The disappearance case of Nancy Guthrie, the mother of renowned Today show host Savannah Guthrie, continues to attract attention in the United States. On Saturday, February 7th, authorities are still searching for Nancy’s whereabouts and investigating the authenticity of a new letter related to the case.
Nancy went missing from her home in Arizona about a week ago. Investigators believe she was abducted in her sleep in the early hours of February 1st. Due to health issues, Nancy is in danger if she is unable to take her medication on time. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has offered a reward of up to $50,000 for any information that can help rescue Nancy or apprehend anyone involved in her disappearance.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Office posted on social media platform X on Friday, February 6th, stating that they are investigating a new letter related to the case.
“Investigators are actively verifying the information provided in the letter,” the Sheriff’s Office said.
According to CNN, Arizona media outlet KOLD received the new letter on Friday. KOLD anchor Mary Coleman stated that the letter contains sensitive information but does not set a deadline, unlike the previous ransom letter. Coleman believes that the sender intentionally included some details in the letter to prove to investigators that they are the same person or group as the sender of the first letter.
She mentioned that the second letter is consistent with the first one but slightly shorter. “I would say that this second letter… organizationally is very similar to the first one,” she added.
Coleman also noted that since the new letter does not set any deadline, law enforcement is unlikely to classify it as a ransom letter. She also suggested that the letter appears to be a response to a video posted by the Guthrie family on social media, where they requested evidence that Nancy is still alive.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Office informed KOLD that the IP address of the new letter is different from the IP address of the first letter received by KOLD, but the “sender appears to be using a similar type of secure server” to conceal this information.
The first letter was considered a ransom letter. Coleman revealed to CNN on February 3rd that several media outlets, including KOLD and TMZ, received ransom letters related to Nancy’s disappearance, mentioning deadlines, amounts, and specific details only the kidnapper would know. The letters reportedly demanded payment in the value of millions of dollars in Bitcoin.
Heith Janke, head of the FBI’s Phoenix division, stated that the ransom letter set February 5th at 5 p.m. as the first payment deadline, with the second deadline mentioned in the letter as February 9th (next Monday). The letter also included information about Nancy’s Apple Watch.
CBS News reported that the letter contained details of the clothing Nancy wore on the night of her disappearance.
Footage captured by Fox News’ aerial team on Saturday showed a damaged floodlight removed from the rear of Nancy’s residence. At a press conference on Thursday, February 5th, Heith Janke of the FBI’s Phoenix division mentioned that the suspected ransom letter referred to a floodlight at Nancy’s home.
“We will not disclose specific details. Advancing this investigation is crucial,” Janke stated.
A forensic vehicle from the Pima County Sheriff’s Office and an unmarked white SUV arrived at Annie Guthrie’s residence on Friday night. Annie is the daughter of Nancy who is currently missing.
The vehicles stayed at the residence for approximately five minutes, with someone stepping out of one of the cars and walking around the side of the house.
Shortly before this, a car was towed from Nancy’s home to a parking lot next to the Sheriff’s Office. CNN captured footage of a tow truck removing the blue car on Friday evening.
Nancy’s son, Camron Guthrie, posted a video on Instagram on Thursday, pleading for the kidnapper to contact the family.
“We have not received any direct messages. We need you to reach out to us, we need a way to communicate with you so we can progress. But first, we need to know that you have kidnapped our mother. We want to talk with you, we are waiting for your contact,” Camron said.