An alleged ransom note in the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie has been received.
The 84-year-old mother of “Today” host Savannah Guthrie has been missing since Saturday night.
The entertainment news website TMZ said the note, which may or may not be genuine, was sent to the site on Tuesday
The note “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 reported.
“There is a deadline connected to the alleged ransom … and an element of ‘or else,’” TMZ reported.
The note said an item in Nancy Guthrie’s house was damaged. TMZ, which said the note was turned over to the Pima County Sheriff’s Office, did not reveal what the item was.
Pima County issued a social media post in response.
“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,” the post said, asking anyone with information to use a QR code in the post.
LATEST: NANCY GUTHRIE https://t.co/bnwTx5VoPM pic.twitter.com/q3pJBoNz2B
— Pima County Sheriff’s Department (@PimaSheriff) February 3, 2026
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has said he believes Nancy Guthrie was “taken against her will [which] includes possible kidnapping or abduction,” according to KSAZ-TV.
On Tuesday, DNA samples from Guthrie’s home were taken, the sheriff’s office said.
“At this time, the Sheriff has not confirmed whether those samples were blood. He has stated that he does not want to get into specific details about evidence in order to protect the integrity of the investigation,” the department said.
“At this time, we do not have any information to share regarding possible injuries,” the office said.
Police revealed Tuesday that at about 2 a.m. Sunday, Nancy Guthrie’s pacemaker stopped communicating with her Apple devices, according to the New York Post.
Nanos said the search for the 84-year-old is entering a new phase.
“The air and ground searches … you’ll see that slow down,” he said. “Those things are going to slow down, we’re pushing more to the investigative side of this.”
“She is an 84-year-old woman who went to bed, and sometime in the middle of the night, she was removed from that home and now here 48 plus hours, and this lady needs her medication,” he said. “So it’s not good.”
Police have no suspect, Nanos said, according to the New York Post.
“We don’t know if multiple people were involved,” he said.
When asked where he thought she might be, he replied, “no clue.”
Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.
