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Notes detail ransom and death
Authorities in Tucson, Arizona, publicly released two ransom notes tied to the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, the mother of Savannah Guthrie, after the first note was sent on Feb. 2 and a second note on Feb. 6.
“She is safe but scared”
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department said the first note told Savannah Guthrie, “She is safe but scared,” and demanded $4 million in bitcoin before 5PM on Thursday the 5th, with the ransom increasing to $6 million if payment was not received.
The first note also warned, “If payment is not received by the last deadline on Monday the 9th at 5 p.m., she will be killed,” and said the sender would not be reachable for negotiation.
In the second note, the sender claimed, “She perished shortly after she was taken,” and added, “We believe it was heart related,” while apologizing to the Guthrie family and saying, “We are truly sorry.”
Sheriff seeks writer recognition
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department released the notes on X ahead of the six-month anniversary of Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance and said the communications show “patterns of expression and possess information that could help identify the individual responsible.”
In a separate description of the same appeal, the sheriff’s office told the public, “Creemos que estas características lingüísticas distintivas pueden resultar reconocibles para alguien que conozca al autor de las notas,” as it asked for help identifying the writer.
Investigators also said surveillance videos from Guthrie’s front steps could correspond to two different days, and they asked people to report changes in behavior, including becoming nervous or anxious after the video came out on Feb. 10.
The sheriff’s office further highlighted that the case remains open and that “Los investigadores continúan analizando todas las pistas tecnológicas y de investigación disponibles,” while community members are described as “un recurso fundamental” for answers to the family.
Rewards, videos, and lawsuits
Alongside the note release, authorities continued to seek identification of a masked and armed man seen on Nancy Guthrie’s front porch, with the FBI publishing a Nest video on Feb. 10 and investigators saying they have not ruled out the possibility that a single person carried out the abduction.
“The sum of all rewards in the case is over $1.2 million”
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department said the sum of all rewards is over $1.2 million, and it provided public contact options including 1-800-CALL-FBI and 520-88-CRIME while the whereabouts of Guthrie “remain unknown.”
The case has also generated litigation, with two men detained early in the investigation and later released demanding a joint $3 million against the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, according to a lawsuit filed against Chris Nanos.
As the investigation continues, the notes’ details about a “white smartwatch” and a destroyed “white floodlight in the backyard” were included in the full text released by the sheriff’s department, and the department said it is still analyzing available technological and investigative leads.
