Ransom Notes Released in Savannah Guthrie’s Mother Kidnapping Case, Second Note Claims Nancy Guthrie Died

The Latest Development

The Pima County Sheriff’s Department released two ransom notes Friday that were sent to Tucson-area television stations in the days after Nancy Guthrie was kidnapped from her home on February 1. The notes are being made public six months after the 84-year-old mother of Today show host Savannah Guthrie disappeared, with investigators asking the public to help identify the writer based on the syntax, phrasing and word choices used in the letters.

What the Notes Said

The first note was sent to local CBS affiliate KOLD-TV on February 2, addressed directly to Savannah Guthrie. It stated that Nancy Guthrie was “safe but scared” and demanded $4 million in Bitcoin by February 5. The note warned that the deadline would carry consequences, and that the ransom would increase to $6 million if payment was not made by the following Monday.
The second note, sent days later, took a different turn entirely. It claimed that Nancy Guthrie had died shortly after the abduction due to sudden medical complications. CNN analyst John Miller described the note’s contents as saying it was not intended to work out this way but that things happened during the course of the kidnapping that resulted in her death.
Law enforcement believes both notes came from the same person, based on the writing style and the type of secure server used to hide the sender’s IP address. Authorities have not confirmed whether either note is genuine.

The Family’s Response

Savannah Guthrie addressed the ransom note situation in an emotional on-air appearance. Breaking down in tears, she said: “This is a news story today that is on your radar, but this is the life that my sister lives, that I live, that my brother lives, that our extended families live, that our children live, every day. And we are in agony.” She also sent a direct message to whoever is responsible: “Please do the right thing. We love our mom, and we’ll never stop looking for her, ever.”
In a March interview with her former co-host Hoda Kotb, Savannah said she tends to believe the two notes her family received and responded to were real, while acknowledging that many other notes and emails that circulated were not credible. TMZ founder Harvey Levin also confirmed his outlet received a separate note saying Nancy was “scared but OK,” and several emails from an unidentified person claiming to know the kidnappers and seeking $100,000 in exchange for information. The FBI did not pay, Levin said, even after TMZ offered to cover the cost.

What Is Known About the Kidnapping

Nancy Guthrie was taken from her home in the Catalina Foothills area just outside Tucson in the early hours of February 1. Doorbell camera footage released early in the investigation showed a masked, armed man at her front door, but the suspect has not been identified. DNA tests confirmed that blood found on her front porch matched hers. Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said at a February press conference that investigators had ruled out the possibility she left on her own, noting that she had limited mobility and required daily medication. FBI Director Kash Patel released a surveillance photo of a potential subject on February 10.
The investigation remains active and ongoing. No arrests have been made.
Source: ABC News, CNN, BBC, Fox News, Gulf News, StyleCaster