Nearly eight months after Nancy Guthrie vanished, authorities are investigating what could be a new ransom note in the case.
Guthrie, 84, the mother of Today show host Savannah Guthrie, was forcibly taken from her home in the Tucson area on February 1. Her disappearance has drawn national attention and remained in the headlines for months.
In the early stages of the investigation, the Guthrie family received two disturbing ransom notes. Police released both documents in full in July. One demanded $4 million, while the other claimed Nancy had died before offering an apology.
Authorities are now examining the possibility that a third ransom note has surfaced.
Late Monday evening, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department said in a statement: “The PCSD/FBI Guthrie Task Force was recently made aware of a new possible ransom note related to the Nancy Guthrie investigation.
“Investigators are also aware of social media comments regarding the note and are looking further into the information to determine its credibility.”
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department is leading the investigation into the abduction with assistance from the FBI.
Police have not disclosed the contents of the possible ransom note, and their statement did not confirm whether the document is genuine.
Nancy Guthrie, 84, the mother of Today show host Savannah Guthrie, was forcibly abducted from her Tucson-area home on February 1
Police released two ransom notes in July, but a third possible note has now emerged. Pima County Sheriff’s deputies are shown at Guthrie’s home after her disappearance
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department issued the statement late Monday evening
A Pima County Sheriff’s Department spokesperson told 13 News that officials have “some skepticism” about the note’s validity.
Investigators previously said one of the ransom notes released in July might be authentic because it included specific details about Guthrie’s home. Those details included a broken floodlight in the backyard and a white smartwatch discovered on her bedroom floor.
The second note did not offer similarly specific information, but its tone closely resembled the first. That raised the possibility that both notes had been written by the same person.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said in July that investigators published the notes in hopes that someone might recognize the writer’s unusual wording, expressions or writing style.
The FBI has also released surveillance footage showing a masked man who authorities said appeared to interfere with a camera on Guthrie’s front porch, eventually blocking it with a plant. Investigators described the individual as a male approximately 5 feet, 9 inches tall.
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Authorities are asking the public to report anyone who began behaving unusually, altered their physical appearance, suddenly left the Tucson area or showed a noticeable and unexplained interest—or lack of interest—in the investigation.
“We’re still here. We are not going away,” Sheriff Nanos said two months ago. “We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us.”
For now, it remains unknown whether the 84-year-old is still alive, despite a previous ransom note claiming that she had died.
The FBI previously released surveillance footage of a masked man who authorities said appeared to tamper with a camera on Nancy Guthrie’s front porch and block it with a plant
It is unclear whether Guthrie may still be alive, although a previously released ransom note claimed that she died
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Should families of kidnapping victims share ransom notes with the public or keep details private?
If the new ransom note is determined to be legitimate, it may be evidence that the elderly woman is alive.
Prior to the revelation of the potential new ransom note, one of the most recent updates in the investigation came last month, when officers were seen scouring through the brush outside of Guthrie’s home.
They may have been looking for new clues after heavy rains in the area altered the landscape, potentially exposing or moving evidence that investigators had not previously noted, Bob Krygier, a retired Pima County Sheriff’s Department lieutenant, suggested to Fox News at the time.
However, it is also possible that authorities decided just to return to the area to take a fresh look at the crime scene after six months with no leads, the former lieutenant said, noting he was ‘certain that they’ve searched those areas already.’
Alternatively, new leads in the case may have led investigators to search the brush, looking for something specific, Krygier suggested.
It is unclear whether that search led to any new evidence or breaks in the case.
The Guthrie family has offered a reward of up to $1 million for information leading to Nancy’s recovery.
The family has yet to publicly address reports of the potential new ransom note.