Update on Nancy Guthrie's Disappearance and Ransom Notes in Ongoing Investigation
The case of Nancy Guthrie, mother of Today co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, remains unresolved as investigators assess ransom notes linked to her abduction, with mixed claims about her status.
The case of Nancy Guthrie, the mother of Today co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, has captured national attention since she was reported missing on February 1, 2026. Nancy, 84, was last seen on the evening of January 31, and her disappearance has prompted significant concern and media coverage, leading Savannah to take a leave of absence from her work until April.
As of now, nearly five months after her disappearance, authorities have not located Nancy. Reports indicate that two ransom notes, believed to have been sent by the same individual or group responsible for her abduction, were received by the Guthrie family. According to CBS News, investigators believe both notes originated from the same computer IP address.
The investigation into Nancy's whereabouts has yielded little progress. Evidence at the scene includes traces of blood and footage from a doorbell security camera, which confirmed that she was taken from her home by an unidentified masked individual. As of the latest updates, it remains uncertain whether Nancy is alive or deceased.
In a heartfelt plea, Nancy's children, Savannah, Annie, and Camron, have released several videos on social media, directly addressing the kidnapper(s) and expressing their willingness to pay for their mother's safe return.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Office, along with the FBI, continues to investigate Nancy's case. The first ransom note, received by the Guthrie family on February 2, demanded a payment of approximately $4 million in bitcoin, directing the family to send the funds to a specific Bitcoin wallet in exchange for Nancy's safe return. The note claimed that Nancy was 'safe but scared.'
A subsequent ransom note was sent days later, in which the alleged abductor(s) claimed that Nancy had died. Sources familiar with the case have indicated that the second note suggested her death was unintentional. However, details of the second note have not been made public.
In a March interview with NBC, Savannah expressed her belief that the two ransom notes they received were authentic, stating, 'There are a lot of different notes, I think, that came, and I think most of them — it’s my understanding — are not real, and I didn’t see them. But I believe the two notes that we received, that we responded to, I tend to believe those are real.'
