Chilling New Nancy Guthrie Ransom Note Demands Bitcoin for Hidden Video of Her 'Last Day'

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has publicly dismissed the latest alleged ransom note in the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie as a fraudulent attempt to exploit the high-profile case. The message, which claimed to offer a device password containing footage of Guthrie's 'last day' in exchange for Bitcoin, is the latest in a series of digital extortion attempts that investigators now firmly categorise as malicious hoaxes.

The 84-year-old mother of NBC Today anchor Savannah Guthrie vanished from her Tucson home on 31 January 2026. Since the investigation began, a steady stream of unverified communications has complicated the work of federal and local authorities.

While the latest note, sent to media outlets, alleged it held photographic and video proof of the suspects and the victim, Sheriff Nanos confirmed during a recent radio broadcast that officials are operating under the assumption that these claims are entirely baseless. The FBI continues to lead the investigation into the abduction, sifting through thousands of tips while urging the public to remain wary of unsubstantiated demands for cryptocurrency.

Nancy Guthrie Note Claims Video, Photos And Bitcoin Ransom Demand

The newest alleged Nancy Guthrie ransom note, received last week by TMZ and later forwarded to federal authorities, set out an unsettling offer.

According to that outlet's account, the sender claimed a phone stored in a 'secure location' contains video of Guthrie with one of her supposed abductors, plus photos and personal details for 'both involved', including 'names, addresses and age.'

The same report said the email demanded payment in Bitcoin in exchange for the device's unlock password.

In what is perhaps the most disturbing line, the note allegedly said the phone contains footage of Guthrie on 'the day that was probably her last.' It also asserted that two people were responsible for the kidnapping and described the man seen in the video as the 'main guy.'

IBTimes UK cannot independently verify these claims.

The publication that received the email said the message came from the same address and Bitcoin wallet previously used by someone who had contacted them in early February, and that it had passed the material to the FBI while asking the sender for proof, such as a screenshot from the alleged video.

Sheriff Nanos: 'We're Looking At Another Fake Ransom Note'

Sheriff Chris Nanos, who has led the local side of the investigation from the start, sounded openly sceptical when asked about the latest alleged ransom note during his 26 June radio appearance.

He said the FBI is examining all such communications and has dealt with similar hoaxes before.

'I think the FBI has done a number of arrests for false or fake ransom notes,' Nanos said. 'It is a shame that that happens, but I think we are looking at another one of those today with what has been reported. But we will let the FBI do their work.'

The Pima County Sheriff's Department has been working alongside federal agents since Guthrie was reported missing in February 2026.

Nanos acknowledged the huge public interest around the case, and said the attention has been helpful in generating tips, then immediately added that some people appear to be exploiting that interest.

'It is a shame that these types of events occur,' he said. 'People have great interest and that is good because it helps us, but then it really gets abused. People who call in fake ransom notes, people who claim for the sake of the media and the family, they get out and disturb, in this case, an entire neighbourhood.'

Investigators have repeatedly stressed that, despite one earlier note's allegation that Guthrie was 'buried in nature' and another recent claim that a video captured 'the day that was probably her last', they are still operating on the assumption that she is alive.

Previous Nancy Guthrie Ransom Notes Demanded $4 Million In Bitcoin

The latest demand for Bitcoin is not the first time anonymous writers have tried to turn the Nancy Guthrie case into a digital ransom saga.

Early in the investigation, multiple notes were sent to various outlets, and, according to one detailed report, two emails in early February were assessed by the FBI and deemed legitimate communications from someone claiming involvement.

Those early emails were far more direct. The writer allegedly laid out terms for exchanging Guthrie for cryptocurrency, demanding a $4 million ransom in Bitcoin.

A note dated 6 February even floated the possibility that her body could be returned in exchange for payment, according to that same account.

The Guthrie family responded publicly to two of the early communications they believed could be genuine. In a video on 4 February, Savannah Guthrie addressed the suspected kidnapper directly, saying: 'We want to hear from you and we are ready to listen.'

Three days later, she posted another message acknowledging a second ransom note and pledging cooperation. 'We received your message and we understand,' she said. 'We beg you now to return our mother to us so that we can celebrate with her. This is the only way we will have peace. This is very valuable to us, and we will pay.'

Two deadlines came and went. No exchange took place. Months later, Guthrie is still missing, and authorities say they have thousands of tips, yet no named suspects and no arrests.

Family Agony As Officials Warn Of 'Cruel Hoaxes'

Savannah Guthrie has continued to speak about the notes and the broader investigation at carefully chosen moments, while stressing that she is not involved in any newsroom coverage of her mother's case.

In an interview segment broadcast on 26 March, she said her understanding was that 'a lot of different notes' had surfaced and that 'most of them' were not real.

She added that she believed the two notes her family responded to were authentic.

On 23 June, reacting to reports that one note claimed Nancy Guthrie was dead, Savannah Gudhrie declined to delve into the specifics but issued a direct appeal.

'Somebody knows something, and this is a news story today that is on your radar, but this is the life that my sister lives, that I live, that my brother lives, that our extended families live, that our children live every day, and we are in agony. We cannot be at peace,' she said.

By late February, the family had put up a $1 million reward for information leading to Guthrie's recovery.

Federal investigators released images from a camera outside her front door that appeared to show an armed, unidentified person tampering with the device on the morning she disappeared. Blood, later confirmed to be hers, was found on the porch.

A recent search near the Arizona–Mexico border turned up nothing, at least nothing officials have chosen to disclose.

Meanwhile, Sheriff Nanos says the FBI will continue to sift through ransom notes and emails, distinguishing genuine leads from what he bluntly calls fakes.

Nancy Guthrie, the mother of Today presenter Savannah Guthrie, vanished from her home in Tucson, Arizona, after returning from dinner with family on 31 January. She was reported missing on 1 February, and investigators quickly came to believe she had been taken from her house against her will.

In the days and weeks that followed, a flurry of ransom notes and emails began landing in inboxes, some demanding millions in Bitcoin and others claiming, unverified, that she was already dead.

Despite this substantial incentive and the involvement of federal agents, no named suspects have been brought forward, and no arrests have been made. The case remains a high-priority investigation for the FBI, with authorities continuing to verify genuine intelligence while dismissing the persistent tide of digital misinformation.