Six months after the disappearance of Today show anchor Savannah Guthrie‘s mother, Nancy Guthrie, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department in Arizona has released a pair of ransom notes to the public. In the first, the alleged kidnappers demand millions,
while the second note states that the 84-year-old Guthrie has “perished.” Nancy was last seen alive on Jan. 31
The sheriff’s department did not confirm if the notes were authentic and stated that the messages “purport to have been written by kidnappers.” Investigators are hoping some will recognize the writer’s “patterns of word choice, syntax and phraseology” and said they believe “these distinctive linguistic characteristics may be recognizable to someone who knows or has interacted with the notes’ writer.”
Both notes were sent to KOLD-TV 13 News, a local CBS affiliate in Tucson. The first, on Feb. 2, was addressed to Savannah and demanded $4 million in Bitcoin for the release of her mother by Feb. 5. The ransom would increase to $6 million if the deadline passed, the note stated, and would then need to paid by Feb. 9.
“If payment is not received by the last deadline on Monday the 9th at 5 p.m., she will be killed,” the note said. “Your mother is aware of this and her life is in your hands.” In what appears to be the author’s indication of authenticity, two specific details were mentioned — that Guthrie’s white smart watch had been left on the floor at the foot of her bed and that the backyard’s white floodlight was destroyed.
The second note, sent on Feb. 6 before the initial deadline passed, was addressed to the Guthrie family. “We did not fully grasp the seriousness of her physical condition. We never intended to hurt her, that was not our intention,” the note read. “She perished shortly after she was taken. We believe it was heart related.”
The message continued: “She is buried in nature now. Nothing you could have done could have changed the outcome. We want your family to know this and hope you can all find peace. We are truly sorry.”
Authorities previously said that Guthrie required daily medication and that missing doses could be life-threatening. In a previous video posted as a public plea for the return of her mother, Savannah said that Guthrie’s heart is “fragile” and that she needs her medicine to survive.
Nancy is believed to have been taken from her home against her will, as the FBI released photos of a masked assailant approaching her front door in the middle of the night. In July, a man from Hawthorne, California, pleaded guilty to sending a fake ransom note to Guthrie’s family in relation to the 84-year-old woman’s disappearance.
Investigators believe that a friend, family member, coworker, classmate or acquaintance may recognize the writer’s “patterns of expression” and have information that could help identify the person responsible.
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