Nancy Guthrie missing case: Pima County Sheriff's remarks on ransom notes under scanner after officials released two
More than six months have passed since Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of "Today" show host Savannah Guthrie, was last seen at her home in
More than six months have passed since Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of "Today" show host Savannah Guthrie, was last seen at her home in Tucson, Arizona. Last week, investigators probing her disappearance released two ransom notes in the hope that the messages would help identify those responsible. However, one of the notes appeared to contradict comments made by Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos during an interview the previous day. Nanos, in an interview with CBS News on July 30, said, "I have nothing to indicate she's dead," and added, "I don't have a body. I don't have a burial site. I don't have any note." However, investigators released two ransom notes on July 31. The Pima County Sheriff said the notes were made public in the hope that someone would recognise the sender's potentially distinctive wording and help identify the people responsible, as the investigation has yielded few leads. Also Read | Nancy Guthrie kidnapping: Ransom notes released to find fresh leads What did the notes reveal? According to the report, the two purported ransom notes were sent to the local CBS station in Tucson in February, days after Guthrie was abducted from her home.
The first note came a day after the 84-year-old was reported missing and opened with, "Hello Savannah, we have your mother." The sender demanded a $4 million ransom to be paid in bitcoin and promised to return Guthrie to a "safe drop-off location" in Tucson within 12 hours of the ransom's deposit. The note also included details about Nancy Guthrie's white Apple Watch and the floodlights on her back porch, prompting the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to take it seriously. The second note, which came just four days later, reportedly said, "We never intended to hurt her; that was not our intention. She perished shortly after she was taken. We believe it was heart-related. She is buried in nature now." It was previously reported that investigators believed both notes were sent from the same masked IP address, and authorities were unable to determine the identity of the sender. FBI agents question timing of releasing ransom notes Lance Leising, a retired FBI supervisory special agent, told CBS News that while releasing the ransom notes was a great thing to do, as it helps bring in more tips from the public, "However, so late in the case and after a period of time where they have had no communication with the public, it just seems that the media strategy here is a little haphazard." Also Read | Nancy Guthrie case: Investigators say note claiming she died came from abductors He added that such a long delay in releasing the notes could be due to questions about their authenticity.
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