Authorities Investigate Ransom Note Clues as Nancy Guthrie Fortifies Home with Floodlights

Investigators report that a purported ransom note sent to a media organization includes a specific mention of missing floodlights at the home of Nancy Guthrie, one of which is damaged.

Nancy Guthrie, aged 84, was last observed at her Tucson, Arizona residence around 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, according to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department.

While officials initially withheld details concerning the nature of her disappearance, Sheriff Chris Nanos confirmed on Monday, “We do, in fact, have a crime.” A representative from the sheriff’s office informed Fox News Digital that Nancy Guthrie is suspected to have been either kidnapped or abducted. 

The FBI has indicated that a possible ransom note linked to Nancy Guthrie’s case, which was sent to a news outlet, referenced a “floodlight.” Fox News Digital identified two potential floodlights outside her home, while the Fox Flight team discovered an additional two in her backyard, with one appearing broken.

Two broken floodlights were visibly hanging by a wire at the rear of the property. During a Thursday afternoon press briefing, Heith Janke, the special agent leading the FBI’s Phoenix field office, confirmed that the supposed ransom note mentioned a floodlight at Nancy Guthrie’s residence. 

“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.