First ransom note details in the abduction of Nancy Guthrie, mother of NBC News anchor Savannah Guthrie, have been fully revealed, including a stark warning and specific demands from the alleged abductor. Nancy Guthrie, 84, was taken from her Tucson, Arizona, home on February 1.
Local Arizona journalist Briana Whitney shared the complete contents of the initial ransom note on the Crime Junkie podcast. The note begins with a direct address to Savannah Guthrie: "Hello, Savannah. We have your mother, Nancy." It states that Nancy is safe but scared and would be held for ransom, with release promised within seven days of payment.
The demand specified millions of dollars in U.S. currency to be paid in Bitcoin. According to the note, once payment was received, Nancy would be released within 12 hours to a safe drop-off location in Tucson. A strict deadline was set: "If the payment is not received by the last deadline on Monday the 9th at 5pm, she will be killed. Your mother is aware of this and her life is in your hands."
The note also conveyed a clear message to the family: "It is in the best interest of everyone to have this completed as soon as possible. You will not be able to contact me from here on out. There will be no negotiation. Do not play games. Law enforcement will not be able to help you."
Investigators reportedly considered the note legitimate due to specific details it contained that were not publicly known at the time. These included the presence of a white smartwatch at the foot of Nancy Guthrie's bed and a destroyed floodlight in the backyard. These clues reportedly provided the FBI with confidence that the note was not a hoax.
No suspects have been named, and no arrests have been made in the ongoing investigation. The Pima County Sheriff's Office and the FBI have largely remained silent on the case details. This marks months since Nancy Guthrie's disappearance.
TMZ reported receiving a ransom note three days after Guthrie went missing, demanding $4 million in Bitcoin. Federal agents reportedly sent a small deposit of $152 to the cryptocurrency address, which then prompted another ransom email from the same IP address.
Following the initial abduction, Savannah Guthrie and her siblings, Camron and Annie, released a public plea for their mother's safe return. In a video posted to Instagram, Savannah stated, "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."