Nancy Guthrie was reported missing from her Tucson, Arizona home on February 1, 2026. Within days, two ransom notes arrived—first demanding millions in bitcoin for her release, then claiming she had died, according to investigators familiar with the case.
Background
The 84-year-old grandmother and mother of "Today" show co-host Savannah Guthrie was last seen at her home in Tucson on February 1. The following day, a note arrived at three media outlets—two local news stations and TMZ—via their online tip lines, investigators said.
That first note contained remarkably specific details about Guthrie's residence: an Apple Watch with a white band on the floor of her bedroom and a broken light on her back porch. The note was addressed to Savannah Guthrie and demanded millions in cryptocurrency for her mother's release, according to sources who reviewed the document.
"There are a lot of different notes, I think, that came, and I think most of them—not real," Savannah Guthrie said in an interview with NBC in March. "But I believe the two notes that we received, that we responded to, I tend to believe those are real."
The Investigation
A second note arrived on February 6—similar in language and style to the first but making no demands, sources said. Most notably, this note claimed Nancy Guthrie had died and indicated her captors did not mean for that to happen.
Investigators believe both notes were sent from the same computer IP address and likely came from whoever abducted the retired educator. A joint task force of FBI agents and Pima County detectives continues to actively investigate her disappearance and search for both Nancy Guthrie and those responsible.
"This is unprecedented, to say the least," Savannah Guthrie said Tuesday on the "Today" show, declining to comment specifically on the notes' contents. "I want to take the opportunity to ask people—to really beg people—to come forward. Somebody knows something."
In an emotional Instagram video posted after the second note arrived, Savannah and her siblings made a direct appeal to their mother's captors.
"We received your message and we understand," she said in the video. "We beg you now to return our mother to us so that we can celebrate with her. This is the only way we will have peace."
Key Takeaways
- Nancy Guthrie, 84, was reported missing from her Tucson home on February 1; investigators believe she was abducted.
- Two ransom notes were sent—one demanding bitcoin for her release, another claiming she had died.
- Both notes appear to have been sent from the same computer IP address, according to investigators.
- The Guthrie family is offering a $1 million reward in addition to the FBI's reward of up to $100,000.
- A joint FBI and Pima County task force continues investigating the case.
What's Next
Investigators are continuing to trace the origin of the ransom notes while searching for Nancy Guthrie. The FBI is asking anyone with information about her disappearance or the identity of her abductors to contact their tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324). No arrests have been made in connection with the case.