Arizona authorities have released two ransom notes sent to a Tucson television station following the disappearance of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, the mother of television presenter Savannah Guthrie, six months after she vanished from her home, according to reports from the BBC and apnews.com.
Pima County Sheriff Releases Two Notes Sent to Tucson Television Station
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department publicly disclosed the contents of two communications sent to a local media outlet in the days following the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, who was last seen at her home near Tucson, Arizona, on January 31, CBS News reported. Investigators believe the missives were sent by the individual or group responsible for the abduction.
The first note, received on February 2 by the local CBS affiliate KOLD-TV, was addressed to Savannah Guthrie and demanded a payment of $4 million in bitcoin by 5 p.m. on February 5. That message warned that if the deadline was missed, the ransom demand would rise to $6 million, payable by February 9, and threatened that Nancy Guthrie would be killed if no payment was received.
“Hello Savannah, we have your mother Nancy. She is safe but scared. 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 7 days. You will need to send bitcoin in the amount of $4 million USD before 5PM on Thursday the 5th.”
Unidentified writer, via BBC
The initial communication also contained specific details from inside the residence, noting that a white smartwatch rested on the floor at the foot of the bed and that the floodlight in the backyard had been destroyed.
The Second Note Claims Nancy Guthrie Died Shortly After Abduction
A second communication arrived four days later, on February 6, addressed directly to the Guthrie family. In this message, the writer claimed that Nancy Guthrie had died shortly after being taken from her home, according to abcnews.com.
“We did not fully grasp the seriousness of her physical condition. We never intended to hurt her, that was not our intention. She perished shortly after she was taken. We believe it was heart related. She is buried in nature now.”
Unidentified writer, via ABC News
Pima County Sheriff’s officials stated they cannot independently verify whether Nancy Guthrie is still alive or confirm the claim regarding her death. The investigation remains active as a task force comprising Pima County deputies and Federal Bureau of Investigation agents continues to pursue leads, CBS News noted.
Linguistic Clues and the Comparison to Historic Investigations
In releasing the notes, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department expressed hope that members of the public might recognize the author’s distinct linguistic characteristics, including specific patterns of word choice, syntax, and phraseology. Investigators noted that the texts provide insight into the mindset and motives of the writer.
Authorities pointed to historical precedents where releasing a suspect’s writings aided in identification, most notably the case of Theodore Kaczynski, known as the Unabomber, whose manifesto was published in 1995 before his brother recognized the syntax and alerted federal agents, as reported by apnews.com.
Savannah Guthrie Issues New Video Plea as the Search Reaches Six Months
Savannah Guthrie shared a message on social media expressing the family’s ongoing grief and desperation.
“Every day, we wake up and try to be strong and go on – because that’s what our joyful and resilient Mom taught us to do. But make no mistake – our hearts are in ruins.”
Savannah Guthrie, via ABC News
While law enforcement has not identified any suspects or made arrests, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos emphasized to CBS News that the case is far from being cold
and that officers are actively working on tips.
The Guthrie family is offering a $1 million reward for information leading to Nancy Guthrie’s recovery, supplementing an FBI reward of up to $100,000, according to CBS News. Tips can be submitted anonymously through the FBI tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI.
