Nancy Guthrie ransom note inconsistent with kidnapping, FBI expert says

The latest revelations about the initial alleged ransom note in the Nancy Guthrie case appear inconsistent with kidnapping for ransom, according to a retired FBI negotiator.

“The fact that they wanted to quickly cut off communications suggests that they may not have chosen kidnapping for ransom as their primary motive,” said Jason Pack, a retired FBI supervisory agent. “It doesn’t look like a typical kidnapping.”

He said typical kidnappers want to keep communication channels open to negotiate payment and put pressure on the victim’s family, making the reported request to cease further contact highly unusual.

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“The clearest sign is there is no negotiation, there is no other line of communication,” Pack told Fox News Digital. “The real kidnappers want to keep the line of communication open.”

But Pack said the sender used familiar pressure tactics, such as setting a deadline, making threats and telling the family that Guthrie knew what would happen if they didn’t comply.

But he added that it was also unusual for communication to cease before deadlines passed.

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Annie Guthrie, her husband Tommaso Cioni, and Savannah Guthrie at the home of their missing mother, Nancy Guthrie, in Tucson, Arizona, on Monday, March 2. (Fox News)

Guthrie was taken from his home in Tucson’s Catalina Foothills neighborhood in the early morning hours of Feb. 1, according to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department and the FBI. He has not been seen since and no evidence has been presented that he is alive.

In the second alleged ransom note, the sender stated that Guthrie died shortly after he was taken and buried “with nature.”

New excerpts from the initial memo obtained by local media shed light on why Pack believes the communication deviated from the traditional ransom demand.

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These two images were released by the FBI and recovered from Nancy Guthrie’s Nest doorbell camera. It’s unclear whether they show the same person. (FBI)

Briana Whitney, who was working at Phoenix-based news channel AZ Family when the case emerged, joined “Crime Junkie” host Ashley Flowers on Wednesday to discuss the memo her former station received. The “crime junkie” refused to share copies of the text.

“Hello, Savannah, I have your mother, Nancy,” he began, reading the first note sent to local media. “He is safe but afraid. He will be held for ransom and released unharmed after payment is received. We will hold him for seven days at most.”

As previously reported by the authorities, the sender gave two deadlines, and as this period extended, the demands for money increased.

“Once payment is received to the Bitcoin address below, it will be dropped off at a secure drop-off location in Tucson within 12 hours of deposit,” Whitney said. “If the payment is not received by 17:00 on Monday 9th, which is the deadline, she will be killed. Your mother is aware of this and her life is in your hands.”

Deputies examine a flyer taped to Nancy Guthrie’s mailbox on Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026. They were called to the scene after volunteer searchers and several streamers walked onto Guthrie’s property with shovels. (Michael Ruiz/Fox News Digital)

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The sender left no room for further dialogue.

The memo reportedly continued: “It is in everyone’s best interest to have this completed as quickly as possible.” “You will not be able to contact me from now on. There will be no negotiations. Don’t play games. Law enforcement will not be able to help you.”

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The note also included details only investigators and the suspect had access to at the time, including the location of Guthrie’s Apple Watch and details about the smashed projector in his backyard; But even that wasn’t enough to establish that kidnapping for ransom was a motive, Pack said.

Savannah Guthrie poses with her mother, Nancy Guthrie, during a break from production while hosting NBC’s “Today Show” live from Australia. (Photo: Don Arnold/WireImage)

“The details about the security camera and the disabled spotlight prove that they knew what the house was like, what the surroundings might be like, but it’s not real life evidence,” he said.

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In most ransom kidnapping cases, kidnappers will want to prove that they have the victim and that the victim is alive, he said.

“All of these things put together don’t seem to fit well with kidnapping for ransom,” he said.

Investigators appear divided on the authenticity of the notes. While a man has already pleaded guilty to sending a fake ransom note to Guthrie’s other daughter, Annie, and her husband, Tommaso Cioni, that case is not believed to be linked to the notes sent to local media stations.

A well-wisher signs a sign that says “Bring her home” and shows a photo of Nancy Guthrie, the elderly mother of kidnapped U.S. television journalist Savannah Guthrie, in the KVOA newsroom in Tucson, Arizona, USA, where Savannah worked early in her career, on February 12, 2026. (Rebecca Noble/Reuters)

“The FBI and its task force partners received numerous ransom notes during the course of this investigation,” the FBI’s Phoenix office said in a statement in June. he said. “Some have been assessed as illegitimate extortion attempts. Other ransom demands may be potentially legitimate and are currently being investigated as such. This case remains investigated as a kidnapping for ransom case. The FBI has and will continue to provide all possible assistance in the investigation, but local authorities remain in the lead.”

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While some investigators said they were confident the ransom demands were completely fake, others were cautious about drawing that conclusion while Guthrie’s whereabouts were unknown, federal law enforcement sources told Fox News and Fox News Digital. Still, the two notes Whitney mentioned were considered potentially authentic by investigators and the Guthrie family.

The only known suspect is a masked intruder who appears in Nest doorbell camera video, which has not been publicly released, that the FBI recovered with the help of Google.

He is described as having an average build, standing 5 feet, 9 inches and 5 feet, 10 inches tall. He was wearing a black Ozark Trail backpack. It is not yet known whether he acted alone or not.

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Awards in the case total more than $1.2 million.

Anyone with information is asked to call 1-800-CALL-FBI. Tips can also be submitted anonymously to Tucson’s Crime Stoppers affiliate at 520-88-CRIME.