Investigators say a new possible ransom text message in the Nancy Guthrie case is not credible, the Pima County Sheriff's Department announced Tuesday, September 29, one day after confirming it was reviewing the message.
The PCSD/FBI Guthrie Task Force said it learned of the message on Monday, September 28. "After further review, investigators determined the text message is not credible," the department said.
Lauren Serpa, a Tucson woman who says she knew Guthrie, said in a Facebook post that she received a ransom demand Sunday night. According to her account, the message claimed Guthrie was alive in Mexico and told her to send six bitcoin, roughly $500,000, to a crypto wallet. She said she reported it to the sheriff. The department has not confirmed whether this is the same message it reviewed.
Retired FBI agent Jennifer Coffindaffer said she believes the message is not legitimate. She pointed to similarities with a bitcoin request she received in April, including a QR code and AI-generated media.
The sheriff's department warned that scammers may try to take advantage of the case. It urged anyone who receives a text or other message related to Nancy Guthrie to report it to law enforcement and not to send money or personal information.
Guthrie, 84, mother of "Today" co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, was last seen at her Catalina Foothills home on January 31 and reported missing the next day. No suspect has been publicly named, and a reward exceeding $1.2 million remains active. Tips can be reported to the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or Tucson's 88-CRIME line at 520-351-4900.
As the search nears the eight-month mark, the Guthrie family and their supporters have continued to lean on faith and ask the public to keep praying for Nancy's safe return.
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