A major development has emerged in the mysterious disappearance of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, mother of Today show co-anchor Savannah Guthrie. The FBI has concluded that all three ransom-related notes circulating since early February — including two demand letters and a more recent message claiming insider knowledge — are fraudulent.
Disappearance Under Fresh Scrutiny
Nancy Guthrie, who suffered from serious health issues and had limited mobility, was last seen on January 31 at her home in Tucson, Arizona, following an evening visit with her eldest daughter, Annie Guthrie, and son-in-law. Her disappearance quickly drew national attention due to her daughter’s high-profile role at NBC News.
FBI Confirms All Ransom Notes Are Fabricated
According to an unnamed FBI official speaking to Reuters, neither of the two ransom notes released in early February — one demanding millions in cryptocurrency with payment deadlines on February 5 and 9, and another claiming Nancy had already died without requesting money or offering the return of her body — is authentic. A third note, received by TMZ last week and allegedly containing video evidence and identifying information about suspects and Nancy’s final day, has also been deemed fake by federal investigators.
“None of the ransom notes are believed to be genuine,” the official stated, a conclusion corroborated by a second law enforcement source.
Investigation Shifts Focus
This revelation casts serious doubt on the central abduction-for-ransom theory that guided the initial investigation. The Pima County Sheriff’s Office, which leads the case, declined to comment on the FBI’s findings, referring all inquiries to the federal agency. An FBI spokesperson confirmed the case remains open and emphasized that DNA samples and available surveillance footage continue to be analyzed at forensic laboratories.
Family’s Public Plea and FBI’s Test Deposit
Savannah Guthrie, 54, had publicly responded to the ransom demands in social media videos alongside her siblings, urging the kidnappers to contact the family directly. In one video, she said plainly: “We will pay.”
In an effort to test the credibility of the first ransom note, the FBI deposited a small amount of cryptocurrency into the wallet address specified — but no one accessed the funds. That failure became a key piece of evidence pointing to the note’s inauthenticity and suggesting the messages originated from the same individual or group, unrelated to Nancy’s actual disappearance.