After months of almost no real updates in the investigation into the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, things have taken a dramatic turn in the last few days. On Monday, June 22, reports emerged about ransom notes sent to a variety of outlets in the days following the victim’s disappearance from her home in Tucson, Arizona.
The second of those notes said that Nancy Guthrie had sadly died after being kidnapped. With law enforcement sources seemingly confirming that the ransom notes are authentic and sent from the same person. Now, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department has released a statement about the ransom notes.
Law Enforcement Provides Statement About Ransom Notes
“Fox News Digital on Monday” spoke to Pima County Sheriff’s Department Chris Nanos following the release of the ransom note details, with the law enforcement officer revealing exactly what he knows about the ransom notes.
According to Nanos, the “FBI has been handling the investigation into numerous ransom demands, some bogus and some with potential to be real, since the beginning.” He then went on to defer any further comment directly about the ransom notes to the FBI, who have not provided a response.
This suggests that the FBI took the lead when it came to the ransom notes and the Pima County Sheriff’s Department has not been directly involved in examining them or ruling on their authenticity.
In a separate statement released to the BBC, the Piima County Sheriff’s Department again refused to provide any information about the contents of the note but did go on to confirm that the investigation into Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance “remains active and ongoing.”
“The Pima County Sheriff’s Department continues to work closely with the FBI as investigators follow up on leads, review information, and pursue the facts surrounding this case,” a spokesperson said.
Women Arrested For Separate Kidnapping Could Provide Clues in Nancy Guthrie Case
GettyFormer homicide detective and the current director at the Cold Case Foundation, Chris McDonough, has weighed in on the help that a suspect in another alleged crime could provide.
40-year-old Coral Michelle Smith was recently arrested by Pima County Sheriff’s Department officers after a warrant was issued for her in connection with a separate violent kidnapping. The crime allegedly took place just a few miles from Nancy Guthrie’s home.
While acknowledging that Smith is not considered a suspect in the Guthrie investigation, McDonough gave his opinion on the type of assistance she could provide.
“In any major missing person or abduction-type of investigation, the investigators are going to cast a wide net,” he said before adding that any individual with a “violent kidnapping history” operating in the local area would be of interest.
“She may not be involved in any way, shape or form, but she may have information that may connect something,” McDonough said. “They’re going to ask her about any familiarity around the Guthrie home. What’s the word on the street? This would be a very standard protocol to try to find her and see if they can connect her in any way, shape or form.”
