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More than four months after Nancy Guthrie's disappearance, new details have surfaced about ransom notes tied to her alleged kidnapping. Guthrie, 84, is the mother of Today co-host Savannah Guthrie and was taken from her Tucson, Arizona home in the early hours of February 1.
According to reports from CNN and NBC News, a second note sent to media outlets claimed Nancy died shortly after being abducted.
The message reportedly said her death was unintentional and expressed regret, but did not include an apology or demand for money. This followed an earlier note demanding millions in Bitcoin for her safe return, with deadlines set in early February.
Savannah and her siblings responded to the second message in a video shared February 7, saying, "We received your message and we understand. We beg you now to return our mother to us so that we can celebrate with her. This is the only way we will have peace. This is very valuable to us, and we will pay."
On June 23, Savannah addressed viewers directly from the Today anchor desk, wiping away tears as she described the family's anguish. "This is unusual and unprecedented, to say the least, to be sitting here," she said.
"This is a new story that today is on your radar, but this is the life that my sister lives, that I live, that my brother lives, that our extended families live, that our children live every day. And we are in agony and we cannot be at peace."
Authorities believe Nancy was taken against her will, citing surveillance footage of a masked man tampering with her doorbell camera around the time she vanished. Blood was also found near her doorstep.
Despite extensive searches across desert terrain and near the Arizona-Mexico border, no suspects have been identified and her whereabouts remain unknown.
The FBI has offered a $100,000 reward for information leading to Nancy's recovery or an arrest, while Savannah and her family have pledged an additional $1 million.
Savannah continues to plead for help, saying, "We are begging for your help. Please do the right thing for us, for our family, for our children."
Investigators stress the case remains active and ongoing.
