The release shifts attention to the language of the notes, not just the physical evidence. Investigators hope someone recognizes the writer’s style as the case reaches the six-month mark.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department released Nancy Guthrie ransom notes tied to her kidnapping on Friday, including one note sent Feb. 6 that says Nancy Guthrie died shortly after the 84-year-old was abducted in Tucson, Arizona. The public release comes six months into the search for Guthrie, the mother of Today co-host Savannah Guthrie, and investigators say the writing itself may help identify whoever sent the messages.
Here is what the Guthrie ransom notes say, how investigators have explained the kidnapping case, and why officials released them now as they look for clues in a case with no announced suspect and no arrests.
Why the notes surfaced now
The two messages were made public by the Pima County Sheriff’s Department after months in which investigators had released only limited details about the communications. According to CBS News, the notes appear to have been sent to a local news outlet shortly after Guthrie disappeared.
Authorities said the reason for releasing them is not simply to disclose new information. The department pointed to the writer’s “distinctive patterns of word choice, syntax, and phraseology,” saying those features could reflect a unique linguistic style.
That is a notable shift in public strategy. Instead of asking only for sightings, vehicles or physical evidence, investigators are asking people to consider whether the writing sounds familiar.
The department said the language could offer insight into the sender’s mindset, motives and changing tone over time. That does not mean the notes prove everything they claim. It means investigators think the way they were written may be useful.
The demand sent to Savannah Guthrie
The first note was sent Feb. 2 to the tip line for KOLD-TV in Tucson, CBS News reported. It was addressed to Savannah Guthrie, Nancy Guthrie’s daughter and a co-host of Today.
The message claimed Nancy Guthrie was alive, “safe but scared,” and being held for ransom. It demanded payment in bitcoin: 4 million dollars by 5 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 5, or 6 million dollars by 5 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 9.
The note also threatened that Guthrie would be killed if the final deadline passed without payment. It said there would be no negotiation and warned that law enforcement could not help.
Investigators took the message seriously in part because it included details tied to Guthrie’s home, according to CBS News. Those details included the location of an Apple Watch with a white wristband and a reference to a floodlight on the back porch being out. One line of the released note was redacted by officials.
The second note changed the tone
The second note, sent Feb. 6, was addressed to the Guthrie family and presented a sharply different message. It said the sender or senders “did not fully grasp” the seriousness of Nancy Guthrie’s physical condition and claimed she “perished shortly after she was taken.”
The note suggested the death may have been heart-related and said she was “buried in nature now.” It also said nothing the family could have done would have changed the outcome.
That claim is among the most painful details released, but it should be read carefully. The note is a communication attributed to the suspected kidnapper or kidnappers; it is not the same as an official confirmation of Guthrie’s death.
Publicly, the case remains a kidnapping investigation. Sheriff Chris Nanos told CBS News the case is “far from being cold” and that the department will continue working it.
A six-month search in Tucson
Nancy Guthrie was last seen at her home in Tucson on Jan. 31 and was reported missing Feb. 1. The release of the notes comes just after the six-month mark in the search for her.
The case has drawn national attention because of Savannah Guthrie’s public role, but at its center is a local Arizona investigation into the disappearance of an elderly woman from her home. Family members have released multiple videos asking for information and urging whoever is responsible to do the right thing.
Despite investigative work that CBS News said has included surveillance images and DNA testing, no suspect has been publicly identified. No arrests have been announced.
The lack of a named suspect makes the release of the notes more significant. It suggests investigators are still trying to widen the circle of possible leads, including from people who may not know they hold relevant information.
What investigators believe
According to investigators familiar with the case cited by CBS News, authorities believe the two notes were likely sent by the person or group that abducted Nancy Guthrie. The notes were reportedly sent from the same IP address.
Savannah Guthrie said in March that she believed the notes were authentic and that the family had responded to them. That does not resolve the unanswered questions around who wrote them, whether every claim in them is true, or where Nancy Guthrie is.
The release also raises a difficult balance for investigators. Sharing disturbing messages can generate tips, but it can also expose the family to new trauma and invite speculation. In cases like this, officials typically release only what they believe may help the investigation.
Here, the sheriff’s department appears to be betting that language can be as revealing as a face or a license plate. A turn of phrase, a spelling pattern or a familiar way of threatening or apologizing could matter.
What remains unresolved
The central questions are still unanswered: who took Nancy Guthrie, whether she is alive, where she may be, and whether the ransom notes accurately describe what happened after the abduction.
A task force of Pima County investigators and FBI agents is continuing to investigate. The FBI tip line is 1-800-CALL-FBI, or 1-800-225-5324.
The rewards remain substantial. The Guthrie family is offering 1 million dollars, in addition to an FBI reward of up to 100,000 dollars.
For now, the public release of the notes gives the case a new focal point. Investigators are not just asking people to remember what they saw in Tucson around the time Nancy Guthrie vanished. They are asking whether someone recognizes the voice on the page.
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