Three ransom notes shared in news reports covering the disappearance of Today show co-host Savannah Guthrie’s mother have been dismissed as fakes by federal investigators, a report Tuesday reveals.
Reuters reports the FBI assessment of inauthenticity covers the two ransom notes publicly disclosed in early February, days after 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie vanished.
A third more recent message from someone claiming to know the kidnappers’ identities has also been deemed bogus by the same authorities.
The three imposters were sent to a U.S. outlet demanding millions in Crypto, claiming to know the kidnappers’ identities and, most horrifically, alleging to have footage of “the day she died.”
RELATED: FBI Releases Video of Kidnap Suspect at Nancy Guthrie’s Home
While initially the notes were treated as real, a senior FBI official confirmed to Reuters, “none of the ransom notes are believed to be genuine.”
A second law enforcement source familiar with the matter confirmed the FBI assessment of the ransom notes to the outlet. Its exclusive report added:
The disclosure that the FBI has discounted the veracity of the three notes – two of which were widely reported to have been communications from kidnappers – seemed to raise doubts about investigators’ fundamental premise that Nancy Guthrie was abducted for ransom to begin with.
A spokesperson for the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, which is leading the overall investigation, declined to comment, citing its agreement to refer all inquiries regarding ransom notes to the FBI.
FBI agents reportedly tested the notes’ authenticity by depositing a small amount of cryptocurrency in the account listed. The money was never claimed.
DNA testing concluded the blood found on her front porch was a match for the missing octogenarian. She has been described as frail with limited mobility.
A screen grab from a video shows an armed individual appearing with camera at Nancy Guthrie’s front door the morning of her disappearance in Arizona on February 12, 2026. (Pima County Sheriff’s Department/Anadolu via Getty)
As Breitbart News reported, Guthrie disappeared on Feb. 1 and since then the case has been a focus of national attention.
The Arizona county sheriff leading the investigation into the kidnapping of Guthrie says his office will stay on the case even if it “takes years” to solve.