Nancy Guthrie: FBI clarifies it is investigating some extortion demands as legitimate | Arizona
The FBI said Wednesday it is investigating “potentially legitimate” extortion demands related to the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie.
The update came a day after Reuters reported that kidnapping notes taken in Guthrie’s case were fake.
After Today show co-host Savannah Guthrie’s mother disappeared in February, multiple media outlets received three messages about the case. It was stated that two of the messages were ransom notes, and the third was a message from someone who claimed to know the identities of the perpetrators.
Federal investigators who evaluated the communications determined they were fake, according to an unnamed FBI official who spoke to Reuters.
“None of the ransom notes are believed to be genuine,” the official said.
The FBI said Wednesday that some of the ransom notes were considered “illegitimate extortion attempts,” while others were under investigation.
“The FBI and its task force partners received multiple ransom notes during this investigation.” expression published on social media. “Some have been assessed as illegitimate extortion attempts. Other ransom demands may also be potentially legitimate and are currently being investigated as such. This case continues to be investigated as a case of kidnapping for ransom.”
Nancy Guthrie disappeared from her Arizona home in early February, and police found blood near her front door and believe she was abducted from her home. Surveillance videos released by the FBI showed a masked man on Guthrie’s porch the night he disappeared.
Law enforcement launched a massive search for the 84-year-old, with teams scouring the nearby desert.
In the first note received by media outlets, the author reportedly demanded a ransom of millions of dollars in the form of cryptocurrency. The FBI deposited a small amount into the account listed in the note as part of its effort to confirm the authenticity of the communication and find the perpetrators, but the money remained in the account, Reuters reported.
The source told the outlet that he ultimately concluded that the notes “were sent by a person or persons who, although of common origin, were not actually connected to Guthrie’s disappearance,” Reuters reported. Investigators also determined that a third memo that media outlets reported last week was fake.
Savannah Guthrie continued to bring attention to her mother’s case and demand answers. “We love our mother,” he said last week. “And we will never stop looking for it.”
