As the search for Nancy Guthrie stretched into another tense day, investigators faced mounting pressure after alleged kidnappers demanded millions of dollars for her safe return.
According to the New York Post, authorities revealed that multiple ransom notes claiming responsibility for Guthrie’s disappearance were sent to media outlets, including Arizona-based KGUN.
Reporter JJ McKinney confirmed his newsroom received one of the messages, which outlined a stark ultimatum.
“In the letter, the potential kidnappers demanded that the Guthries pay them $6 million before this Monday,” McKinney said Sunday.
The message reportedly called for payment in bitcoin and laid out two separate deadlines. The first demanded $4 million by 5 p.m. local time last Thursday.
When that deadline passed, the note warned the amount would increase to $6 million, due by 5 p.m. Monday. The note claimed Guthrie’s life would be in danger if the final deadline was missed.
Law enforcement officials have not verified the authenticity of the ransom note and said no proof has been provided that Guthrie is alive or in the custody of those making the demands.
Still, investigators acknowledged the note included details from inside her home, prompting them to treat the threat as credible while the investigation continues.
With few leads publicly disclosed, Guthrie’s children — “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie and her siblings Annie and Camron — released a video statement Saturday indicating they were prepared to comply with the demands.
“We received your message, and we understand,” Savannah Guthrie said in the video. “We beg you now to return our mother to us so that we can celebrate with her.
“This is the only way we will have peace. This is very valuable to us, and we will pay,” she added.
Former FBI agent Michael Harrigan, however, pointed to unusual wording in the note that he thought could indicate that the demand was a scam, including its reference to U.S. dollars.
“If you’re domestic, why would you ever put ‘USD?’ You put six million,” Harrigan told The Post. “Why would you use that if you’re a domestic person? That points to somebody who might be potentially outside the country.”
That detail, he said, “lends the potential for this being a scam.”
As the deadline approached, investigators continued combing properties tied to the case. On Sunday, police were seen searching a septic tank at Guthrie’s home, probing it with a long pole before leaving without announcing any findings.
The previous night, officers were also observed photographing the interior of the Tucson home belonging to Guthrie’s daughter Annie and her husband, who were among the last known people to see her.
Sheriff Chris Nanos said no one has been ruled out.
“We’re actively looking at everybody we come across in this case,” he said. “Everybody’s still a suspect in our eyes.”
