The search for Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of Today show host Savannah Guthrie, took a more troubling turn this week after purported ransom notes were sent to multiple media outlets.
Authorities said two notes with similar language have surfaced, though investigators have not yet confirmed their authenticity or whether they are directly connected to Guthrie’s disappearance, CNN reported.
The sheriff of Pima County said Tuesday that investigators are taking the notes seriously and are “absolutely not” dismissing them as part of the ongoing investigation. Officials declined to release details about the contents of the messages, citing the sensitivity of the case.
“When the note comes to us, it’s like any piece of evidence,” Sheriff Chris Nanos told CBS News. “You give it to us. You give us a lead. We’re going to look at every aspect of that lead and work it as a lead.”
One alleged ransom note was sent to the entertainment site TMZ on Tuesday.
The note “demands a specific substantial amount of Bitcoin … the amount is in the millions, and the note demands the cryptocurrency be sent to a specific Bitcoin address,” TMZ reported.
“There is a deadline connected to the alleged ransom … and an element of ‘or else,’” TMZ reported. The note indicated that an item in Nancy Guthrie’s house was damaged. TMZ reported that the note was submitted to the Pima County Sheriff’s Office but did not disclose which item was affected.
The sheriff’s department also responded to reports that a ransom note had surfaced.
“We are aware of reports circulating about possible ransom note(s) regarding the investigation into Nancy Guthrie. We are taking all tips and leads very seriously. Anything that comes in, goes directly to our detectives who are coordinating with the FBI,” the post said, asking anyone with information to use a QR code in the post.
Law enforcement agencies continue to pursue multiple leads as the search for Guthrie remains active. Investigators have urged the public to report any information that could aid in Guthrie’s location, ensuring a careful evaluation of all evidence.
Nanos has said he believes Guthrie was “taken against her will [which] includes possible kidnapping or abduction,” according to KSAZ-TV.
“At this time, the Sheriff has not confirmed whether those samples were blood. He has stated that he does not want to get into specific details about evidence to protect the integrity of the investigation,” the department said.
“At this time, we do not have any information to share regarding possible injuries,” the office said.
On Tuesday, police reported that at approximately 2 a.m. on Sunday, Nancy Guthrie’s pacemaker ceased communicating with her Apple devices, according to the New York Post.
The sheriff also said the search was entering a new phase.
“The air and ground searches … you’ll see that slow down,” he said. “Those things are going to slow ddown;we’re pushing more to the investigative side of this.”
“She is an 84-year-old woman who went to bed, and sometime in the middle of the night, she was removed from that home and now here 48 plus hours, and this lady needs her medication,” he said. “So it’s not good.”
He went on to say that so far, authorities do not have a suspect, telling reporters when asked who it might be: “No clue.
“We don’t know if multiple people were involved,” he said.
Guthrie’s pacemaker stopped syncing with her Apple devices early Sunday morning, according to a report on Tuesday, the Post reported.
The implanted medical device lost connection with the 84-year-old grandmother’s Apple products around 2 a.m., as reported by a law enforcement source to Fox News. When authorities arrived at her home in Arizona hours later, around noon, they found Nancy’s phone and Apple Watch still inside the house, the source
