Authorities 'aware' of reports of possible ransom note in Nancy Guthrie disappearance

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Police investigating possible Nancy Guthrie ransom note: Report

Fox News chief correspondent Jonathan Hunt has the latest on questions surrounding the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie on 'The Five.'

TUCSON, Ariz. – Authorities believe that Nancy Guthrie, the mother of NBC's "Today" anchor Savannah Guthrie, was forcibly taken from her home in the early morning hours of Sunday, Feb. 1

Monday evening, a purported ransom note was received by local news outlet KOLD, and the following morning, TMZ also received an alleged note. 

"We are aware of reports circulating about possible ransom note(s) regarding the investigation into Nancy Guthrie," officials wrote in a statement Tuesday afternoon. 

The sheriff's office added it is taking all tips and leads "very seriously."

"Anything that comes in, goes directly to our detectives who are coordinating with the FBI," officials wrote.

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The announcement came minutes after TMZ reportedly received an unverified ransom note demanding a "substantial amount" of money in the form of Bitcoin cryptocurrency for Guthrie's return.

TMZ said it verified the Bitcoin address is "real," noting it included unreleased details about her disappearance.

TMZ said it contacted law enforcement, as the note included a deadline.

An undated photo of Nancy Guthrie and Savannah Guthrie provided by NBC in response to the disappearance of the 84-year-old mother of the "Today" host. (Courtesy of NBC)

Local outlet KOLD 13 News also reportedly received what appears to be a ransom note, though it is unclear if the letters received by TMZ and KOLD are identical.

"Our newsroom also received what appears to be a ransom note, and we have sent it to law enforcement," KOLD reporter Mary Coleman wrote in a statement on X.

Wednesday night, Savannah, sister Annie and brother Camron spoke directly to the alleged ransomers in an emotional plea, asking them to contact the family. The alleged note reportedly does not contain any contact information from the senders. 

The note reportedly had a Thursday 5:00 p.m. local time deadline, though consequences for missing the deadline remained unclear. 

Savannah Guthrie (C) and her siblings Annie (L) and Camron made an emotional plea on Instagram asking anyone with information about their mother Nancy Guthrie's disappearance to come forward on February 4, 2025. (Credit: Instagram/@SavannahGuthrie/Today)

As that deadline passed, TMZ reported that the note contained a separate Monday deadline, and the outlet's founder told Sean Hannity on Fox News' "Hannity" that the second deadline is "far more consequential." 

Friday, a second alleged statement from captors was received by 13 News in Tucson. The contents of that communication are unclear, but it has been reported that the statement does not contain proof of life.

In an interview with Fox News Channel's Bret Baier on "Special Report," FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed federal officials are aware of a ransom note while reiterating that local police are acting as the lead investigative agency in Nancy Guthrie's disappearance. 

"The local authorities notified the FBI of it, and we are working with them in any manner they choose," Patel said. "But remember, they're the lead right now, and we have to respect that. But we are there to help them in any way we can – on ransom notes or otherwise."

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Retired FBI special agent Jason Pack told Fox News Digital the letters will need to be authenticated, cautioning that scammers are known to take advantage of families involved in missing person cases.

?"Scammers will do things that are very distasteful, like scamming the loved ones of people missing, but the police have to take it seriously until they can prove it’s not real," Pack said. "And it ties up resources that could be devoted to an investigation."

?Guthrie, 84, was last seen at her Tucson home at about 9:30 p.m. Saturday, according to the sheriff's office. 

While officials did not immediately elaborate on the circumstances of her disappearance, they said they believe Guthrie was either kidnapped or abducted.

A law enforcement source told Fox News Digital that there were "blood drops" leading from the entryway outside down the house's pathway toward the driveway. 

Guthrie did not attend her Sunday church service, leading another churchgoer to notify the family, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said.

Family members went to the house at about 11 a.m. and called 911 around noon.

An undated photo of Nancy Guthrie and Savannah Guthrie provided by NBC in repsonse to the disappearance of the 84-year-old mother of the "Today" host. (Courtesy of NBC)

SAVANNAH GUTHRIE ASKS FOR PRAYER AS HER MOTHER REMAINS MISSING: 'WE NEED YOU'

The Pima County Sheriff's Department told Fox News Digital on Monday that officials believe Nancy Guthrie was either kidnapped or abducted.

It is unclear if she was targeted, or if the suspected kidnapping was random.

Savannah Guthrie spoke out on Instagram in a post Monday, writing "We need you."

Exteriors of missing person Nancy Guthrie’s home in Tucson, Ariz. Nancy Guthrie, mother of 'Today' show host Savannah Guthrie, is suspected of being abducted from her home earlier this week. (Derek Shook for Fox News Digital)

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"We believe in prayer. We believe in voices raised in unison, in love, in hope. We believe in goodness. We believe in humanity. Above all, we believe in Him," she wrote. "Thank you for lifting your prayers with ours for our beloved mom, our dearest Nancy, a woman of deep conviction, a good and faithful servant. Raise your prayers with us and believe with us that she will be lifted by them in this very moment."

Anyone with information on the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie is asked to call the tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.