A new ransom note has emerged claiming the existence of video footage showing Nancy Guthrie, the mother of NBC News anchor Savannah Guthrie, on the day she purportedly died. The note, received by media outlet TMZ, states the sender has a video of the "main guy" with Guthrie, along with pictures and identifying information of those involved. The sender is demanding a significant Bitcoin payment in exchange for this evidence.
Nancy Guthrie was kidnapped from her home in Tucson, Arizona, on the night of February 1. Nearly five months later, her whereabouts remain unknown. In the weeks following her disappearance, cryptic ransom notes began appearing, with some claiming knowledge of her location and demanding millions of dollars in cryptocurrency. Police and the FBI have been examining these messages for leads.
Initial communications from the sender indicated Guthrie was "safe but scared" and offered her return for a $4 million Bitcoin payment. Subsequent notes escalated the demand and later included an "apology" note, originating from the same IP address. This apology stated Guthrie had been accidentally killed and offered to return her body for $4 million.
The latest message, however, suggests a different scenario and claims to possess definitive proof. "What it contains is my definition of delivering them on a silver platter, a short video of the main guy with nancy the day that was probably her last, pictures of both involved, names and addresses and age," the email to TMZ reportedly read. The sender also insisted they were not the same individual who had previously provided an unsubstantiated tip about Guthrie being buried near the U.S.-Mexico border.
Authorities are re-examining all ransom letters for clues about the captor's identity, noting the writer's articulate nature and knowledge of cryptocurrency. Investigators also interpret the apology as a potential indicator that the kidnapper might be a local opportunist rather than a cartel member, as initially feared.
Adding to the complexity of the investigation, authorities are exploring the possibility of an accomplice. This is based on doorbell camera footage from the night of the disappearance showing a masked individual attempting to tamper with Nancy Guthrie's camera. The FBI was able to retrieve this footage by accessing residual data on backend servers, as Ms. Guthrie did not have a subscription to the cloud storage service.
The footage depicts the masked man struggling to cover the camera lens, searching the area, and interacting with decorations at the entrance. Additional video showed the individual approaching the door in a hunched posture. No suspects have been publicly identified in the case. Investigators have recovered limited physical evidence, including a single strand of hair and a glove found near the residence. DNA testing on this evidence is ongoing.
The Guthrie family is offering a reward of up to $1 million for information that leads to Nancy Guthrie's recovery.