Ransom Note Adds Twist To Savannah Guthrie Mother Case

It’s a story that’s gripped the nation and left a community on edge: the mysterious disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of NBC’s Today Show anchor Savannah Guthrie, from her home in the Catalina Foothills, north of Tucson, Arizona. As the days pass, each new development seems to raise more questions than answers. Now, a chilling twist has emerged, adding urgency and uncertainty to an already fraught investigation.

On February 3, 2026, TMZ executive producers Harvey Levin and Charles Latibeaudiere announced in a video posted to Instagram that their newsroom had received what appeared to be a ransom letter for Nancy Guthrie. “We got something in our email that… is written like a ransom note for Savannah Guthrie’s mother,” Levin explained, according to TMZ. Latibeaudiere added, “There were specific requests for certain amounts of money… Bitcoin.” The note reportedly included details about what Nancy was wearing and referenced damage to her house—details that seemed intended to prove the sender’s knowledge of the situation.

Levin recounted, “At the bottom there are certain things they are saying about what she was wearing and damage to the house…” Latibeaudiere interjected, “… that they are clearly saying to verify 'we know what we are talking about.'” The note also contained a “dollar demand and an 'or else' in there,” according to Levin. TMZ immediately forwarded the letter to the Pima County Sheriff’s Office, which in turn sent it to their detective bureau.

The ransom demand was not only specific in its request for millions in Bitcoin, but also included a real, verifiable Bitcoin address and a deadline, as reported by Variety. The element of threat—an “or else”—was unmistakable. Yet, neither TMZ nor law enforcement have been able to verify the authenticity of the note, and the possibility of a hoax remains open.

The Pima County Sheriff’s Office responded swiftly, posting on X (formerly Twitter): “We are aware of reports circulating about possible ransom notes regarding the investigation of Nancy Guthrie. We are taking all tips and leads very seriously. Anything that comes in, goes directly to our detectives who are coordinating with the FBI.” The department also provided a QR code for the public to submit tips.

Just a day prior, on February 2, Sheriff Chris Nanos had told Us Weekly, “No, there’s not, we’ve not heard anything like that,” when asked if there had been a ransom note. “I wish somebody would call us and say, ‘Hey,’ because that’s what the family wants. They just want her back. Hey, no questions asked, call us where to come and get her, and we’ll do that.” At that time, he added, “there’s nothing to indicate” a ransom demand, but emphasized, “It is a crime in our eyes. What they described at the scene to me was like there's a little more than somebody just missing here. We're very convinced that she was taken from the home. She didn't walk away.”

According to The Associated Press, investigators found signs of forced entry at Nancy Guthrie’s home. Several of her personal items—including her cellphone, wallet, and car—were left behind, and there was no evidence she had left voluntarily. “We know, at least we believe, and I believe we know, she did not walk out of that home on her own,” Sheriff Nanos reiterated to reporters. He described Nancy as being of sound mind, with no cognitive issues, and “very alert.”

The timeline of events paints a harrowing picture. Nancy Guthrie was last seen at her home around 9:30 PM on January 31, 2026. The following day, when she didn’t show up for church, a friend raised the alarm with one of her adult children. The family searched her home before contacting 911. The Pima County Sheriff’s Office quickly classified her as a “missing vulnerable adult,” given her age, her limited physical mobility, and her need for daily medication—a need that, if unmet, could prove fatal.

With the investigation underway, authorities declared Nancy’s home a crime scene. As reported by The Nightly and AP, DNA samples have been collected and analyzed, though no suspects have been identified. Investigators are poring over surveillance footage from nearby homes, reviewing data from cellphone towers, and checking license plate cameras in the area. Search efforts have included drones, dogs, volunteers, and even the Border Patrol. The homicide team is also involved, underscoring the gravity of the situation.

Despite the ransom note’s arrival, law enforcement remains cautious. The Associated Press quoted a source familiar with the case who said investigators do not currently believe the abduction was part of a robbery, home invasion, or kidnapping-for-ransom plot. Nonetheless, both TMZ and a local Tucson TV station have turned over purported ransom notes to investigators, and the sheriff’s department is taking these tips seriously, even as they decline to comment further on the notes’ contents or authenticity.

As the search continues, the story has drawn national attention and personal appeals. Savannah Guthrie, who was born in Melbourne and moved to Arizona as a child, has stepped back from her role as co-host of NBC’s coverage of the 2026 Winter Olympics opening ceremony to focus on her family. NBC Sports confirmed, “Savannah will not be joining us at the Olympics as she focused on being with her family during this difficult time. Our hearts are with her and the entire Guthrie family as the search continues for their mother.”

On social media, Savannah has turned to her followers for support, writing, “We believe in prayer. We believe in voices raised in unison, in love, in hope. We believe in goodness. We believe in humanity. Above all, we believe in Him. Thank you for lifting your prayers with ours for our beloved mom, our dearest Nancy, a woman of deep conviction, a good and faithful servant. Raise your prayers with us and believe with us that she will be lifted by them in this very moment. We need you.”

The Guthrie family’s deep roots in Tucson are well known. Savannah, the youngest of three siblings, has often spoken about how her mother held the family together after her father died of a heart attack when Savannah was just 16. “She has met unthinkable challenges in her life with grit, without self-pity, with determination and always, always with unshakeable faith,” Savannah said on Today in 2022 for her mother’s 80th birthday. “She loves us, her family, fiercely, and her selflessness and sacrifice for us, her steadfastness and her unmovable confidence, is the reason any of us grew up to do anything.”

President Donald Trump weighed in on February 3, telling reporters he planned to call Savannah Guthrie and described the situation as “terrible.”

As the investigation unfolds, the public’s help remains crucial. Authorities continue to urge anyone with information to come forward. For now, the mystery of Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance—and the authenticity of the ransom note—remains unsolved, leaving a family and a nation waiting, hoping for answers and a safe return.