Ransom notes potentially linked to the suspected kidnapping of Nancy Guthrie, mother of "Today" co-host Savannah Guthrie, contain distinctive writing habits that could help investigators identify the author, according to Lisa Miller, a retired detective and law enforcement executive. Miller, who analyzed the notes released by the Pima County Sheriff's Department, identified several linguistic quirks suggesting a single author and offering potential leads.
Authorities have stated that the notes, released six months after Guthrie's Feb. 1 abduction from her Tucson, Arizona, home, were made public in hopes that someone would recognize the sender's unique style. The Pima County Sheriff's Department and the FBI have not definitively confirmed the authenticity of the notes, though Savannah Guthrie has expressed belief in their potential validity, and investigators have not ruled them out.
Miller highlighted the consistent use of comma splices—joining two independent clauses with only a comma—as a significant clue linking the two notes. This grammatical pattern appeared in both messages, leading Miller to believe they likely originated from the same individual. "So it's continuous between the two notes, which is one of the reasons why I believe this continuity more likely than not indicates this one author," she stated.
Beyond comma splices, Miller noted other writing irregularities, including open compounds such as "heart related" (which typically would be hyphenated) and compound words written as separate words, like "smartwatch" and "floodlight." These patterns, she said, are not indicative of AI-generated text, which often exhibits a smoother, more uniform flow. Instead, they point to the author's personal "idiolect"—their unique way of speaking and writing, shaped by factors such as regional background, personal slang, or even religious upbringing.
Miller speculated that phrases like "buried in nature" rather than "died" or "buried" might stem from this idiolect, possibly influenced by the author's reading material or personal beliefs. She also suggested that the author's tendency to minimize wrongdoing, a common tactic among offenders, might be at play. The notes also featured inconsistencies in how ransom amounts were specified, using both a dollar sign and "USD," and variations in how dates and times were written, further contributing to the unique linguistic profile.
Investigators are seeking public assistance, asking anyone with information to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or report anonymously to 520-88-CRIME. The total reward money in the case has surpassed $1.2 million.