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.
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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."
