Nancy Guthrie has been missing since February 1 and is believed to have been taken from her home in Tucson, Arizona, in the middle of the night. Her family and friends are desperate for her safe return, and the public is searching for answers. Amid this heartbreaking time, Nancy’s daughter, Savannah Guthrie, returned to work on the “Today” show on Monday, April 6, and on the day she returned, new notes about Nancy’s whereabouts and her alleged kidnapper were sent to TMZ.
The outlet confirmed the news on April 6, revealing the notes were from “the same person offering information on the kidnapper, but for the first time they’re revealing an exact location and claiming they saw her in Mexico.” The person has asked for Bitcoin in exchange for the information. But what do these notes mean, and is the timing significant?
Former Detective Shares His Thoughts on New Nancy Guthrie Notes
GettyThe notes are being verified, but TMZ has reported that the FBI has expressed doubts about their legitimacy. “We sent the first note to the FBI, but it seems the feds aren’t convinced it’s legit,” the publication reports. Former NYPD detective David Sarni also weighed in on the notes in an interview with Parade, providing insight on how the police would approach information like this.
“The Feds will be reviewing [the new notes], comparing them to the other notes to confirm if it’s from the same person,” Sarni told Parade. The publication notes that law enforcement will review several details to establish legitimacy, including writing style and Bitcoin-related information.
He continued, “There are still issues of authenticity, and any proof of Nancy being alive or otherwise doesn’t seem to exist in the notes.” Sarni also commented that the note writer is demanding 1 Bitcoin. This is significantly less than the family reward. “There may be a conferral with the family on this new information to see how they feel about paying it,” he said.
As for the timing? “The writer of the note may have no information wanting to create false hope (being vindictive) to see Savannah’s reaction… and this fuels interest in the writer looking for recognition,” Sarni said. He revealed that if Nancy were in Mexico, then it would become a federal investigation.
The Guthrie Family Is Believed to Have Not Paid Any Ransom
GettyThe Guthrie family has created a reward for the return of their missing patriarch, offering $1 million for information leading to her safe return. However, they do not appear to have paid any of the previous ransom notes or letters requesting money in exchange for information.
Legal analyst Nancy Grace previously weighed in on why Savannah and her brother Camron and sister Annie may have chosen to ignore the ransom letter. “[There’s] a lot of people attacking Savannah—’Why did you pay the ransom? Why didn’t you pay sooner? Why didn’t you this, that?’ There’s no script for what you’re supposed to do. I think Savannah and her brother and sister, Annie and Camron, did everything they were physically able to do at that moment,” Grace said in an interview on “Hang Out with Sean Hannity” podcast in March, Parade reports.
