The FBI is investigating extortion demands related to Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance that “may potentially be legitimate”, the agency said on Wednesday. The update comes a day after Reuters reported that kidnapping notes received in Guthrie’s case were fake.
Background of the Disappearance
Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of Today show co-host Savannah Guthrie, disappeared from her Tucson, Arizona home in early February. Police found blood near her front door and believe she was abducted. Surveillance videos released by the FBI showed a masked man on her porch the night she vanished. Law enforcement launched a massive search, scouring the nearby desert.
Ransom Notes and FBI Investigation
After her disappearance, several media outlets received three messages regarding the case. Two were ransom notes, and the third was from someone claiming to know the perpetrators. Initially, an unnamed FBI official told Reuters that federal investigators deemed the communications fake. “None of the ransom notes are believed to be genuine,” the official said.
However, on Wednesday, the FBI clarified its position in a statement posted to social media: “The FBI and its task force partners have received several ransom notes over the course of this investigation. Some have been deemed to be extortion attempts without legitimacy. Other ransom demands may potentially be legitimate and are still being investigated as such. This case continues to be investigated as a kidnapping for ransom case.”
Details of the Ransom Demands
In the first note received by media outlets, the author demanded a multimillion-dollar ransom in cryptocurrency. According to Reuters, the FBI deposited a small sum in the account included in the note to confirm authenticity and track the perpetrators, but the money was left untouched. Investigators ultimately concluded the notes were “of a common origin were nevertheless sent by a person or persons not actually connected with Guthrie’s disappearance”. A third note, reported on last week, was also determined to be fake.
Savannah Guthrie’s Plea
Savannah Guthrie has continued to bring attention to her mother’s case and plead for answers. “We love our mom,” she said last week. “And we will never stop looking for her.”
