‘Far more consequential’ ransom deadline in Nancy Guthrie case expires Monday, note allegedly says
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TMZ founder Harvey Levin told Fox News on Thursday that the “much more significant” second deadline specified in the alleged Guthrie ransom note expired on Monday.
During an interview with “Hannity,” Levin shared new details about the ransom note the media outlet allegedly received, saying it appeared to be from the kidnappers of Nancy Guthrie, the mother of “Today” co-anchor Savannah Guthrie.
“When I say there are two deadlines, yes; one is changing the request, that’s already passed, and Monday’s deadline is much more important,” Levin said.
Police said the 84-year-old woman was removed from her home against her will and her pacemaker was disconnected from the app it had been syncing with since Jan. 31 when it was last seen.
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Nancy Guthrie, 84, has been missing from her home in Arizona since January 31, 2026. (Don Arnold/WireImage/Getty Images)
An alleged ransom note was sent to TMZ, and while Levin said he had no evidence that the letter was legitimate, he noted that certain details gave it some credibility.
“We’re not sure if this was actually written by the person who had Nancy,” he explained. “But I have to say, the letter starts by saying she is safe but scared, and they say she knows exactly what the request is.”
“We knew he wore an Apple watch, there are photos of him with that watch and with Savannah,” he said. “They talked about where the clock was, the location of the clock in the house, and it’s not something that’s there.”
According to the FBI, the ransom note contained two deadlines; one was due to end on Thursday and the other was due to end on Monday.
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On February 4, 2026, an inspector arrives at Annie Guthrie’s home in Tucson, Arizona. Guthrie’s mother, Nancy Guthrie, has been missing for almost a week. (Derek Shook for Fox News Digital)
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TMZ did not disclose the specific threat the alleged kidnapper posed if the deadlines were passed, and Levin thought the memo was untraceable.
“As far as we can tell, it is impossible to trace the source of this email,” Levin said.
The TMZ founder suggested that Nancy Guthrie’s kidnapper may still be in Arizona, near where she was taken.
“I believe this is one of a large area in Tucson; it’s not in Tucson, it could be in New Mexico right now,” Levin said. “But they’re definitely familiar with Tucson.”
“I think that’s also part of the reason why they sent the same email to one of the local stations in Tucson,” he added.
Savannah Guthrie (C) and her siblings, Annie (L) and Camron (R), made an emotional plea on Instagram, asking anyone with information about the disappearance of their mother, Nancy Guthrie, to come forward on February 4, 2026. (Credit: Instagram/@SavannahGuthrie/Today)
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Levin also accused authorities of becoming increasingly desperate as the investigation into Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance approaches its sixth day, especially since the ransom note said it would be the only communication they would send.
“They say this will be their only communication,” he told Fox News. “And the communication, the negotiation is over, the deal is this and that. And as the clock ticks down, I think that’s one of the reasons why the FBI and other officials are getting desperate here.”
Law enforcement was seen investigating Annie Guthrie’s neighborhood on February 5. (Derek Shook/Fox News Digital)
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Levin stated that the nature of the ransom note indicates that it was not fake.
“This is not a letter put together in a few minutes,” he said. “This is a very specific, well-organized, layered letter that really lays it all out. This is not AI.”
“If an English teacher were to look at structure and grammar and everything else, I think he would have no grades,” Levin added. “So this is someone, the person who wrote this is not a crazy person. I mean, they may be crazy, but they have the capacity to make demands, to say what they want, to say what they don’t want, and it’s very, very structured.”
