Ransom Notes Reveal Nancy Guthrie Died Shortly After Abduction, Investigation Continues

Authorities have confirmed that a ransom note connected to the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of NBC "Today" show host Savannah Guthrie, states that she has died. The note, which was sent to media outlets in early February, was one of two communications from the alleged kidnappers, according to multiple law enforcement sources briefed on the investigation.

The first ransom note, sent shortly after Guthrie vanished from her home near Tucson, Arizona, on January 31, demanded millions of dollars in bitcoin for her safe return. The second note, received around February 6, reportedly indicated that Guthrie had died shortly after the abduction and that her death was unintended. The contents of these notes have been known to CNN and a local Tucson television station, but both outlets agreed to law enforcement and family requests to withhold the information to protect the authenticity of any future communications with the kidnappers.

In response to the notes, Savannah Guthrie and her siblings released an emotional video on February 7, addressing the kidnappers directly. "We received your message, and we understand," she said. "We beg you now to return our mother to us." She stated that the family "would pay." However, despite a $1 million reward offered by the Guthrie family and an additional $100,000 from the FBI, no one has been arrested, and Guthrie's whereabouts remain unknown, with the case now stretching into its sixth month.

Conflicting reports have emerged about the contents of the second note. TMZ founder Harvey Levin claimed in a video that the note he received stated Nancy Guthrie was "scared but OK" and made no mention of her death or an apology. Levin also alleged that TMZ received emails from a person offering information about the kidnappers in exchange for approximately $100,000, but the FBI did not pay the individual.

The Pima County Sheriff's Department, which is leading the investigation alongside the FBI, has declined to comment on the specific contents of the notes but reiterated that the case remains "active and ongoing." Authorities released surveillance footage of a masked man on Guthrie's porch the night of her disappearance, and search teams have scoured the desert terrain near her home and the Arizona-Mexico border for any sign of her, so far without success.