Some Nancy Guthrie ransom notes were illegitimate ‘extortion attempts,’ while others are still being investigated, FBI says

More than a week after 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie disappeared, her daughter shares home videos and promises not to give up as the search continues.

Some of the ransom notes sent to news outlets in the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, the mother of NBC “Today” show anchor Savannah Guthrie, earlier this year were not legitimate, but other notes might be and are still under investigation, the FBI Phoenix office said Wednesday.

“Some (of the notes) have been deemed to be extortion attempts without legitimacy,” its post on X said. “Other ransom demands may potentially be legitimate and are still being investigated as such.”

“This case continues to be investigated as a kidnapping for ransom case,” the FBI office said, adding that while it is assisting in the case, local authorities oversee the investigation.

The Pima County Sheriff’s Department also issued its own statement on the matter, saying “every tip and lead is taken seriously” and sent to its detectives, “who continue to work in co-ordination with the FBI.” The department directed all further questions about the ransom notes to the FBI.

The statement about the notes is the latest development in the five-month-long investigation into Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance. The 84-year-old vanished from her Arizona home in the early morning hours of Feb. 1 without her phone or essential medications. Her disappearance fuelled an investigative frenzy trying to locate the elderly woman. The investigation is still ongoing.

The new statement rebuts a Reuters report Tuesday, citing an unnamed FBI official, that federal investigators have determined “all three kidnapping-related messages” tied to Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance to be fake.

Authorities had previously said very little to the public about the contents or the authenticity of the notes.

Several ransom notes purportedly from the kidnappers were sent to local media, including CNN affiliate KOLD-TV, and TMZ. The initial note demanded millions of dollars, law enforcement sources briefed on the investigation told CNN at the time. A second ransom note allegedly said Nancy Guthrie died shortly after she was kidnapped, the sources said.

In response to the second note, the Guthrie family posted on Savannah Guthrie’s Instagram, where she said, “We received your message, and we understand,” but didn’t expand on the contents of the note.

The second note’s content was previously known to CNN and a local news station, which both initially agreed to a request by law enforcement and the Guthrie family to hold off on reporting the contents of either note so any future communications with kidnappers could be authenticated, CNN Chief Law Enforcement and Intelligence Analyst John Miller said.

In addition to the ransom notes claiming to have Nancy Guthrie, TMZ also received several other emails that claimed to have information on the missing matriarch and demanded US$100,000 in exchange for the information.

TMZ founder Harvey Levin posted a video last week addressing some of the rumors surrounding the various emails the outlet said it received. TMZ received a note “early on” saying Nancy Guthrie was “scared but OK,” Levin said in the video, adding claims he got a ransom note with an apology to Savannah Guthrie and her family for Nancy Guthrie’s kidnapping and death were false.

The Guthrie family has been contending with apparent extortionists for several months, adding more complication and pain to an already fraught situation, one of Savannah Guthrie’s confidants told CNN.

After the contents of the second note were reported, Savannah Guthrie made a new appeal to “Today” show viewers, asking anyone with information to come forward.

“Please, if you’re watching, no matter how small the reward is there, you can tell us. It can be anonymous,” the NBC anchor said. “We love our mom and we’ll never stop looking for her. Never.”

This story has been updated with additional information.

By Taylor Romine, Brian Stelter, CNN