, transformative performance. The thematic wrath of its message of power and wealth and the technical mastery of its execution are among its greatest strengths. There Will Be Blood must be considered not only a triumphant Western masterpiece of the modern day but a defining highlight of 21st-century cinema at large.

1

‘No Country for Old Men’ (2007)

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Marking a striking departure from the typical black comedy of the Coen Brothers, No Country for Old Men is an unfiltered embracement of pure neo-Western suspense. Based on Cormac McCarthy’s novel of the same name, it follows Texan hunter Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin) as he is pursued by sadistic cartel hitman, Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem), after stealing a case of $2 million from the aftermath of a desert shootout. As Moss relies on his wits to keep the money and his life, Sheriff Bell (Tommy Lee Jones) tries to piece it all together, even as he reflects on the many ways the world has changed since he was young.

No Country for Old Men isn’t just the best Western of the 21st century; it is one of the greatest revisionist Westerns in cinematic history. It’s a masterpiece of modernization that takes integral genre themes like morality, justice, and law and order vs. crime, and applies them to the more recognizable world of 1980s Texas. Defined by atmospheric intensity and absorbing, heart-stopping, suspenseful sequences, the 2007 Best Picture Winner is one of the greatest R-rated movies ever made of any genre.