Nearly eight months after Nancy Guthrie disappeared from her Tucson-area home, her case still includes ransom notes, some released in full and some later ruled fake. Here is what is known.
What the first two notes said
The notes were reportedly sent on Feb. 2 and Feb. 6, days after the 84-year-old went missing. The first, addressed to her daughter, "Today" co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, said Nancy had been taken for ransom and was "safe but scared," and described details such as a smartwatch near her bed and a damaged floodlight. It demanded a bitcoin payment and warned the family against involving law enforcement. The second, sent four days later, claimed Nancy had died shortly after being taken.
What investigators say
Investigators have not confirmed the claim that she died, and say both notes came from the same source. Savannah Guthrie said in March that she believes the two notes her family responded to are real, while most others are not.
Fake notes
Not every note is genuine. Derrick Callella, 42, was sentenced in August to 10 years of probation for sending fake ransom notes to the family. The FBI has said other ransom demands may be legitimate and are still being investigated.
The latest note
On Sept. 28, investigators learned of a possible new ransom text message. After review, Sheriff Chris Nanos said it was "not credible." The sheriff urged the public not to send money or personal information in response to unsolicited messages.
Reward
The Guthrie family has offered a $1 million reward, and the FBI is offering $100,000. They asked for prayer throughout.
Related articles:
- Ransom note revealed in full
- Savannah's prayer request after the notes were released
- Forensic linguist on the grammar
- The possible new ransom note
