The sender of the first ransom note in Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance opened with a direct warning to her daughter, “Today” show co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, telling her that her mother’s life “is in your hands,” according to a new podcast report.
Crime journalist Briana Whitney read the note’s contents aloud during an appearance on the “Crime Junkie” podcast with host Ashley Flowers.
“Hello, Savannah. We have your mother, Nancy,” Ms. Whitney said, reading from the letter. “She will be held for ransom.”
Nancy Guthrie, 84, has been missing since Jan. 31 and was reported missing the following day. Investigators believe she was abducted from her home near Tucson, Arizona, in the early morning hours by a masked man captured on doorbell surveillance footage tampering with the camera.
According to Ms. Whitney, the note demanded a ransom in U.S. dollars and laid out two escalating deadlines: $4 million in bitcoin due Feb. 5, rising to $6 million if the first deadline passed, with a final cutoff of 5 p.m. on Feb. 9. The note warned that Ms. Guthrie would be killed if the second deadline was missed and stated there would be “no negotiation.”
The note also referenced specific details about Ms. Guthrie’s home, including a white smartwatch found near her bed and a damaged floodlight in the backyard. Ms. Whitney said investigators viewed those details as lending credibility to the communication, though the FBI has not authenticated the note.
The FBI has not confirmed the note’s authenticity and continues to investigate, Ms. Whitney said. The Pima County Sheriff’s Department, the lead agency on the case, said it has no additional information to share at this time.
Ms. Whitney’s account follows a June report that a second note sent to the Guthrie family and several media outlets claimed Ms. Guthrie had died, though it made no request for payment and included no apology, according to NBC News.
Ms. Guthrie’s daughter has repeatedly pleaded publicly for information.
“Somebody knows something,” Savannah Guthrie said on a recent broadcast, adding that her family remains “in agony” as the search continues.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Pima County Sheriff’s Department at 520-351-4900 or the FBI tip line at 1-800-225-5324.
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