Two chilling ransom notes have been released in the hopes of creating a break in the Nancy Guthrie kidnapping case. The 84-year-old mother of US TV star Savannah Guthrie vanished from her home near Tucson, Arizona on January 31, and detectives now believe she was abducted against her will.
Six months later, there have been no arrests, sightings, or answers. In an extraordinary step, investigators have made public two letters sent to a local television station in the days following Nancy's disappearance. The letters were discovered in the hope that the author's distinctive writing style could provide the breakthrough the case desperately needs.
The first letter, received on February 2, was addressed directly to Savannah and her family. The anonymous writer demanded $4million in Bitcoin within days, warning the ransom would rise to $6million if payment was delayed. The note ended with what investigators believe was knowledge only someone connected to the crime would have known, mentioning a white smartwatch on Nancy's bedroom floor and a damaged floodlight in the garden.
The second letter, received just four days later, painted an altogether darker picture. The writer claimed Nancy perished shortly after she was taken, citing a heart-related condition. The letter ended with a message of apology and a claim that the writers never intended to harm her.
Despite the disturbing claim, detectives stressed they have not been able to verify that Nancy has died and continue to treat the investigation as an active missing person case. Nancy, who required daily medication, was last seen after relatives dropped her home on the evening of January 31.
Savannah has made an emotional public appeal directly to whoever had taken her mother, urging them to 'do the right thing' and reveal where her mother is. Police have released few details about potential suspects, although earlier this year they published images showing a masked individual covering the doorbell camera outside Nancy's home before she disappeared.
The decision to publish the ransom notes is an unusual investigative tactic, but not without precedent. In a similar case, a brother recognized the writing style of the Unabomber's manifesto, leading to the FBI's eventual arrest of Ted Kaczynski. Now, detectives hope somebody reading the Guthrie letters will have a similar moment of recognition.
