Officials released two ransom notes Friday in the ongoing investigation into the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, mother of NBC co‑anchor Savannah Guthrie, and asked the public to help identify the author by their distinct language patterns.
Investigators said Nancy Guthrie, 84, was last seen at her home near Tucson on Jan. 31. Deputies believe she was taken against her will, but have not announced a motive or made any arrests. The Pima County Sheriff’s Office said it cannot verify a claim in one of the notes that she died.
The first note, received Feb. 2 and treated as apparently credible by authorities, demanded millions of dollars in Bitcoin. It was addressed to Savannah Guthrie and the Guthrie family and was sent to a local television station in the days after Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance.
“Hello Savannah, we have your mother Nancy. She is safe but scared,” the note begins. “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. You will need to send bitcoin in the amount of $4 million USD before 5PM on Thursday the 5th. … If payment is not recieved [sic] by the last deadline on Monday the 9th at 5PM, she will be killed.”
The note warned that law enforcement “will not be able to help you,” and included details about a white smartwatch found at the foot of her bed and a damaged backyard floodlight.
Four days later, authorities received a second letter that said the writer “did not fully grasp the seriousness of her physical condition” and that Nancy Guthrie “perished shortly after she was taken. We believe it was heart related. She is buried in nature now.” The sheriff’s office said it has not been able to confirm that assertion.
Savannah Guthrie has appealed publicly for help. In an Instagram post Saturday, she wrote that the family has “lived every moment, every breath, and every heartbeat in agony and despair” and called the family “desperate” and “begging for help.” She urged anyone with information to come forward and said tips can be submitted anonymously; a reward for information leading to Nancy Guthrie’s recovery remains available, the family said.
“A friend, family member, coworker, classmate, or acquaintance may recognise these patterns of expression and possess information that could help identify the individual responsible,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement accompanying the release of the notes.
Authorities previously released surveillance images of a masked, armed suspect who covered a door camera at Nancy Guthrie’s home before her disappearance. A glove recovered in the neighborhood produced no usable DNA, the sheriff’s office said.
The investigation remains active. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Pima County Sheriff’s Office.
