Federal investigators have concluded that three ransom notes tied to the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of “Today” co-host Savannah Guthrie, were not legitimate, according to a new report.
Guthrie, who authorities believe may have been abducted from her home in Tucson, Arizona, has been missing since Feb. 1, intensifying public concern and drawing national attention to the case.
An FBI official, speaking anonymously to Reuters because the investigation remains active, said agents reviewed two ransom notes that surfaced in early February shortly after Guthrie vanished, as well as a more recent message that claimed to identify the alleged kidnappers.
“None of the ransom notes are believed to be genuine,” the FBI source told the publication.
A second law enforcement source with knowledge of the investigation also confirmed the FBI’s conclusion that the notes were not authentic, Reuters reported.
Since Guthrie’s disappearance became public, several purported ransom messages have reportedly been sent to media organizations, including TMZ.
The first two notes, both sent in February, are believed by investigators to have come from the same person, the FBI official told Reuters.
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The official did not provide details on how investigators reached that determination, citing the ongoing nature of the case.
The first ransom note sent to TMZ demanded a sum of cryptocurrency “in the millions” to be paid, setting two deadlines for payment on Feb. 5 and 9.
The second ransom note, as reported by NBC last week, suggested Guthrie had died and did not demand payment for the return of her body.
The official said that to test the authenticity of the first ransom communication — and possibly trace the demands back to the perpetrators — the FBI deposited a small amount of cryptocurrency into the account as instructed, but it remained untouched, the outlet reported.
Since the deposit was never taken out of the account, in addition to other unspecified means, the FBI concluded that the two ransom notes were sent by an individual who was not connected to Guthrie’s disappearance, the official said.
The anonymous source also said the FBI determined that the third note sent to TMZ last week that claimed to know the identities of Guthrie’s abductors was not authentic — but did not specify how that conclusion was drawn.
The Post reached out to the FBI but did not immediately hear back.
With Post wires
