Authorities in Pima County released two ransom notes on July 31, 2026, hoping the distinctive writing style will help identify the individual linked to the disappearance of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie in Tucson.
The notes were sent to media outlets shortly after Guthrie vanished from her home on January 31, 2026.
Officials believe the linguistic patterns in the notes provide insight into the sender's mindset and motives.
The first note was received by a local news station on February 2 and the second on February 6.
Both were submitted through an online form with sender information redacted.
Despite extensive investigation, including thousands of leads and detaining three people for questioning, no new breakthroughs have emerged, according to Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos.
Investigation Details
Guthrie was last seen around 9:45 p. m.
on January 31 when family members dropped her off at her Catalina Foothills home.
She was reported missing the next day after failing to arrive at a friend's house for an online church service.
Blood spatter confirmed by DNA to be Guthrie's was found on her front porch.
However, a hair sample found at the scene yielded no usable DNA profile to identify a suspect, Sheriff Nanos said.
"It came back ... there's no DNA," Nanos told Fox News Digital.
"But does that mean the hair isn't that of the suspect? We won't know that till we have the suspect's hair.
You don't just destroy it."
The hair sample is preserved for possible future use, though it currently offers no identification leads.
The only biological evidence under analysis is a mixed DNA sample containing material from up to four individuals.
This sample was initially sent to a private lab and later to the FBI for advanced testing.
Additional laboratories across several states are working to interpret the mixed DNA results, which could be critical to identifying a suspect.
On February 10, the FBI released doorbell camera footage showing a masked, armed individual outside Guthrie's home on the morning she disappeared.
The person is described as a male, average build, approximately 5-foot-9 to 5-foot-10, carrying a black backpack.
The video shows the individual blocking the camera and covering it with plants before the footage stops.
Authorities believe this person took deliberate steps to prepare for the event that night.
Investigators also found a damaged utility box near the home that may have caused an internet outage disabling local surveillance cameras around the time of the disappearance.
Savannah Guthrie, Nancy's daughter and a television co-host, posted a video on July 27 pleading with the kidnapper to provide information.
"We are in agony. We are in a nightmare that will not end.
Nothing about our situation has changed," she said.
"So I'm asking you, begging you, to do the right thing now, make the right choice. Help us find her.
Tell us where to look for her. I truly believe it is never too late to do the right thing."
A combined reward of $1.2 million is offered for information leading to Nancy Guthrie's recovery. Tip lines remain open for anyone with relevant information.
