The FBI is still evaluating some ransom notes relating to the February disappearance of Nancy Guthrie as potentially “legitimate,” while others have been discounted as “extortion attempts,” the agency said in a Wednesday update.
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“This case continues to be investigated as a kidnapping for ransom case,” the FBI Phoenix office said in a post on X, noting that law enforcement had received “several ransom notes over the course of this investigation.”
Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of the “TODAY” show co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, was reported missing from her home near Tucson, Arizona, on Feb. 1. She was last seen the previous night around 9:45 p.m., according to Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos.
Ten days after Guthrie was reported missing, the FBI released chilling doorbell camera images of an armed and masked man outside her home on the morning of her disappearance. The FBI has since described that man as a suspect.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department is also investigating the case and said in a Wednesday statement that it had “received information regarding potential ransom notes related to the kidnapping of Nancy Guthrie” throughout its investigation.
“Every tip and lead is taken seriously and is forwarded directly to our detectives who continue to work in coordination with the FBI.”
The FBI statement rebuts a Tuesday Reuters report about the notes, citing an unnamed FBI official.
While the FBI did not specify how many ransom notes had been received, NBC News has previously reported that investigators involved in the case have examined two notes sent to media outlets in the wake of Guthrie’s disappearance.
The first note said Guthrie was safe and requested cryptocurrency in exchange for her release. The second note sent to media outlets appeared to indicate that she had died, three people familiar with the matter previously told NBC News.
After the second note was sent, Savannah Guthrie addressed her mother’s possible kidnapping in an Instagram video, saying the family would “pay” for her return.
Last week, she made another plea on air stating that her family “are in agony. We cannot be at peace,” over her mother’s disappearance.
“We’re begging for your help,” the host said. “Please, if you’re watching, no matter how small, the reward is there. You can tell us; it can be anonymous,” she said.
“We love our mom, and we’ll never stop looking for her, ever.”
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