Ransom Note Says Nancy Guthrie Died After Abduction From Tucson Home

A ransom note sent after Nancy Guthrie’s abduction from her Tucson, Arizona home on Feb. 1 said the 84-year-old had died shortly after she was taken, according to CNN and other news organizations citing law enforcement sources.

“Savannah Guthrie speaks out after reports that ransom note said Nancy Guthrie died after kidnapping Nancy Guthrie was kidnapped from her Arizona home on Feb”

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The AP reported that CNN said it knew the contents of one such note and that a Tucson TV station had received two notes, while the Pima County Sheriff’s Department declined to comment on the note’s contents.

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Savannah Guthrie, the “Today” show host, addressed the new reports on Tuesday as tears fell from her face, and she told viewers, "Somebody knows something."

In the same segment, she added, "We are in agony."

Savannah Guthrie said she was begging people to come forward, telling viewers, "This is the moment to tell you we need your help; we are begging you for help."

The Los Angeles Times reported that the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, working with the FBI, is investigating the kidnapping, and that the FBI receiving more than 19,000 tips.

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The Los Angeles Times also said the Guthrie family is offering a $1-million reward for the return of Nancy Guthrie, while the FBI is offering a $100,000 reward.

In the same account, Savannah Guthrie said, "This is a new story that today is on your radar, but this is the life that my sister lives, that I live, that my brother lives, that our extended families live, that our children live every day."

Authorities believe Nancy Guthrie was kidnapped, abducted or otherwise taken against her will after finding blood near her front doorstep, and the FBI later released surveillance videos showing a masked man on the porch that night.

The BBC reported that the Pima County Sheriff’s Department said the investigation "remains active and ongoing" while the FBI declined to comment on the contents of the ransom notes or whether investigators had found any evidence that Guthrie had died.

The Los Angeles Times described doorbell-camera footage showing a masked man at 1:47 a.m. on Feb. 1, wearing a balaclava, gloves and a backpack, with a gun holstered by his waist and visible on his body.

The BBC also reported that journalist Anna Schecter said, "That was really the reason why those of us journalists who were following this very closely did not report this at the time."