Sheriff Probes Ransom Note in Nancy Guthrie’s Disappearance

Arizona investigators are examining what appears to be a ransom note connected to the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of Today co-host Savannah Guthrie, who went missing from her Tucson home over the weekend, according to CBS News.

The note was sent Monday to a local television station and reportedly included detailed information about the house, such as a description of a broken item inside and what Nancy Guthrie was believed to have been wearing that night. Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos told CBS that while authorities are taking the note seriously, he would not confirm whether the details are accurate or whether the message is authentic. He said it is being handled like any other investigative lead. Nanos also confirmed that the FBI has reviewed the note and briefed Savannah Guthrie about it.

Authorities had hoped to keep the message confidential, and the station that received it had agreed not to report on it. However, TMZ later obtained and published the note before contacting the sheriff’s office, Nanos said. TMZ reported that the note demands millions of dollars in bitcoin. Earlier, the sheriff’s department acknowledged online that it was aware of reports about possible ransom notes and said any such material was being forwarded directly to detectives working alongside federal agents.

According to an Associated Press source, investigators also discovered signs of forced entry at Nancy Guthrie’s home, along with unspecified evidence suggesting she was abducted during the night. Her phone, wallet, and car were left behind. Sources cited by Page Six said her electronic devices stopped communicating with her pacemaker around 2 a.m. Sunday, indicating that she may have been taken at that time.

Investigators believe Nancy Guthrie was taken sometime after she was last seen Saturday evening. Concern grew when she failed to attend church Sunday morning. Sheriff Nanos has said she could not have simply wandered away due to serious mobility limitations, though she does not suffer from cognitive impairment. He also noted that she depends on daily medication that she cannot safely miss.

A small amount of blood was reportedly found inside the home, along with what appeared to be dried blood outside the front door, according to a law enforcement source cited by CBS. Surveillance cameras on the property have not yet provided useful footage. Detectives believe recordings may have been overwritten due to an automatic deletion setting and are attempting to recover the data through forensic methods.

Original Source