New details have emerged in the investigation into the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of Today show anchor Savannah Guthrie, after reports revealed that one of the ransom messages sent to her family allegedly contained a startling admission about her fate.
According to a report by Air Mail, a message received by the Guthrie family on February 6 claimed that Nancy had been accidentally killed and offered to return her body in exchange for money.
The note was reportedly sent after earlier ransom demands that stated Nancy was “safe but scared” and sought millions of dollars in Bitcoin for her release.
Air Mail reported that the later message included an apology and claimed Nancy had died accidentally, marking a dramatic shift from the original ransom demands.
The report stated that the message came from the same IP address linked to previous communications that investigators considered potentially credible.
Questions remain about the messages
The latest revelations have added another layer of complexity to a case that has remained unsolved since Nancy disappeared from her Tucson, Arizona, home on February 1.
Reports indicate that the sender of the original messages appeared to possess information that was not publicly known at the time, including details about what Nancy was wearing the night she vanished and information related to a damaged floodlight at her property.
However, not all reports have aligned regarding the contents of the messages.
After Air Mail published its account, TMZ reported that the notes it received did not contain an apology or explicitly state that Nancy had died. TMZ did report, however, that one sender later claimed Nancy had been taken to Mexico and suggested that “time is no longer of the essence.”
Meanwhile, ABC News reported that another message received by an Arizona television station claimed Nancy had died and had been “buried in nature.”
Despite the conflicting reports about specific wording, multiple outlets have reported that at least one communication claimed Nancy was no longer alive.
Investigation continues as authorities review evidence
The emergence of the reported apology note has renewed attention on whether the messages were sent by those responsible for Nancy’s disappearance.
According to reports, investigators believe at least some of the ransom communications may be genuine and have continued examining them for clues. Authorities are reportedly analyzing the messages, including technical information associated with their origin.
Savannah Guthrie publicly responded to one of the messages in a video shared with her siblings shortly after the communications were received.
“We beg you now to return our mother to us,” she said at the time. “This is very valuable to us, and we will pay.”
Nancy remains missing nearly five months after she disappeared from her Tucson home.
No suspects have been publicly identified, no arrests have been made, and investigators have not confirmed whether the claims contained in the ransom notes are true.
The investigation remains active as federal and local authorities continue reviewing evidence and pursuing leads in the case.
