Nancy Guthrie ransom notes now deemed bogus by FBI, report says

Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News on Jul 1, 2026

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Three ransom notes delivered after “Today" show host Savannah Guthrie’s mother, Nancy Guthrie, disappeared are not legitimate, according to a report.

The debunked messages include a pair of ransom notes received by media outlets in early February — just days after Guthrie was reported missing — as well as a third note that was sent out last week, Reuters reported.

“None of the ransom notes are believed to be genuine,” an anonymous FBI official told the outlet.

A second law enforcement source familiar with the matter also confirmed the FBI’s assessment, according to Reuters.

Guthrie, who at 84 is barely mobile and suffers from a heart condition, has not been seen or heard from since Jan. 31. She went out to dinner that night with her other daughter, Annie, who later dropped her off at her Tucson, Arizona, home between 9:30 and 9:45 p.m., police said. The Guthrie matriarch was reported missing the following day, after she failed to show up for a viewing of remote church services as usual.

A subsequent search of the residence turned up Guthrie’s blood in the doorway, leading investigators to suspect foul play. They have had few breaks in the case since, outside surveillance video footage they said captured a potential suspect. He has been described as “a male, approximately 5’9″ – 5’10” with an average build.” He was also wearing all black in the clip as well as a 25-liter Ozark Trail Hiker Pack backpack.

Immediately after her disappearance, TMZ received a note demanding that millions in cryptocurrency be paid out, setting two deadlines for payment on Feb. 5 and 9. The second note was likely sent by the same person, according to the report, and it suggested that Guthrie had already died. And earlier this week, news of a third note broke, this one claiming to know the identities and have video of Guthrie’s abductors.

Wednesday marks five months since she disappeared.

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