TUCSON, AZ — Investigators in the Nancy Guthrie disappearance said Monday they were looking into a newly surfaced possible ransom note connected to the case. By Tuesday afternoon, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department said the message had been reviewed and was judged not credible.
The update came nearly eight months after Guthrie was reported missing from her Tucson home. Authorities said anyone who gets a text message or other communication tied to the case should report it to law enforcement rather than respond directly.
Sheriff’s department warns of scammers exploiting the disappearance
Along with rejecting the message, the sheriff’s department warned the public that scammers may try to use the case to take advantage of people. Officials said people should not send money or give out personal information in response to unsolicited messages.
Investigators said they will continue reviewing reported communications for credibility and will look into any attempted extortion. The warning was paired with a reminder that suspicious contact should be passed to authorities so it can be checked against the ongoing investigation.
What investigators said about the possible new note
The Pima County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI Guthrie Task Force said Monday they had recently learned of a possible new ransom note connected to the investigation. They also said they were aware of social media comments discussing the message and were looking further into the information to determine whether it could be trusted.
Officials did not immediately explain how the note was found or say what it contained. That left the public with only the agencies’ conclusion after review: the message was not credible, and investigators were continuing to sort through any new information that might surface.
Earlier ransom notes offered conflicting claims about Guthrie
In July, authorities released two ransom notes that had been sent to a Tucson television station days after Guthrie was reported missing on Feb. 1. Those notes became a major part of the public picture of the case and showed how much conflicting information had already circulated.
The first note, sent Feb. 2, said Guthrie was safe but frightened and would be released unharmed if her captors received $4 million in cryptocurrency. A second note, sent Feb. 6, claimed she died shortly after being kidnapped. Authorities have not confirmed whether Guthrie is alive.
Search efforts have not produced an arrest
No suspects have been arrested in the case. Nine days after Guthrie disappeared, 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 hide it with a plant.
That material remains one of the few public pieces of evidence officials have discussed. Investigators have not announced any arrests, and the unanswered questions around Guthrie’s disappearance continue to drive interest whenever a new message or tip emerges.
How the public can help investigators now
Authorities said anyone with information about Guthrie should contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI, or 1-800-225-5324. The family is also offering a $1 million reward for information that leads to her return.
Officials urged people to stay alert for suspicious messages and to forward any potentially relevant communication to law enforcement. They said the continued flow of tips and reports will remain important as investigators assess which claims are real and which appear designed to mislead.
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