Topline
The ransom notes linked to the high-profile disappearance of Nancy Guthrie—the mother of NBC News anchor Savannah Guthrie—were deemed fake by the FBI, Reuters reported on Tuesday, days after the “Today” show host issued an emotional plea for information about her mother live on air.
A banner reading “Bring Her Home” in support of Nancy Guthrie is displayed in Tucson, Arizona.
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Key Facts
Citing an unnamed FBI official, Reuters reported that the agency found all three ransom notes, which were sent to media houses, were fake.
The first two notes were sent in February—the month of Guthrie’s disappearance—to multiple local news outlets and the online tabloid TMZ.
A third note was sent more “recently” and was written by someone claiming to know the identity of Guthrie’s presumed abductors.
It’s unclear if the FBI’s doubts over the authenticity of the notes mean investigators now believe that the 84-year-old was not kidnapped for ransom.
Forbes has reached out to the FBI for comment.
Tangent
TMZ said it received several notes claiming knowledge of Guthrie’s disappearance and turned them over to the FBI. The outlet said most of the notes were received early in the case, but it also received one last week, without specifying the content of the latest letter. TMZ said it got nearly “a dozen emails from the same man claiming he knew the kidnapper’s identity and Nancy’s location but was not part of the crime.” The person had sought one bitcoin in payment to divulge the information.
What Do We Know About The Second Note?
Last month, new details emerged about earlier ransom notes sent by people claiming to be the kidnappers. A day after her disappearance, investigators received a note demanding a ransom of $4 million for Guthrie’s safe return. Four days later, on February 6, a second note was reportedly sent out claiming the 84-year-old was dead. Savannah Guthrie addressed this report on the Today show last week, saying she did not have any comments on the reports and before issuing a plea: “I just wanted to take the opportunity to ask people—really, to beg people—to come forward.” The NBC anchor said she and her siblings were in “agony” over the disappearance and urged people to “do the right thing.”