Authorities investigating the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie believe two ransom notes sent to her family and media outlets were likely written and transmitted by the same person or group responsible for her abduction, according to sources familiar with the investigation.
Investigators believe both notes originated from the same computer IP address and were sent within days of Guthrie being reported missing from her home in Tucson, Arizona.
Investigation
The first note, sent on Feb. 2, one day after Nancy Guthrie, 84, was reported missing, demanded millions of dollars in bitcoin in exchange for her release. The message was addressed to her daughter, Today show co-host Savannah Guthrie, and was sent through online tip lines to two local television stations and TMZ, investigators said.
Sources said the note included highly specific details about Guthrie’s home, including that an Apple Watch with a white band was on the bedroom floor and that a back porch light was broken. Investigators believe those details suggest direct knowledge of the scene.
A second note was sent on Feb. 6. According to sources who reviewed it, the message was similar in tone and language to the first but did not include a ransom demand. Instead, it stated that Nancy Guthrie had died and indicated that her death was not intentional.
Family Response
Savannah Guthrie said in a March interview with NBC News that while the family received multiple messages after her mother’s disappearance, they believe only two of them were legitimate.
“There are a lot of different notes, I think, that came, and I think most of them are not real,” she said. “But I believe the two notes that we received, that we responded to, I tend to believe those are real.”
After the second note was sent, Savannah Guthrie and her siblings posted a public video message on Instagram directed at whoever took their mother.
“We received your message and we understand,” Savannah Guthrie said in the video. “We beg you now to return our mother to us so that we can celebrate with her. This is the only way we will have peace. This is very valuable to us, and we will pay.”
Ongoing Search
A joint task force made up of FBI agents and Pima County Sheriff’s Department detectives continues to investigate the kidnapping and search for both Nancy Guthrie and those believed responsible.
Authorities have not confirmed whether physical evidence supports the claim made in the second note regarding Guthrie’s death. The investigation remains active, and officials have not released details about potential suspects.
Anyone with information related to the case has been urged to contact law enforcement.
FAQs
Who is Nancy Guthrie?
She is the 84-year-old mother of Today show host Savannah Guthrie.
When was she reported missing?
She was reported missing on Feb. 1 from her Tucson home.
What did the first ransom note demand?
Millions of dollars in bitcoin for her release.
What did the second note say?
It claimed she had died and said it was not intentional.
Who is investigating the case?
A joint task force of the FBI and Pima County detectives.
