Topline
The FBI has concluded that the ransom notes associated with the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, mother of NBC News anchor Savannah Guthrie, are fraudulent. This finding, reported by Reuters on Tuesday, comes shortly after the “Today” show host made an emotional live appeal for information regarding her mother’s whereabouts.
A banner reading “Bring Her Home” in support of Nancy Guthrie is displayed in Tucson, Arizona.
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Key Facts
According to an unnamed FBI official cited by Reuters, all three ransom notes delivered to various media organizations have been deemed fake.
The first two notes were dispatched in February—the same month Guthrie vanished—to several local news outlets and the tabloid TMZ.
A third note was received more recently, authored by an individual claiming to possess information regarding the identity of the suspected abductors.
It remains uncertain whether the FBI’s findings suggest that the 84-year-old was not abducted for ransom.
Forbes has contacted the FBI for official comment.
Investigation Details
TMZ reported receiving multiple messages claiming knowledge of Guthrie’s disappearance, all of which were forwarded to the FBI. While most of these communications arrived early in the investigation, one was received as recently as last week. TMZ further disclosed that they received nearly a dozen emails from a single man who claimed to know the location of Nancy Guthrie and the identity of the kidnapper, though he denied involvement in the crime. The individual demanded one bitcoin in exchange for the information.
History of the Ransom Demands
Additional details regarding the early ransom attempts surfaced last month. One day after the disappearance, investigators received a demand for $4 million for Guthrie’s safe return. On February 6, a subsequent note claimed the 84-year-old had died. Addressing these reports on the “Today” show last week, Savannah Guthrie declined to comment on the specifics of the reports before issuing a heartfelt plea: “I just wanted to take the opportunity to ask people—really, to beg people—to come forward.” The NBC anchor described the “agony” she and her siblings are experiencing and urged anyone with information to “do the right thing.”
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