Nancy Guthrie ‘is dead’ — New ransom notes to TMZ demand 'half a bitcoin' to reveal ‘where her body is’
The sender of these ransom notes said that they have been ‘disregarded as a scam’ by law enforcement. “Arrogance at its finest.”
Nancy Guthrie “is dead,” news outlet TMZ received two more ransom notes on Monday (local time), demanding “half a bitcoin” to reveal where the body of the 84-year-old mother of Savannah Guthrie is and who is responsible for her kidnapping.
The notes came in on the same day Savannah returned to the Today show for the first time since her mom went missing on 1 February.
According to The New York Post, these latest ransom notes were sent by the same mystery person who had demanded one bitcoin in exchange for information on Nancy Guthrie's disappearance nearly two months ago.
What did the new ransom notes say?
“We got another letter today from this person, an email saying, ‘I know where her body is, and who the kidnapper is, give me half a bitcoin and I’ll tell you,'” said Harvey Levin, the founder of TMZ, on TMZ Live on Monday.
“She is dead,” that note claimed.
“It’s unbelievable that millions have been wasted and yet here I am willing to deliver them on a silver platter since the 11th of february for a bitcoin but I am disregarded as a scam … they are free and the case is frozen but the ego’s remain hot when it comes to me,” the first letter reportedly states.
“Arrogance at its finest.”
After this note was addressed on air, Levin said another note came in from the same person, saying, “I saw her alive with them in the state of Sonora, Mexico.”
The outlet, citing the note, said the person will surrender the information for half a bitcoin, with the other half transferred to their wallet upon a public arrest.
The person, while claiming to hold the valuable intel, said they had nothing to do with the “horrific crime” and insisted that they’ve been out of the US for more than five years, TMZ reported.
In the second letter, the person argued that they’re not motivated by greed.
“I just want whats fair and to live peacefully with enough to start my life again quietly with out having to join a witness protection program,” the note said.
TMZ said it had alerted the FBI.
Levin said that the sender has been “persistent” despite knowing that they could be charged with a crime for the hoax.
However, in one of the latest notes, the person behind the notes said that they have been “disregarded as a scam” by law enforcement.
‘All tips and leads taken seriously’: Police
The Pima County Sheriff’s Office, leading the Nancy Guthrie case, said it is aware of reports about possible ransom notes tied to the case, The Post reported.
“All tips and leads are being taken seriously and are forwarded directly to our detectives, who are coordinating with the FBI,” a sheriff’s office spokesperson told The Post.
Sheriff Chris Nanos and his team have failed to turn up any suspects in the case so far.
Nancy Guthrie case
Nancy Guthrie's missing-person case has been marked by mystery and frustration, including a series of messages sent to the Guthrie family and media outlets in early February.
Savannah, in an interview late last month, said most of the ransom notes sent to her family were fakes, but “I believe the two notes that we received that we responded to, I tend to believe those are real.”
Nancy Guthrie requires lifesaving daily medication and has a pacemaker. She was last seen alive on the evening of 31 January, when she was dropped off at home by her son-in-law, Tommaso Cioni, who is married to her elder daughter, Annie.
About the Author
Arshdeep Kaur is a Senior Content Producer at Mint, where she reports and edits across national and international politics, business and culture‑adjacent trending stories for digital audience. With five years in the newsroom, she strives to balance the speed and rigor of fast‑moving news cycles and longer, context‑rich explainers. <br><br> Before joining LiveMint, Arshdeep served as a Senior Sub‑Editor at Business Standard and earlier as a Sub‑Editor at Asian News International (ANI). Her experience spans live news flows, enterprise features, and multi‑platform packaging. <br><br> At Mint, she regularly writes explainers, quick takes, and visuals‑led stories that are optimized for search and social, while maintaining the publication’s standards for accuracy and clarity. She collaborates closely with editors and the audience team to frame angles that resonate with readers in India and abroad, and to translate complex developments into accessible, high‑impact journalism. <br><br> Arshdeep's academic training underpins her interest towards policy and markets. She earned an MA in Economics from Panjab University and holds a Post‑Graduate Diploma in Broadcast Journalism from the India Today Media Institute (ITMI). This blend of economics and broadcast storytelling informs her coverage of public policy, elections, macro themes, and the consumer‑internet zeitgeist. <br><br> Arshdeep is based in New Delhi, where she tracks breaking developments and longer‑horizon storylines that shape public discourse.
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