The first alleged ransom note tied to Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance demanded as much as $6 million in Bitcoin and warned her family against contacting law enforcement.
Crime journalist Briana Whitney read portions of the message during a July 22 episode of the Crime Junkie podcast. The note directly addressed Nancy’s daughter, Today co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, and claimed the 84-year-old had been kidnapped.
The sender demanded $4 million by Feb. 5 and increased the amount to $6 million if payment was not received by Feb. 9.
The message also included details about objects and damage inside Nancy’s Tucson-area property that were not initially disclosed publicly.
The Message Was Addressed Directly to Savannah
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The note reportedly opened by telling Savannah that its sender had her mother. It claimed Nancy was frightened but unharmed and would be held for no longer than seven days while payment was arranged.
Whitney said the writer warned the family against negotiating, involving police or attempting to delay the transfer. The message repeatedly placed responsibility for Nancy’s safety on Savannah and threatened that she would be killed if the final deadline passed.
According to PEOPLE, the sender said Nancy would be released within 12 hours of the Bitcoin deposit at a safe location “back in Tucson.”
The Demand Rose From $4 Million to $6 Million
The first deadline required $4 million in Bitcoin by 5 p.m. on Feb. 5. The demand would rise to $6 million if the money was not transferred by 5 p.m. on Feb. 9.
The message reportedly included a Bitcoin address but said the sender would not communicate further. The FBI said at the time that it was unaware of continuing contact between Nancy’s family and suspected kidnappers.
The deadlines passed without Nancy being returned. Savannah and her siblings publicly said they were willing to pay but asked for proof that their mother was alive.
The Note Mentioned Details From Nancy’s Home
Whitney said the message referred to a white smartwatch lying near the foot of Nancy’s bed and a damaged floodlight in the backyard.
The FBI said in July that investigators had received “several” purported ransom notes. Some had been dismissed as extortion efforts, while the bureau continued examining other communications as potentially genuine.
A California man has pleaded guilty to sending separate fake communications to members of the Guthrie family after learning that an earlier Bitcoin demand had been made. His messages were not identified as the note Whitney read on the podcast.
A Second Note Claimed Nancy Had Died
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Another note sent to Tucson television station KOLD reportedly claimed Nancy had died shortly after she was taken and had been buried “in nature.” It did not demand additional money or provide a way for the family to recover her remains.
The second message was publicly reported in June. Reuters reported that an FBI official assessed both widely reported February notes as not credible, although the bureau continues treating the broader investigation as a kidnapping-for-ransom case.
Nancy was last seen at her Catalina Foothills home on the evening of Jan. 31. Footage recovered by the FBI showed an armed, masked person tampering with her doorbell camera early the following morning, and investigators confirmed that blood found near her front entrance belonged to her.
No suspect has been publicly identified. Anyone with information can contact the Pima County Sheriff’s Department at 520-351-4900 or the FBI at 1-800-225-5324.