Ransom Note Claims Abducted Mother of US Presenter Nancy Guthrie Died

A ransom note delivered days after the January kidnapping of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, mother of US presenter Savannah Guthrie, claimed she had died. This second note was sent to news media outlets after an initial demand for millions in bitcoin was made.

According to sources cited by CBS, the BBC's US news partner, the second note stated that the kidnappers did not intend for her to die and included an apology to the family. The Pima County Sheriff's Department declined to comment on the notes' contents but confirmed the investigation remains active and ongoing, with close collaboration between the Sheriff's Department and the FBI.

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The Pima County Sheriff's Department continues to work closely with the FBI as investigators follow up on leads, review information, and pursue the facts surrounding this case.

Authorities are reportedly uncertain whether the ransom notes are authentic, but the Guthrie family believes the letters, sent to both local and national media, are real. Law enforcement had requested that media outlets not publicize details from the notes while the investigation proceeded. Nancy Guthrie was reportedly taken from her bed on January 31.

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We received your message, and we understand. We beg you now to return our mother to us so that we can celebrate with her.

The initial ransom note, sent the day after her disappearance, included specific details about her home and bedroom. The second note, sent on February 6, used similar language but offered an apology for her death, stating it was inadvertent. In response, Savannah Guthrie and her siblings released a video pleading for their mother's return, stating the family "would pay."

Despite the grim news from the notes, the Guthrie family, along with authorities, repeatedly highlighted Nancy Guthrie's poor health and need for critical medication. The family had been offering a $1 million reward, supplemented by $100,000 from the FBI, for information leading to her return. As of February 24, Savannah Guthrie expressed that they would maintain hope, even while acknowledging the possibility that her mother might be lost or gone.

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We know that she may be lost, she may already be gone.