(LOOTPRESS) – A second ransom note sent to a Tucson, Arizona, television station shortly after the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie claimed the 84-year-old died soon after she was abducted, according to sources familiar with the investigation.
Nancy Guthrie, the mother of “Today” show co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, was reported missing after being kidnapped from her Tucson home during the early morning hours of Feb. 1.
In the days following her disappearance, several ransom notes were sent to Tucson media outlets. Investigators determined two of those notes were potentially credible, prompting the FBI to investigate and attempt to trace their origins.
According to sources, the first note demanded payment in cryptocurrency in exchange for Nancy Guthrie’s safe return.
The second note, whose contents had not previously been made public, reportedly claimed Guthrie died shortly after the abduction and had been buried in a natural area.
Shortly after the second note was received, Savannah Guthrie posted a public message on Instagram on Feb. 7, pleading for her mother’s return.
“We received your message and we understand,” she wrote. “We beg you now to return our mother to us. … This is very valuable to us, and we will pay.”
Investigators previously released doorbell camera images showing a masked man outside Nancy Guthrie’s home around the time of her disappearance. Despite months of investigation, her whereabouts remain unknown and no suspect has been publicly identified.
In March, Savannah Guthrie spoke publicly about the case during an interview with her friend and former co-host Hoda Kotb, saying her family still has few answers.
“Honestly, we don’t know anything,” Guthrie said, adding that her family “cannot be at peace” without knowing what happened to her mother.
She also urged anyone with information to come forward.
“Someone can do the right thing, and it is never too late to do the right thing,” she said.
Anyone with information about Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance is urged to call 911, the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI, or the Pima County Sheriff’s Department at 520-351-4900.
