Man who put up $100K to find Nancy Guthrie says tipsters should skip the sheriff and call Crime Stoppers

A person claiming to have firsthand information about Nancy Guthrie’s alleged abduction is now asserting that video evidence exists and that two kidnappers were directly involved, TMZ founder Harvey Levin said after receiving the message.

Levin disclosed the latest email in what he described as a series of messages he has received since the early stages of the case from someone who says they know what happened to Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of “Today” co-host Savannah Guthrie.

Authorities have not publicly verified whether the first two notes considered potentially credible are legitimate, nor have they confirmed the authenticity of the emails sent to TMZ. Sources close to the investigation appear to be divided on the matter.

Some investigators suspect the ransom demands are fraudulent, while others are reluctant to dismiss them outright as long as Guthrie remains missing, sources told Fox News and News Agency.

Savannah Guthrie standing in a studio with inset images of her mother Nancy Guthrie and an aerial view of a home in Arizona

Savannah Guthrie returned to “Today” after a two-month absence following the disappearance of her mother, Nancy Guthrie, from their Arizona home amid a suspected kidnapping investigation. (Getty Images/News Agency)

“I have a phone stashed in a secure location guaranteeing both the information it stores and the safety of the phone,” the sender wrote, according to Levin. “What it contains is my definition of delivering them on a silver platter, a short video of the main guy with Nancy the day that was probably her last, pictures of both involved, names and addresses and age.”

Either the author of those emails is a complete fool or it’s completely fake.

— Jim Clemente, retired FBI agent

In a video posted to X Friday, Levin challenged the sender to prove it.

“If you’ve got something, send it,” he said, urging the sender to prove he or she isn’t a fraudster.

Aerial view of Nancy Guthrie's home and surrounding property in Tucson, Arizona.

Aerial drone shots show the home and grounds of Nancy Guthrie in Tucson, Ariz., on Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026. Nancy Guthrie, mother of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie, is suspected of being abducted from her home earlier this week. (Fox Flight Team)

“Either the author of those emails is a complete fool or it’s completely fake,” said Jim Clemente, a retired FBI supervisory agent. “Why would you offer up exactly what the Guthrie family has been looking for and offered a $1 million reward for an exchange for one Bitcoin when if you actually give them the information that they need and that you say you have, you can get $1 million instead? In Bitcoin if you want it.”

The emailer has sought various sums of up to $100,000 for the information they claim to be able to provide, according to Levin — and is now asking for a single Bitcoin, worth about $60,000 Friday afternoon.

An armed individual reaching toward a Google Nest camera at Nancy Guthrie's front door in Tucson

An armed individual reaches toward a Google Nest camera at Nancy Guthrie’s front door in Tucson, Arizona, in photos released on Feb. 10, 2026. (Provided by FBI)

Meanwhile, there is more than $1 million available from Guthrie’s daughter, “Today” co-host Savannah Guthrie, for her mother’s return. And 88-Crime, Tucson’s Crime Stoppers affiliate, is offering $102,500 for information leading to an arrest in the case, which can be claimed anonymously.

Levin said he sent the email to the FBI, which did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

TMZ claims to have authenticated the email, with Levin explaining that the message included a Bitcoin account that had not been publicly revealed but had been included in earlier messages.

The sender also appears to be following news updates on the case — questioning recent reports that he or she may be a female and reacting to viral reports about a false alarm last week.

“I am not the idiot who recently called in a tip about her burial site in Mexico,” the sender allegedly wrote.

Anyone with information on Guthrie’s case is asked to dial 1-800-CALL-FBI. There is a combined reward of more than $1.2 million for information that cracks the case.

Tips can be provided anonymously to Tucson’s Crime Stoppers affiliate, 88-Crime, at 1-520-882-7463.

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