Almost eight months after Nancy Guthrie vanished, investigators are examining what could be a new ransom note in the high-profile case.
Guthrie, 84, the mother of Today show host Savannah Guthrie, was abducted from her home in the Tucson area on February 1. Her disappearance has generated national attention and remained unsolved for months.
Two disturbing notes were sent to the Guthrie family soon after she disappeared. Authorities released both documents in July. One demanded $4 million, while the other claimed Nancy had died and included an apology.
Authorities are now investigating whether a third ransom note has surfaced.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department said late Monday that the PCSD/FBI Guthrie Task Force had recently been alerted to a possible new note connected to the investigation.
“Investigators are also aware of social media comments regarding the note and are looking further into the information to determine its credibility,” the department said.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department is leading the abduction investigation with assistance from the FBI.
Officials have not disclosed what the alleged note says, and they have not confirmed that it was actually written by the person responsible for Guthrie’s disappearance.
Nancy Guthrie, 84, the mother of Today Show host Savannah Guthrie, was forcibly abducted from her Tucson-area home on February 1
Police released two ransom notes in July, but investigators are now examining whether a third has emerged. Pima County Sheriff’s deputies are pictured outside Guthrie’s home after her disappearance
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department issued a statement about the possible new note late Monday evening
A Pima County Sheriff’s Department spokesperson told 13 News that investigators have “some skepticism” about whether the note is genuine.
Investigators previously said one of the notes released in July might be authentic because it referred to highly specific details inside Guthrie’s home, including a broken backyard floodlight and a white smartwatch discovered on her bedroom floor.
The second message lacked those identifying details but used language and a tone similar to the first, raising the possibility that both were written by the same individual.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said in July that investigators made the notes public in hopes that someone might recognize the writer’s unusual phrasing, expressions or handwriting style.
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The FBI has also released surveillance footage showing a masked man who authorities believe interfered with a camera outside Guthrie’s front porch, apparently using a plant to obstruct its view. Investigators described the man as approximately 5 feet, 9 inches tall.
Authorities continue to ask the public to report anyone who suddenly acted differently, altered their appearance, left the Tucson area without explanation, or showed an unusual level of interest—or lack of interest—in the case.
“We’re still here. We are not going away,” Sheriff Nanos said two months ago. “We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us.”
For now, investigators have not determined whether Nancy Guthrie is alive. That question remains unresolved despite the earlier note claiming that the 84-year-old had died.
The FBI previously released surveillance footage of a masked man who allegedly tampered with a camera on Nancy Guthrie’s front porch and blocked it with a plant
It is unclear whether Guthrie may still be alive, although a previously released ransom note claimed that she died
If the new ransom note is determined to be legitimate, it may be evidence that the elderly woman is alive.
Prior to the revelation of the potential new ransom note, one of the most recent updates in the investigation came last month, when officers were seen scouring through the brush outside of Guthrie’s home.
They may have been looking for new clues after heavy rains in the area altered the landscape, potentially exposing or moving evidence that investigators had not previously noted, Bob Krygier, a retired Pima County Sheriff’s Department lieutenant, suggested to Fox News at the time.
However, it is also possible that authorities decided just to return to the area to take a fresh look at the crime scene after six months with no leads, the former lieutenant said, noting he was ‘certain that they’ve searched those areas already.’
Alternatively, new leads in the case may have led investigators to search the brush, looking for something specific, Krygier suggested.
It is unclear whether that search led to any new evidence or breaks in the case.
The Guthrie family has offered a reward of up to $1 million for information leading to Nancy’s recovery.
The family has yet to publicly address reports of the potential new ransom note.
