Key development - Federal investigators have assessed that all three kidnapping-related messages that surfaced publicly in connection with the disappearance of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie are fake, a law enforcement official said. The finding covers two ransom notes that appeared in early February, days after Nancy Guthrie went missing, and a later communication from an individual asserting knowledge of the kidnappers' identities, the official added.
The FBI official, speaking on the condition of anonymity because the inquiry remains active, told reporters that "none of the ransom notes are believed to be genuine." A second law enforcement source familiar with the investigation corroborated the FBI's determination regarding the ransom notes.
Implications for the abduction theory - The agency's conclusion that the messages were fabricated - including two items that had been widely reported as ransom demands - calls into question the initial working assumption that Nancy Guthrie was abducted specifically for ransom. Investigators have not publicly altered their overall stance on the case, but the authenticity findings affect a central line of inquiry that investigators had been pursuing.
Local law enforcement response - The Pima County Sheriff's Department, which is overseeing the broader investigation into the disappearance, declined to comment on the ransom-note findings, citing its agreement to refer all inquiries about purported ransom communications to the FBI. Angelica Carrillo, a spokesperson for the sheriff's office, stated, "We don't have any updates, other than this is still an active investigation." She added that DNA samples and video evidence collected in the case "remain under forensic analysis."
How the messages emerged - All three questioned communications were initially delivered to media outlets, including celebrity news websites, before being turned over to authorities for review. Savannah Guthrie, 54 and the longtime co-anchor of the NBC morning program "Today," has publicly referenced ransom demands in video messages that she and her siblings posted to social media. In those videos the family urged anyone with information to contact them directly, and in one clip Savannah Guthrie said, "we will pay."
Details on the two early notes - Investigators determined that the first two notes originated from the same sender, the FBI official said, although the agency did not specify how that linkage was established. One of the early notes, as reported at the time, demanded a payment described as being "in the millions" to be made in cryptocurrency and gave two deadlines for payment - February 5 and February 9. A second note later reported in the press stated the sender claimed Nancy Guthrie had died, and that communication did not include an apology or a demand for payment to return a body.
Cryptocurrency test left unclaimed - To probe the validity of the first note and to attempt to trace the demand back to its originators, investigators placed a small amount of cryptocurrency into an account identified in the message. That deposit remained untouched and was never withdrawn, the FBI official said. It was on that basis, and by other unspecified investigative means, that the FBI concluded the two ransom notes had a common origin but were sent by individuals not actually connected with Nancy Guthrie's disappearance.
Third message also discounted - The FBI has likewise discounted a third note that had been reported as arriving more recently from someone claiming to know the abductors' identities and to possess video showing the "main guy" involved in the disappearance and footage of the victim on the day she died. The FBI official did not disclose how investigators determined that this third communication was fabricated.
Family appeals and reward - In response to media headlines last week about ransom notes, Savannah Guthrie used time on her program to appeal anew for public assistance, urging anyone with relevant information to come forward. She also reiterated that her family is offering a $1 million reward and described her family as being in "agony" since her mother vanished.
Investigation evidence and forensic work - Authorities confirmed soon after Nancy Guthrie's disappearance that DNA testing linked blood recovered on the front porch of her home to her. In mid-February, the sheriff's office and the FBI released surveillance footage showing an armed individual in a ski mask tampering with the victim's doorbell camera shortly before the disappearance, an item that attracted significant attention at the time.
Evidence developed since then has provided both leads and dead ends. DNA from a glove discovered near Nancy Guthrie's residence - a glove similar to the pair worn by the prowler in the surveillance video - did not yield a match against known profiles in a national database. The sheriff's office said DNA samples and video materials remain under analysis.
Public interest and current status - Media attention on the case tapered considerably after the mid-February release of the surveillance footage. Savannah Guthrie has said her family continues to hold out hope, describing their actions as "blowing on the embers of hope" while also acknowledging that "she may already be gone."
Ongoing investigative posture - The FBI's assessment that the three messages were fabrications does not mark the end of the investigation. The Pima County Sheriff's Department retains overall responsibility for the missing-person inquiry and continues to work with federal agents and forensic experts. The precise methods by which the FBI reached its authenticity conclusions were not disclosed, and investigators emphasized that the forensic review of DNA and video evidence is ongoing.