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Six months after Nancy Guthrie vanished from her Tucson home, the chilling words from the first ransom note have surfaced, and they were aimed directly at her daughter, NBC anchor Savannah Guthrie.
Crime journalist Briana Whitney read the message aloud on the Crime Junkie podcast.
"Hello, Savannah. We have your mother, Nancy. She is safe but scared," the note began. It went on to warn that Nancy would be held for ransom, with payment demanded in U.S. currency and Bitcoin.
''She will be held for ransom, and once payment is received, she will be released unharmed. We will be holding her for a maximum of seven days.''
According to Whitney, the note outlined strict deadlines: $4 million in Bitcoin by February 5, or $6 million by February 9. "Once payment is received to the Bitcoin address below, she will be released within 12 hours of deposit to a safe drop-off location back in Tucson," the message continued.
"If the payment is not received by the last deadline on Monday the 9th at 5 p.m., she will be killed. Your mother is aware of this and her life is in your hands."
The note also included unsettling details about Nancy's home, mentioning a "white smartwatch on the floor near her bed" and a "floodlight destroyed in the backyard." Whitney stressed that the FBI is still investigating the authenticity of the note, with some insiders insisting that "none of the ransom notes are believed to be genuine."
Nancy Guthrie, 84, was last seen on January 31 and reported missing the following day. Surveillance footage showed a masked man tampering with her doorbell camera. In June, another alleged ransom note surfaced, claiming Nancy was dead and offering a labored apology.
As investigators continue to sift through ransom notes and leads, the Guthrie family remains desperate for answers and for Nancy's safe return.
