Nancy Guthrie Update: Law Enforcement Flags Potential New Ransom Note - Newsweek

A new possible ransom note related to the Nancy Guthrie investigation has emerged, the Pima County Sheriff's Department has (PCSD) said.

The sheriff's department wrote on X on Monday that the PCSD/FBI Guthrie Task Force had recently been made aware of the potential note, nearly eight months after Guthrie's disappearance.

Guthrie—the 84-year-old mother of Today show host Savannah Guthrie—was last seen on January 31 at her home in Tucson, Arizona.

"Investigators are also aware of social media comments regarding the note and are looking further into the information to determine its credibility," the PCSD said.

Newsweek has contacted the sheriff's department for comment.

The PCSD announcement comes after a woman called Lauren Serpa, who claims to have known Guthrie, said in a Facebook post that she had received a ransom demand on Sunday night.

She said the message claimed Guthrie was alive in Mexico and directed Serpa to send bitcoin to a wallet for Guthrie’s release. Serpa said in the post that she had reported the note to the sheriff.

Serpa later shared the PCSD's post with the caption: "Finally." The PCSD has not confirmed whether this is the note it is looking into.

Serpa stressed in May that she was not a "close friend of Nancy's." She said Guthrie showed her kindness at a farmer's market almost 12 years ago after her husband had died from a brain aneurysm.

"Her family and her close friends need her home," Serpa said. "I'm not part of that group even though she holds a special place in my heart for her kindness to me and words of wisdom."

Newsweek contacted Serpa via direct message on Tuesday.

Last year, the PCSD released details of two purported ransom notes, asking for help to identify the style of writing. It said the notes contained distinctive patterns in their wording, syntax and phrasing.

The first note, sent to a Tucson television station on February 2 and addressed to Guthrie's daughter, demanded $4 million in bitcoin and contained a threat to kill Guthrie if the money was not paid.

It cited details from Guthrie's home—including a white smartwatch near her bed and a damaged backyard floodlight—that suggested its author had knowledge of the scene.

A second message, sent four days later and addressed to the Guthrie family, claimed she had died shortly after being taken, possibly because of a heart condition, and had been "buried in nature."

The PCSD has not said whether it believes the notes were authentic.

"We have your mother Nancy. She is safe but scared. She will be held for ransom and once payment is received she will be released unharmed. We will be holding her for a maximum of 7 days. You will need to send bitcoin in the amount of $4 million USD before 5PM on Thursday the 5th. If payment is not received, the ransom will be increased to 6 million USD which will need to be paid by 5PM on Monday the 9th. Once payment is received to the bitcoin address below she will be released within 12 hours of deposit to a safe drop off location back in Tucson. If payment is not received by the last deadline on Monday the 9th at 5PM, she will be killed. Your mother is aware of this and her life is in your hands. It is in the best interest of everyone to have this completed as soon as possible. You will not be able to contact me from here on out, there will be no negotiation. Do not play games, law enforcement will not be able to help you.

"She had a white smart watch on the floor of the foot of her bed and the white flood light in backyard was destroyed."

"We did not fully grasp the seriousness of her physical condition. We never intended to hurt her, that was not our intention. She perished shortly after she was taken. We believe it was heart related. She is buried in nature now. Nothing you could have done could have changed the outcome. We want your family to know this and hope you call can find peace. We are truly sorry.”

Guthrie has not been seen since she was last confirmed at her Tucson-area residence on January 31, the day before she was reported missing.

One of the biggest leads was the doorbell-camera footage from Guthrie's home, which showed an armed, masked man apparently tampering with her front-door camera around the time she disappeared.

The FBI is still offering a reward of $100,000 for information leading to the location of Guthrie and/or the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in her disappearance.

Anyone with information can contact the FBI at 1-800-225-5324 or submit a tip at tips.fbi.gov