In a perplexing twist in the case of Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance, the FBI now suspects that the ransom notes received afterwards were fabricated. An official within the investigation has shared this development.
Speaking under the veil of anonymity, this official conveyed to Reuters that investigators are skeptical about two ransom notes and another letter that purported to identify the kidnappers. They believe these communications lack credibility and are not directly linked to Guthrie’s actual kidnappers.
To test the legitimacy of the first ransom note, authorities decided to take a proactive step. They deposited a small sum into the specified cryptocurrency account mentioned in the letter. However, the funds remained untouched, raising further doubts about the note’s authenticity.
“None of the ransom notes are believed to be genuine,” the official stated, shedding light on the investigation’s current standing.
Reports from Reuters further confirmed this assessment, citing another informed law enforcement source who corroborated the FBI’s findings regarding the dubious nature of the ransom demands.
Oxygen reached out to the FBI for comment on the allegations, but did not receive an immediate reply.
The report comes just days after Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos expressed a similar doubt about the validity of the notes, specifically calling out a note received by TMZ claiming to be able to provide footage of the “main” suspect.
“I think the FBI has done a number of arrests for false or fake ransom notes,” Nanos said during a June 26 radio appearance on Arizona’s Buckmaster Show. “It’s a shame that happens, but I think we’re looking at one of those today.”
Pima County Sheriff’s Department Says There’s No New Updates in Nancy Guthrie Case
Five months after Nancy vanished, mystery still surrounds the 84-year-old’s disappearance.
The public information officer for the Pima County Sheriff’s Department Angelica Carrillo told Oxygen that although there are no new updates to the case, law enforcement officers remain committed to finding out what happened to the mother of TODAY show cohost Savannah Guthrie.
“This case is an active and ongoing investigation,” she said. “Forensic analysis of DNA and video evidence remains underway.”
Carrillo added that “if and when there is a significant development in this case, it will be shared with the public.”
What Happened to Nancy Guthrie?
Authorities believe Nancy was likely taken from her home against her will sometime in the early morning hours of Jan. 31, after finding blood on the patio outside her house.
Nanos has said law enforcement officers also found evidence that the doorbell camera at the home was disconnected at 1:47 a.m. and motion was detected on the camera around 2:12 a.m.
The FBI later released images of a masked individual captured outside the home at the time, driving further speculation that the octogenarian was taken against her will.
FBI Special Agent in Charge Heith Janke confirmed at a Feb. 5 press conference that a ransom note was sent to multiple media outlets in the aftermath of her disappearance, demanding payment and ordering the family to meet a Feb. 5 deadline or a secondary deadline of Feb. 9.
A second note was also sent to the media around that same time. According to details released last month by NBC News, that note claimed that Nancy was dead, but did not request any payment or offer an apology.
Then, TMZ reported June 26 that they had received an email from someone claiming to be able to identify the kidnappers and provide video of the “main guy” responsible and asked for bitcoin payment for the information.
It’s unclear what led authorities to believe the note was not credible.
Meanwhile, Savannah and her family continue to search for answers.
“Somebody knows something, and this is a new story today that 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” she said June 23 while addressing the case on TODAY. “We cannot be at peace.”