‘Hello Savannah, we have your mother’: Full contents of Nancy Guthrie ransom notes revealed six months after her abduction

Nancy Guthrie Case Update: A major development has emerged nearly six months after Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of NBC journalist and “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie, disappeared from her Tucson home, as the full contents of the ransom notes allegedly sent to her family have been made public for the first time. She was allegedly abducted from her home against her will. However, despite hundreds of leads, no suspect has been arrested or publicly identified in the case so far, and investigators, including the FBI, are still searching for answers.

Journalist Briana Whitney of the “Crime Junkie” podcast first revealed the contents of the ransom notes, one of which claimed that the 84-year-old died shortly after being taken. In a special “Crime Junkie” update, Ashley Flowers and Whitney discussed the latest developments in Nancy Guthrie's disappearance, including the newly obtained ransom notes, interviews with investigators and experts, and what may happen next in one of Arizona's most closely watched missing persons cases.

The first ransom note

The first ransom note, which demanded between $4 million and $6 million in bitcoin, was sent to TMZ and a Tucson television station. It opened by addressing “Today” show co-host Savannah Guthrie directly. “Hello Savannah. We have your mother Nancy. She is safe but scared. She will be held for ransom, and once payment is received, she will be released unharmed. We will be holding her for a maximum of 7 days,” the note read.

The note demanded $4 million in bitcoin by 5 p.m. local time Thursday, February 5, 2026, with the demand escalating to $6 million if the first deadline was missed, with a final deadline of 5 p.m. Monday, February 9, 2026. “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,” the note continued.

“If the payment is not received by the last deadline on Monday the 9th at 5:00 p.m., she will be killed. Your mother is aware of this, and her life is in your hands. It is in the best interest of everyone to have this completed as soon as possible. You will not be able to contact me from here on out. There will be no negotiation. Do not play games. Law enforcement will not be able to help you.”

The ransom note ended by mentioning two details that investigators believed added credibility to its claims: a white smartwatch lying on the floor near Nancy Guthrie's bed and a destroyed floodlight in the backyard. These details had not been made public at the time. Whitney said the note's direct reference to Savannah Guthrie by name, along with its demand for payment in US dollars, suggested the sender was aware of her financial means and had deliberately targeted her family.

What did the second note claim about Nancy Guthrie?

The tone of the second ransom note, sent before the second deadline had expired, took a dramatic turn by claiming that Nancy Guthrie had died shortly after her abduction due to heart issues.

“We did not fully grasp the seriousness of her physical conditions. 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. Nothing you could have done could have changed the outcome. We are truly sorry,” the note read.

Whitney said the wording of the note, particularly its use of "USD" and the phrase "buried in nature," raised questions about whether the author's first language was English or whether the message had been written using a translation tool. If the note was legitimate, it indicated that Nancy Guthrie died during the first week of the investigation, prompting a significant shift in the family's public messaging.

On February 10, 2026, a day after the second ransom deadline had passed, the FBI released surveillance footage from Nancy Guthrie's Nest doorbell camera. The video showed a masked, armed person approaching the home and covering the camera, marking the most significant piece of public evidence released in the case.

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