The kidnapping case of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, mother of prominent U.S. news anchor Savannah Guthrie, has become more complex after investigators disclosed a second letter sent to the family and media claiming the abductee has died. The letter stated the death was unintentional, while police and the FBI continue their ongoing investigation.
Progress in the mysterious disappearance of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, mother of Savannah Guthrie, the morning news host of NBC's "Today" show, has emerged. Sources close to the investigation from multiple law enforcement agencies told CNN and international media that suspects sent a second letter confessing the hostage's death.
The case began on 31 January when relatives dropped Nancy off at her home near Tucson, Arizona, before she mysteriously disappeared that night. Surveillance cameras near the house captured footage of a masked man armed with a handgun. Concern grew when Nancy failed to attend an online church service the following morning (1 Feb).
Reports indicate that in the initial days after the abduction, a first ransom letter was sent directly to Savannah Guthrie and a local news station. The letter accurately described details inside Nancy’s home and bedroom and demanded several million U.S. dollars in ransom, payable in digital currency or Bitcoin. Police believe this letter to be genuine from the kidnappers.
On 6 February, a second letter was sent using language and style similar to the first but without any additional ransom demands. It stated, "Nancy has died shortly after being abducted," and apologized to the Guthrie family, claiming the death was unintentional.
Previously, CNN and local Arizona TV stations that received the letter agreed with the family and FBI to withhold information about the second letter to avoid compromising the investigation and potential verification of the kidnappers’ identity if they made further contact.
After receiving the letter on 7 February, Savannah Guthrie and her siblings recorded a tearful video message to the kidnappers saying, "We have received your message and understand it well. We are willing to pay the ransom; please just return our mother's body to us." The family and authorities were deeply concerned about Nancy’s poor health and her need for regular medication, which might have contributed to her death if withheld.
On 24 February, Savannah revealed that although the family still held hope, deep down they feared "Mom may have left us." Savannah took a leave of absence from the Today Show for over two months to focus on the case, returning in early April. Meanwhile, the family has offered a $1 million reward, supplemented by an additional $100,000 from the FBI, for information leading to an arrest.
The ransom letter issue resurfaced after Harvey Levin, founder of entertainment media TMZ, denied rumors that his outlet received a confession letter about the death. Levin explained TMZ only received an email from an anonymous source claiming to know the kidnappers’ and hostage’s location and demanding $100,000 for the information. Levin believed the email contained some truth and had offered to pay, but the FBI declined to pay the extortionist.
More than 20 weeks have passed, and Pima County authorities confirmed the case remains under intense joint investigation with the FBI. They declined to comment on details of the ransom letters, stating only that officials are urgently following all leads to reveal the truth as soon as possible.