Authorities have disclosed intriguing details regarding a ransom note linked to the mysterious disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, an 84-year-old resident of Tucson, Arizona. The note, which was sent to a media outlet, intriguingly references a missing floodlight at her home, specifically mentioning one that is broken.
Nancy Guthrie was last seen at her residence on Saturday around 9:30 p.m., according to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department. Initially, officials withheld comments about the nature of her disappearance. However, by Monday, Sheriff Chris Nanos confirmed, “we do, in fact, have a crime.” A spokesperson later suggested that Guthrie was likely either kidnapped or abducted, underscoring the seriousness of the situation.
The FBI has revealed that the ransom note makes a peculiar mention of a “floodlight,” believed to be connected to the mysterious circumstances surrounding Guthrie’s disappearance. Fox News Digital has reported the presence of two floodlights at the front of her house, while their Fox Flight team discovered two more in her backyard, including one that is visibly damaged.
In a press briefing on Thursday, Heith Janke, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s Phoenix field office, confirmed the note’s reference to the floodlight at Guthrie’s residence. “Yeah, the ransom itself. One talked about an Apple Watch and one talked about a floodlight,” Janke stated, emphasizing the importance of maintaining the integrity of the ongoing investigation by withholding further specifics.
This development adds a perplexing layer to the investigation, as authorities work tirelessly to uncover more details about Nancy Guthrie’s sudden and alarming disappearance.
“Yeah, the ransom itself. One talked about an Apple Watch and one talked about a floodlight,” he said. “And we’re not going to go into specifics. It’s very important that we keep this investigation moving forward.”
In an interview Thursday with Fox News’ Sean Hannity on “Hannity,” TMZ’s Harvey Levin spoke about the possible ransom note his outlet received.
This map indicates where various floodlights are broken or remaining intact at Nancy Guthrie’s home in Tucson, Ariz. (Google Earth and Fox News)
“The letter begins by saying she is safe, but scared, and they go on to say she knows exactly what the demand is,” he said. “And so they are, you know, through us, telling the family — and obviously the sheriff’s department gave the family the letter we received — exactly what they’re demanding, and they’re saying that Nancy is aware of it.”
He believes the person who wrote the note is in the Tucson, Arizona, area.
An undated photo of Nancy Guthrie and Savannah Guthrie was provided by NBC in response to the disappearance of the 84-year-old mother of the “Today” show host. (Courtesy of NBC)
“There is a phrase in this email that absolutely makes me believe this person who wrote this, and if they’re telling the truth, that Nancy is within a radius of the Tucson area — not in Tucson right now, but in a radius. It could be New Mexico. I don’t know how far, but I think at least what the authorities have is they’ve got a radius, and that’s something,” Levin said.
The TMZ host said there was a demand for payment in the form of bitcoin in the note.
