We previously reported that the 84 year-old mother of the TODAY show host Savannah Guthrie has gone missing from her home in Tucson, Arizona last weekend. Now, new details about a ransom note that was sent to TMZ earlier this week are being revealed by police.
Nancy’s Ransom Note
The ransom note allegedly stated that Nancy Guthrie is “safe but scared.” It also demanded millions in bitcoin be turned over to avoid “consequential” repercussions for her.
“I will say the letter begins by saying she is safe but scared, and they go on to say she knows exactly what the demand is,” TMZ boss Harvey Levin, who personally read the ransom note, told Fox News late Thursday night.
“They are, through us, telling the family exactly what they are demanding, and they are saying that Nancy is aware of it,” he continued. “They are also saying … that this will be their only communication and they are done communicating and negotiating — here’s the deal and that’s it. As the clock ticks, that’s one of the reasons the FBI and other authorities have gotten desperate here.”
Levin went on to say that there were details in the note that led him to believe that Nancy is still in the local Tucson area. He also stated that the note revealed details about her abduction that only her kidnapper woul know. This included information about her Apple Watch as well as a damaged floodlight at her million-dollar home.
“That was what really put my antenna up and we immediately called the sheriff,” Levin told CNN. “They do mention an Apple Watch, as the FBI said, and they do mention the floodlight, the damaged floodlight.”
“There is something else, and it is the placement of the Apple Watch, which has not come out,” he stated. “If that placement is accurate, I’m sure that is something that puts this letter on the FBI radar.”
Another Ransom Note
A ransom note was also sent to the local Arizona news outlet KOLD. It’s unclear if it was the same note sent to TMZ.
KOLD news anchor Mary Coleman, who read the note sent to her pressroom, said that “it might not be a hoax.”
Coleman told CNN that “a lot of it is information that only someone who was holding her for ransom would know.”
“Some very sensitive information and things that people who weren’t there when she was taken captive wouldn’t know,” she explained. “It also included a dollar amount, a deadline, and, again, other specifics that only Guthrie’s abductor might know, so that definitely raised some red flags.”
Watch Coleman talk more about this in the video below.
On Wednesday night, Savannah and her two older siblings Camron and Annie issued an emotional video pleading for Nancy’s safe return. They used it to appeal directly to whoever has taken their beloved mother.
“We too have heard the reports about a ransom letter in the media,” said Savannah, 54. “As a family, we are doing everything that we can. We are ready to talk. However, we live in a world where voices and images are easily manipulated. We need to know without a doubt that she is alive and that you have her. We want to hear from you and we are ready to listen. Please, reach out to us.”
Check out the full video for yourself below.
Nancy Disappears
Nancy was last seen when she was dropped off at her $1 million home by her son-in-law at around 9:45pm on Saturday, January 31. In the early hours of Sunday morning, Nancy’s pacemaker lost contact with her iPhone, which had been left at her house along with her wallet and other belongings.
Nancy was reported missing hours later when she didn’t show up for church services. She’s known as a devout Christian, so a fellow worshipper immediately raised the alarm. Nancy’s family rushed to her home to try and find her, but there was no trace of the 84 year-old. They immediately reported her missing, and a desperate search began.
Though police say that Nancy is “sharp as a tack,” she is physically frail and has limited mobility. She also has medication that she relies on for survival every day. This medication was left behind at her home.
According to a 911 call about Nancy’s disappearance that was obtained by Page Six, she “has high blood pressure, [a] pacemaker and cardiac issues.”
“If she doesn’t have [her meds] in 24 hours, it could be fatal,” Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos previously stated.
This has turned into a literal race against time. Please join us in saying a prayer for the safe return of Nancy Guthrie.