Federal authorities have conceded that some of the ransom demands made in connection with the February 1 abduction of Nancy Guthrie, mother of "Today" show co-host Savannah Guthrie, may be legitimate. The FBI's Phoenix office issued a statement Wednesday clarifying its investigation into the disappearance of the 84-year-old woman from her Catalina Foothills home.
The bureau stated that several ransom notes have been received throughout the investigation. While "some have been deemed to be extortion attempts without legitimacy," others "may potentially be legitimate, and are still being investigated as such." The FBI and its partners are continuing to treat Guthrie's disappearance as a kidnapping for ransom case.
The Pima County Sheriff's Department, which is leading the investigation, echoed the FBI's stance, affirming that every tip and lead is taken seriously and forwarded to detectives working in coordination with federal agents. Guthrie was last seen on January 31, dropped off at her home after dinner with her daughter, Annie, and son-in-law, Tommaso Cioni. Hours later, a masked individual was captured on external cameras near her home, and her pacemaker monitoring app disconnected shortly thereafter, which investigators believe may have been the time of her abduction.
Drops of Guthrie's blood were found on her front porch, and her wallet, cellphone, hearing aid, and medication were left behind in her home. The family reported her disappearance the following day after she failed to arrive at a friend's house.
TMZ reported receiving a ransom note days after Guthrie went missing, demanding $4 million in Bitcoin for her return and stating she was "safe but scared." The note included details not yet released to the public. After federal agents deposited a small amount into the specified cryptocurrency address, another email was sent from the same IP address, claiming Guthrie had died and that her abductors "never intended to hurt her." This note offered to return her body in exchange for $4 million.
Savannah Guthrie and her siblings released a public plea for their mother's safe return, stating, "We beg you now to return our mother to us, so that we can celebrate with her." They vowed to pay the ransom, emphasizing, "This is the only way we will have peace."
In the weeks since, TMZ reported receiving further messages from the same sender, which were shared with the FBI. These messages demanded Bitcoin in exchange for information about Guthrie's whereabouts, including a claim that a video of her existed on a cellphone in a secure location.
An FBI official speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity had previously indicated that the initial ransom notes were assessed as not credible. Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos had also expressed skepticism about the legitimacy of all three notes, suggesting they might be fake extortion attempts.
Federal agents have arrested Derrick Callella on charges of harassment by telecom devices for sending a fake ransom demand via text message to Guthrie's sister and brother-in-law on February 4. Callella has pleaded not guilty, with a change-of-plea hearing scheduled. No suspects or persons of interest in Nancy Guthrie's disappearance have been publicly named by the Pima County Sheriff's Department five months after she vanished.
"It is five months of agony and unending trauma for our family," Savannah told 13 News. "There is not a moment that goes by that we aren't actively trying to find our mom." She expressed gratitude to the people of Tucson and the investigating agencies, again pleading, "Bring her home."