The Pima County Sheriff’s Department has released two ransom notes and a follow-up letter connected to the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie in Tucson, Arizona.
The release comes nearly six months after she vanished.
Officials are asking the public to examine the writing patterns for any recognition that could generate new leads.
Ransom Notes Demand and Claim
The first note, sent one day after Guthrie disappeared, demanded $4 million.
It stated she was “safe but scared” and threatened to kill her if payment was not received by a Monday 5PM deadline.
The note also warned there would be no negotiation and said law enforcement could not help.
The second note, dated February 6, was addressed to the “Guthrie Family.”
It claimed Nancy had died, saying her death was heart-related and that she was “buried in nature now.”
Investigators believe the messages may help someone recognize the writer’s distinctive word choice, syntax, and phrasing.
Public Assistance Sought
The sheriff’s department released the full contents and urged the public to consider if anyone familiar with the writer showed unusual behavior around the time captured in investigative video.
That includes behavior shifts, unexplained injuries, disruptions to routine, sudden departures, vehicle cleaning or repairs, or unusual interest in Guthrie’s neighborhood or the investigation.
Forensic work continues, including DNA evidence. Hair found inside Guthrie’s home was tested but did not point to a suspect.
Nancy Guthrie, 84, left without her phone or essential medication when she disappeared from her home in the early morning hours of February 1.
On February 10, the FBI released images and videos showing a masked person outside her front door on the morning of her disappearance and at another time before it.
CNN had previously agreed with law enforcement and the Guthrie family to hold off on reporting the contents of the notes to allow future communications with kidnappers to be authenticated, according to CNN’s John Miller.
On July 27, Savannah Guthrie said her family remained “in agony,” describing their situation as “a nightmare that will not end.”
“We will always ache for her and feel that hole in our hearts,” she said.
