Pima County Sheriff releases ransom notes in Nancy Guthrie kidnapping, seeks public help

The Pima County Sheriff's Department in Arizona has made public two ransom notes received after the February kidnapping of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, mother of "Today" co-host Savannah Guthrie. The agency released redacted versions of the messages and appealed for tips that could help identify the writer.

According to a sheriff's press release, the notes display distinctive word choice, syntax and phrasing that may be recognizable to someone familiar with the author’s style. The department said the linguistic traits could provide insight into the perpetrator’s mindset and motives.

The first note, addressed to Savannah Guthrie, was sent to local CBS affiliate KOLD-TV on Feb. 2. It claimed the victim was "safe but scared" and demanded a multi-million-dollar Bitcoin payment, threatening death if the demand was not met. The message referenced a smartwatch near the victim’s bed and a damaged floodlight in the backyard.

A second note arrived on Feb. 6, addressed to the Guthrie family, stating that Nancy Guthrie had died and was "buried in nature now." The note included an apology, asserting that the kidnappers did not intend to harm her and that nothing the family could have done would have changed the outcome.

Savannah Guthrie responded in an Instagram post on Feb. 7, acknowledging the messages and expressing a willingness to meet the kidnappers' demands to secure her mother’s return.

The investigation remains ongoing, and authorities continue to seek information from the public.