New ransom notes released in Nancy Guthrie disappearance
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has released ransom notes reportedly sent to Savannah Guthrie following the disappearance of her mother, Nancy Guthrie. Authorities also made public new surveillance video showing a masked individual outside the family’s Arizona home.
Investigators say tips have increased since the ransom notes sent to Nancy Guthrie’s family were released to the public.
Officials have not verified whether the ransom notes are genuine, but their release has prompted a “slight” rise in tips, according to a spokeswoman for the Pima County Sheriff’s Office. The department published the full contents of the alleged notes on July 31.
“Nancy Guthrie Task Force investigators have seen a slight increase in tips since the two ransom notes were released last week,” Pima County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Angelica Carrillo told News Outlet. “All tips have been followed up on.”
Nancy Guthrie, the mother of “Today” co-host Savannah Guthrie, is still missing as her family continues to push for renewed public attention in the ongoing search. (Courtesy of NBC)
The alleged ransom notes were dated Feb. 2 and Feb. 6.
“Hello Savannah,” one note stated. “We have your mother Nancy. She is safe but scared. She will be held for ransom and once payment is received she will be released unharmed.”
The message went on to say, “She had a white smart watch on the floor of the foot of her bed and the white flood light in backyard was destroyed.”
In a follow-up message sent to the Guthrie family, the alleged ransom notes states that Nancy Guthrie has passed away.
Savannah Guthrie poses alongside her mother Nancy Guthrie during a production break whilst hosting NBC’s “Today Show” live from Australia. (Photo by Don Arnold/WireImage)
“We did not fully grasp the seriousness of her physical condition. We never intended to hurt her, that was not our intention. She perished shortly after she was taken. We believe it was heart related,” the purported ransom note states.
As previously noted, News Outlet has not independently verified the authenticity of the notes or their contents.
READ THE NOTES:
The first purported Nancy Guthrie ransom demand was sent on Feb. 2, a day after her suspected abduction in Tucson, according to authorities.
The second message was sent on Feb. 6, and authorities say it shares the same “unique linguistic style” as the original ransom demand.
News Outlet learned of the watch on the morning of Tuesday, Feb. 3, a day after the note was sent, according to authorities. That timeline suggests the sender knew about the watch before the detail became public.
Jason Pack, a retired FBI negotiator, said the watch detail demonstrates familiarity with the house but not necessarily knowledge unique to Guthrie or proof that she was alive.
This image released by the FBI show an armed individual who appears has a light emitting from his mouth at Nancy Guthrie’s front door the morning of her disappearance in Tucson, Arizona, Sunday, February 1, 2026. (Provided by FBI)
“He knew about the watch on the floor — almost nobody did,” Pack said. “In my view, two things the language does support: He writes like a native English speaker. The idiom and the small connecting words are all in the right places, and at this length that is hard to fake.”
Anyone with information is asked to call 1-800-CALL-FBI, or 520-88-CRIME to remain anonymous.
