Nancy Guthrie Update: New Ransom Note Deemed Not Credible After Earlier Note Claimed She Died

Arizona investigators have deemed the latest possible ransom note linked to Nancy Guthrie's disappearance not credible, according to the Pima County Sheriff's Department.

The Nancy Guthrie update comes nearly eight months after the 84-year-old was reported missing from her home near Tucson.

Authorities initially reviewed the communication with the FBI Guthrie Task Force after becoming aware of it and related social media comments.

An earlier ransom note sent in February claimed Guthrie died shortly after she was taken, but authorities have not confirmed that account. Guthrie remains missing, and no arrests have been announced.

Investigators initially said on 28 September that they were trying to determine the credibility of the latest communication. The sheriff's department did not disclose who received it, when it was sent or what it contained. Authorities have since determined that it was not credible.

Nancy Guthrie Ransom Note Ruled Out

The sheriff's department warned that scammers could attempt to exploit the unresolved disappearance. Officials urged anyone who receives a communication concerning Guthrie to report it to law enforcement.

'Do not send money or provide personal information in response to unsolicited messages,' the department said.

The warning follows other ransom-related communications linked to the investigation. In July, Derrick Callella, 42, of Hawthorne, California, pleaded guilty to two counts of harassment using a telecommunication device.

According to the US Attorney's Office for the District of Arizona, Callella admitted calling and sending text messages to a missing person's family on 4 February. He asked about a Bitcoin transfer and acknowledged knowing that an earlier ransom demand had been made.

Prosecutors said Callella also admitted that his communications were intended to harass the family while seeking information about the investigation.

The separate case illustrates why investigators have had to scrutinise communications claiming a connection to Guthrie's disappearance rather than treating each one as genuine.

Earlier Ransom Notes Raised Questions

The Pima County Sheriff's Department previously released two ransom notes sent to Tucson television station KOLD after Guthrie disappeared.

The first communication, sent on 2 February, claimed Guthrie was 'safe but scared'. It demanded $4 million in cryptocurrency in exchange for her return.

Authorities later disclosed that the note referred to a white smartwatch and a destroyed floodlight. According to the supplied reporting, those details had not been made public before the communication was received.

A second note sent on 6 February made a far more serious claim. Its writer alleged that Guthrie had died shortly after being taken and claimed she had been buried.

The communication also alleged that her death was heart-related. Authorities have not confirmed the account, and Guthrie's fate remains unknown.

Previous communications connected to the case have received differing assessments from investigators. Some were regarded as illegitimate extortion attempts, while other demands required further investigation.

Family Renews Appeal as Guthrie Search Continues

Guthrie was reported missing on 1 February after disappearing from her home outside Tucson. Authorities believe she was taken from the property during the early hours of the morning.

Investigators recovered images of an armed, masked person from a camera at the home. No suspects have been publicly identified, and no arrests have been made in connection with Guthrie's disappearance.

Her family has continued appealing publicly for information while investigators pursue the case. In a late July video shared on Instagram, Savannah Guthrie appeared to address the person believed to have taken her mother. She urged anyone responsible to help the family determine what happened.

'Help us find her. Tell us where to look for her,' she said. Savannah said her family remained in 'agony' months after her mother disappeared and made clear that they would continue searching.

The latest ransom communication has now been ruled not credible, but the central investigation remains unresolved. Authorities have urged anyone with information to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI, 88-CRIME or submit information through the P3 Tips mobile app.

The sheriff's department said members of the public should remain vigilant and report suspicious communications. For Nancy's family, the latest note appears to have delivered no breakthrough, only another reminder that the search continues in a fog of claims, counterclaims and unanswered questions.