Two ransom notes released in the Nancy Guthrie kidnapping case reveal a $4 million Bitcoin demand and a chilling claim that the Tucson mother died of an apparent heart condition shortly after her abduction.
KOLD 13 News in Tucson obtained the contents of both notes from the Pima County Sheriff's Department, which had turned the documents over to the FBI. The first note, sent February 2, 2026, one day after a family member reported Nancy Guthrie missing, demanded $4 million in Bitcoin and threatened to kill her if the money did not arrive by a final deadline of 5 p.m. on Monday, February 9. The second note abandoned the ransom demand entirely and instead claimed Guthrie had "perished shortly after she was taken," with the writer saying the cause was "believed to be heart-related."
No arrests have been made. The Pima County Sheriff's Department says nobody has been cleared. And six months into the case, investigators are still urging anyone with information to come forward, even details they think are too small to matter.
Nancy Guthrie, the mother of television journalist Savannah Guthrie, was last seen January 31, 2026, inside her Tucson home. A family member reported her missing the next day. TV Insider reported that the first ransom note arrived on February 2, addressed to the family and referencing Savannah Guthrie directly.
The note's language was blunt and transactional. It told the family Nancy was "safe but scared" and would be "held for a maximum of 7 days." Payment of $4 million in Bitcoin was demanded by 5 p.m. on Thursday, February 5. If that deadline passed, the price would jump to $6 million, due by 5 p.m. on Monday, February 9.
"Once payment is received to the Bitcoin address below, she will be released within 12 hours of deposit to a safe drop-off location back in Tucson. If payment is not received by the last deadline on Monday the 9th at 5 PM, she will be killed."
The note closed by warning the family not to contact law enforcement: "Do not play games, law enforcement will not be able to help you." It stated there would be no negotiation and no further contact from the sender.
Savannah Guthrie has publicly pleaded with her mother's kidnappers as the case has dragged on without resolution.
The second note struck a sharply different tone. Gone were the threats, the deadlines, and the Bitcoin wallet. In their place was what read like an apology, or an attempt at one.
"We did not fully grasp the seriousness of her physical condition. We never intended to hurt her; that was not our intention. She perished shortly after she was taken. We believe it was heart-related. She is buried in nature now."
The note's author or authors told the family they hoped they could "find peace" and added: "We are truly sorry." The note did not specify where Guthrie was allegedly buried, offering only the vague phrase "buried in nature." It gave no timeline for when the second note was written relative to the first.
Whether Nancy Guthrie is in fact dead remains unconfirmed by law enforcement or forensic evidence. The claims in the second note are assertions by the note's author, not verified findings. Investigators have not publicly stated whether they have located any remains.
The FBI has since weighed in on the authenticity of the ransom notes, adding another layer to an already complicated investigation.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos told ABC 15 that two men were brought in for questioning in February in connection with the disappearance. Neither was arrested. Neither was cleared.
"We took information, developed it for a warrant from a judge, a magistrate, and we served that warrant. All that information we gathered is gathered, and because we didn't make an arrest or we released some people, it doesn't mean they're cleared. It just means we don't have enough now to hold you."
Nanos added flatly: "Nobody's completely ruled out." The sheriff's department obtained the warrant from a judge, served it, and gathered evidence, but lacked enough to hold the men. The investigation remains open.
Forensic leads have also proven difficult. A crime scene hair recovered from Guthrie's home yielded no usable DNA profile, according to the Pima County Sheriff's Department.
Details from the scene itself hint at a struggle or forced entry. A white smart watch was found on the floor at the foot of Nancy Guthrie's bed, and a white flood light in the backyard had been destroyed. The source of that description is not clearly attributed in the reporting.
The Pima County Sheriff's Department issued a public statement that read less like a routine update and more like a direct appeal to someone who knows something:
"We recognize relationships and loyalties change over time as do people and their perspectives. It is not too late to come forward. Regardless of how insignificant you think your information may be, or whether you think we are already aware of it, please contact us."
That language, aimed at shifting loyalties and changing perspectives, suggests investigators believe someone in the orbit of those responsible may be weighing whether to talk. It is the kind of statement law enforcement issues when tips have slowed and the case depends on a conscience cracking.
The case has now stretched well past 150 days without a public breakthrough. Whether the Bitcoin wallet address in the first note has been traced, whether any payment was ever made, and whether the FBI has developed its own leads beyond receiving the notes from Pima County, none of that has been disclosed.
Friction between agencies has also surfaced publicly. Pima County Sheriff Nanos has accused FBI Director Kash Patel of spreading inaccurate claims about the case, adding an unusual interagency tension to an already high-profile investigation.
What remains are two notes, no body, no arrest, and a family left to wonder whether the words of the people who took their mother can be believed about anything, including whether she is alive or dead.
When someone demands $4 million in Bitcoin and then writes a sympathy card, the public deserves answers, and Nancy Guthrie's family deserves a whole lot more than an open case file and a plea for tips.