Nancy Guthrie Case: Second Ransom Note Believed To Be From Abductors Claimed She Had Died

Last Updated:June 23, 2026, 05:22 IST

Unlike the first note, which demanded millions of dollars in bitcoin in exchange for Guthrie's release, the second note made no demand for money, offered no apology.

A second note sent to media outlets days after the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, mother of NBC “Today" show anchor Savannah Guthrie, indicated that the 84-year-old had died, according to a report by NBC News.

Authorities believe the note was likely sent by the same person or group responsible for Guthrie’s abduction. Investigators also believe both ransom notes were sent from the same computer IP address, as per CBS News.

Unlike the first note, which demanded millions of dollars in bitcoin in exchange for Guthrie’s release, the second note made no demand for money, offered no apology and did not seek payment for the release of her body.

Sources who reviewed the note said it indicated that Guthrie had died and suggested her death was not intentional, NBC News reported.

Also Read: Masked Suspect Visited Nancy Guthrie’s Home Before Her Abduction? Doorbell Footage Raises Question

Nancy Guthrie was reported missing from her home near Tucson, Arizona, on February 1 after she was last seen the previous night at around 9:45 pm. Ten days later, the FBI recovered doorbell camera footage showing an armed, masked man outside her home on the morning of her disappearance. The agency has since described that man as a suspect.

Investigators have said the first note, sent on February 2 to two local television stations and TMZ through their online tip lines, contained highly specific details about Guthrie’s home, including that an Apple Watch with a white band was lying on her bedroom floor and that the back porch light was broken. The note was addressed to Savannah Guthrie and demanded cryptocurrency for Nancy Guthrie’s release, CBS News reported.

The second note, sent on February 6, was similar in language and style but did not contain any ransom demand, according to investigators.

Following the second message, Savannah Guthrie and her siblings released an Instagram video addressing whoever was holding their mother.

“We received your message and we understand," Savannah Guthrie said. “We beg you now to return our mother to us so that we can celebrate with her. This is the only way we will have peace."

Holding hands with her brother, Camron and sister Annie, she added, “This is very valuable to us, and we will pay."

In an interview with NBC in March, Savannah Guthrie said her family believes the two notes are authentic.

“There are a lot of different notes, I think, that came, and I think most of them… are not real," she said. “But I believe the two notes that we received, that we responded to, I tend to believe those are real."

An FBI-led task force, working with Pima County detectives, continues to investigate Guthrie’s disappearance and search for those responsible.

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Prisha Vibhavari

Prisha is the Chief Sub-Editor at News18.com, with more than 10 years of experience in national and international news. She specialises in editorial leadership, sharp news judgment, and high-impact st...Read More

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