Nancy Guthrie case: Second ransom note sent to media suggests anchor’s mother may be dead

Investigators believe that two ransom notes sent to the media shortly after the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, 84, and mother of “Today” anchor Savannah Guthrie, are authentic and came from the same kidnappers.

The messages were reportedly sent by the same person or group from the same IP address, according to sources close to the investigation cited by CBS News. The first message demanded $4 million in Bitcoin in exchange for her release and stated that she was “safe but scared.”

However, according to ABC News, a second note radically changed the tone: it claimed that Nancy had died shortly after the kidnapping, possibly due to her fragile heart condition, and that her body had been "buried in nature." The note included an apology and mentioned the possibility of returning the body.

Despite the seriousness with which the FBI treated these communications, there is still no definitive confirmation that Nancy has died, nor have any related arrests been made. The case remains open more than five months later, with no suspects identified and multiple unresolved leads.