Another ransom note purportedly from Nancy Guthrie’s kidnapper has claimed to have video of the elderly woman with the suspect who allegedly took her from her home.
Nancy, the 84-year-old mother of Today show host Savannah Guthrie, was abducted February 1 from her Arizona home as she slept, police have said.
TMZ — which has received several ransom notes since Nancy went missing — reported receiving the note Friday. The supposed kidnapper claimed to have video of Nancy and the “main guy,” as well as more information about the circumstances surrounding her disappearance.
The note also claimed to have the identities and addresses of the two kidnappers on a phone “stashed in a secure location” and asked for one Bitcoin in exchange for the password to the device.
TMZ, which verified the emailed letter is from the same person who sent previous ransom notes, has asked for a screenshot of Nancy to authenticate the claims made.
The new ransom note comes just days after it was reported that an earlier letter connected to Nancy’s disappearance stated that she died, according to CNN and other news organizations citing law enforcement sources.
That note’s contents have not been publicly released, as authorities and media outlets involved in the case have agreed to withhold details that could interfere with efforts to verify future communications from anyone connected to the disappearance.
CNN reported that one note indicated Nancy’s death was not allegedly intentional and that she died shortly after she vanished from her Arizona home. Authorities have not publicly confirmed the note’s authenticity or provided details about the investigation.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department declined to comment on the reported contents of the note, while the FBI did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Savannah addressed the new reports during Tuesday’s Today broadcast, saying, “This is a new story today that is on your radar, but this is the life my sister lives, that I live, that my brother lives, that our extended families live, that our children live every day. And we are in agony.”
Savannah fought back tears as she continued: “We cannot be at peace.”
“So no matter how much I try to come out here every day and smile and find that joy — and I will, I promise I will — this is a moment to tell you that we need your help. We’re begging for your help.”
With the support of her Today co-hosts, Savannah — who returned to the NBC morning show in April following a leave of absence amid the search for Nancy — continued: “And I’m not going to miss that opportunity. And so please if you’re watching, no matter how small, the reward is there. You can tell us. It can be anonymous.
“Please do the right thing. For us. For our family. For our children. We love our mom and we’ll never stop looking for her. Never.”
Investigators have said they believe Nancy was taken against her will after finding blood near the entrance of her home outside Tucson. The FBI later released surveillance footage showing a masked individual near the property around the time she disappeared.
The case has drawn a massive search effort involving law enforcement officers, volunteers and search teams who have combed desert areas surrounding Tucson and beyond. Despite the extensive efforts, Nancy has not been found.
