Investigators have announced a new lead in connection with the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, the mother of Today show cohost Savannah Guthrie.
“The [Pima County Sheriff’s Department]/FBI Guthrie Task Force was recently made aware of a new possible ransom note related to the Nancy Guthrie investigation,” Pima County, Arizona, sheriff Chris Nanos said in a Monday, September 28, statement.
Nanos continued, Investigators are also aware of social media comments regarding the note and are looking further into the information to determine its credibility.”
Nancy, 84, was last seen at her home in Arizona’s Catalina Foothills, outside of Tucson, on January 31. Police believe she was abducted from her home in the early hours of February 1. No suspects have been identified.
In July, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department released the contents of two alleged ransom notes sent to Savannah, 54, and her family in the days following Nancy’s disappearance.
“We have your mother, Nancy. She is safe but scared,” read one note sent to local Tucson media outlets on February 2. “She will be held for ransom, and once payment is received, she will be released unharmed. We will be holding her for a maximum of 7 days.”
The note demanded a ransom of $4 million USD via Bitcoin “before 5pm on Thursday [February 5],” alleging, “If payment is not received, the ransom will be increased to 6 million USD which will need to be paid by 5PM on Monday the 9th [February].”
“Once payment is received to the bitcoin address below she will be released within 12 hours of deposit to a safe drop off location back in Tucson,” the note continued. “If payment is not recieved [sic] by the last deadline on Monday the 9th at 5PM, she will be killed. Your mother is aware of this and her life is in your hands. It is in the best interest of everyone to have this completed as soon as possible. You will not be able to contact me from here on out, there will be no negotiation. Do not play games, law enforcement will not be able to help you.”
A second note addressed to the “Guthrie Family” was received on February 6. In it, the alleged kidnappers claimed that Nancy had died.
“We did not fully grasp the seriousness of her physical condition,” the note said. “We never intended to hurt her, that was not our intention. She perished shortly after she was taken. We believe it was heart-related. She is buried in nature now. Nothing you could have done could have changed the outcome. We want your family to know this and hope you all can find peace. We are truly sorry.”
Earlier this month, Savannah mentioned her mom on the Today show, noting, “We just want our mom home [to] give her a proper goodbye.”
