Police renew appeal, release ransom notes six months after Nancy Guthrie vanished

Police renew appeal, release ransom notes six months after Nancy Guthrie vanished
The alleged kidnappers first demanded millions in Bitcoin before later claiming the 84-year-old died.

Two ransom notes purportedly written by kidnappers who abducted the mother of US "Today" show co-host Savannah Guthrie were released on Friday, six months after Nancy Guthrie vanished in Arizona, as investigators renewed efforts to identify the culprits.

Copies of the two email messages were posted online by the Pima County Sheriff's Department with a notice appealing again to members of the public to come forward with information that might help identify the masked prowler caught on video by Nancy Guthrie's doorbell camera outside her home around the time she went missing.

The first, from Monday, February 2 - a day after the 84-year-old Guthrie was reported missing - demanded $4 million to be paid in bitcoin within three days, and warned that if the deadline were missed "the ransom will be increased to $6 million" due by the following Monday, February 9. If the demands went unmet, "she will be killed," it said.

"Your mother is aware of this and her life is in your hands," the note said, adding, "there will be no negotiation. Do not play games; law enforcement will not be able to help you."

The message also contained details meant to authenticate it, saying that Guthrie's wristwatch had been left on the floor at the foot of her bed, and a backyard floodlight was "destroyed."

The second note, received on February 6 and addressed to the "Guthrie Family," delivered more grim news.

"We did not fully grasp the seriousness of her physical condition," it begins. "She perished shortly after she was taken. We believe it was heart-related. She is buried in nature now."

It concludes: "We want your family to know this and hope you all can find peace. We are truly sorry."

In the latest of several videos posted to social media since her mother was taken, Savannah Guthrie, longtime co-anchor of the flagship NBC morning news program, appealed to the kidnappers on Monday to "do the right thing" and "tell us where to look for her."

Nancy Guthrie, in frail health with limited mobility, was last seen alive on January 31 at her home in Tucson. She was reported missing on February 1 after a friend alerted family that she did not appear for Sunday church services as expected.

Relatives checking on her found her gone with essential belongings such as her wallet, cellphone, hearing aids and medication left behind. Blood, later confirmed by DNA tests to be hers, was found on the front porch.

The ransom notes "reveal distinctive patterns of word choice, syntax and phraseology" that someone close to the author might recognize, the sheriff's message said.

It further suggested the suspect might have exhibited a sudden "change in mood," behavior or daily routine around the time of the kidnapping, and may have abruptly altered his appearance, including changes in hairstyle and facial hair.