TUCSON, AZ — Investigators in Pima County said Tuesday that a possible new ransom message tied to the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie is not credible after additional review. The update came nearly eight months after Guthrie was reported missing from her Tucson home on Feb. 1.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI Guthrie Task Force had said a day earlier that they were examining a newly reported message and checking social media posts connected to it. By Tuesday afternoon, the sheriff’s department said the text had been ruled out as a legitimate lead.
Authorities say the text was reviewed and rejected
Law enforcement said the message was first treated as a possible ransom note and then re-evaluated as investigators looked more closely at the details. The sheriff’s department did not immediately say how the message was found or describe its contents.
Officials said people who receive any text message or other communication about Nancy Guthrie should report it to law enforcement. They also said investigators would continue to review any reported messages for credibility and look into possible extortion attempts.
Public warned about scammers using the case
Along with the credibility update, authorities urged the public to stay alert for scams that could try to exploit concern about Guthrie’s disappearance. The sheriff’s department said people should not send money or share personal information in response to unsolicited messages.
That warning reflects a broader concern that people seeking information about the case could be targeted by fraudsters. Investigators said they are watching for attempts to take advantage of the situation and want anyone with suspicious contact to report it quickly.
Earlier ransom notes claimed Guthrie was alive and later dead
The new review follows the release in July of two ransom notes that were sent to a Tucson television station days after Guthrie disappeared. The first note, sent Feb. 2, said she was safe but frightened and would be released unharmed if her captors were paid $4 million in cryptocurrency.
A second note, sent Feb. 6, said Guthrie died shortly after being kidnapped. Authorities have not confirmed whether she is alive. The conflicting messages have been part of the public record in a case that has drawn intense attention well beyond southern Arizona.
Search efforts continue with no arrests announced
No suspects have been arrested in connection with Guthrie’s disappearance. Nine days after she was reported missing, the FBI and sheriff’s office released surveillance video and still images of a masked person they said appeared to tamper with a front-porch camera and cover it with a plant.
Those images and the later ransom notes have remained among the few public clues in the case. Investigators have not said whether the newly reviewed message changes the timeline or adds anything new to the effort to find Guthrie.
Family offers reward and asks for tips
The FBI said anyone with information about Guthrie should call 1-800-CALL-FBI, or 1-800-225-5324. Her family is offering a $1 million reward for information that leads to her return.
Guthrie is the mother of Savannah Guthrie, the co-anchor of NBC’s “Today” show. The family’s reward and the public calls for tips show that investigators still want fresh information, even as they discount the newest message as unreliable.
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