TMZ reports it has received an alleged ransom note “demanding payment for the release of Nancy Guthrie,” the 84-year-old mother of “Today” anchor Savannah Guthrie. The media outlet claims the ransom note was sent on Tuesday, Feb. 3 and “demands a specific substantial amount of Bitcoin … the amount is in the millions, and the note demands the cryptocurrency be sent to a specific Bitcoin address.”
“TMZ has verified the Bitcoin address is real,” the outlet adds. “There is a deadline connected to the alleged ransom … and an element of ‘or else’… We forwarded the alleged ransom demand to the Pima County Sheriff.”
Variety reached out to the Pima County Sheriff’s Office, which pointed to a statement released on its X account that reads: “We are aware of reports circulating about possible ransom note(s) regarding the investigation into Nancy Guthrie. We are taking all tips and leads very seriously. Anything that comes in, goes directly to our detectives who are coordinating with the FBI.”
Representatives for Savannah Guthrie had no comment. Neither TMZ nor the Sheriff’s Office has verified if the alleged ransom note is real or a hoax.
Nancy Guthrie was last seen on the evening of Jan. 31 at her Arizona house in Catalina Foothills. She was classified by police as a “missing vulnerable adult” because of her age. On Feb. 2, the Pima County Sheriff’s Office announced that Nancy’s disappearance was being treated as a crime after finding “very concerning” evidence in her house.
“I believe she was abducted, yes,” Sheriff Chris Nanos told CBS News. “She didn’t walk from there. She didn’t go willingly.”
Nanos has said Nancy had “no signs of cognitive issues” and is “very alert” and of “very sound mind.” During a Feb. 3 media briefing before TMZ reported on the ransom note, Nanos told reporters that “we saw some things at the home that were concerning to us. We believe now, after we process that crime scene, that we do in fact have a crime scene. And we’re asking for the community’s help.”
Savannah Guthrie has asked her followers on Instagram to “raise your prayers” amid the ongoing search for her mother.
“We believe in prayer. We believe in voices raised in unison, in love, in hope. We believe in goodness. We believe in humanity. Above all, we believe in Him,” Savannah wrote in a social media post. “Thank you for lifting your prayers with ours for our beloved mom, our dearest Nancy, a woman of deep conviction, a good and faithful servant. Raise your prayers with us and believe with us that she will be lifted by them in this very moment. We need you.”
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