Savannah Guthrie became emotional on the Today show Tuesday after a new report revealed that a ransom note for her missing mother, 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, allegedly claimed she is dead. The search for Nancy has now reached nearly five months since her abduction on Feb. 1 from her home in Tucson, Arizona.
Report Details Ransom Note Claims
According to an Air Mail report, authorities are re-examining ransom notes sent early in the abduction. Investigators believe an email sent shortly after Nancy was taken was legitimate because it correctly identified a broken flood light behind her home and details about the Apple Watch she was wearing. The demands were clear: $4 million in bitcoin by Feb. 5, increasing to $6 million if the deadline passed. Prior to that deadline, Nancy was described as “safe but scared,” and Savannah, along with siblings Annie and Camron, issued a public plea for help acknowledging the ransom. However, the deadline passed.
A follow-up message raised the demand to $6 million by Feb. 9, with non-negotiable terms ending with “or else.” Then, on Feb. 6, a message arrived containing an “apology” for Nancy’s death, offering to deliver her body for the original $4 million sum. An attempt to deposit a small amount into the Bitcoin account to trace the kidnappers failed; the cryptocurrency wallet has remained inactive, thwarting authorities’ tracking efforts.
Savannah's Emotional Plea on Today
While Savannah did not comment directly on the latest reports during Tuesday’s broadcast, she made another tearful plea for information. “Somebody knows something,” she said, her voice breaking. “We are in agony and we cannot be at peace. No matter how much I try to come out here every day and smile and find that joy — and I will, I promise I will — this is the moment to tell you we need your help, we’re begging for your help and I’m not going to miss that opportunity.” Her emotional appeal underscores the family’s desperate search for answers.
TMZ Disputes Report
However, TMZ, which claims to have received “close to a dozen emails from a man claiming he knew both the identity of the kidnappers and the location of Nancy,” reported that the ransom notes did not contain an apology or a revelation of death. TMZ said the first email was not from the abductors but from someone aware of the details who needed money to hide from the real culprits. In that first communication, the sender noted “time is of the essence,” but a follow-up said “time is no longer of the essence,” which TMZ interpreted as Nancy no longer being alive. TMZ told the FBI they wanted to do a documentary and offered to pay the bitcoin to trace it, but the agency eventually stopped communicating.
The FBI and Pima County Sheriff’s Department continue to investigate and ask anyone with tips to call 1-800-CALL-FBI. A reward of up to $50,000 is offered for information leading to Nancy’s recovery or the arrest of those involved.
