Forensic Psychologist Doubts Nancy Guthrie Ransom Notes Are Real, Suggests Burglary Gone Wrong

TUCSON, Ariz. — A prominent forensic psychologist says he doubts the authenticity of two ransom notes tied to the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of "Today" show co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, who has now been missing for more than six months.

The Pima County Sheriff's Department released the two notes to the public on July 31, asking for help identifying the writing style in hopes of generating new leads in a case that has produced few public developments since Guthrie vanished from her home in Tucson's Catalina Foothills neighborhood in the early morning hours of February 1.

Dr. Kris Mohandie, a forensic psychologist known for his role in persuading O.J. Simpson to surrender to authorities in June 1994, told Fox News Digital in an interview published this month that he does not believe either note is genuine. The first note was received February 2, and the second arrived February 6.

Mohandie pointed to several inconsistencies he said raised doubts about the letters' legitimacy, including the decision to send a ransom demand to a news outlet rather than directly to Guthrie's family, and a shift in the notes' language from the pronoun "we" to "I." He said, "I certainly question the legitimacy of the so-called ransom note," adding that the inconsistencies "raised a lot of questions for me of veracity."

Despite his skepticism, Mohandie said investigators made the right call in releasing the notes publicly, even without confidence in their authenticity. "I don't think the ransom note is legit," he told Fox News Digital, "but I think it's appropriate for law enforcement to investigate it just in case it might be." He added that a thorough investigation requires keeping an open mind to every possibility, even ones an investigator personally doubts.

The first ransom note referenced specific details, including a broken floodlight at Guthrie's home and her Apple Watch, details some observers speculated could only be known by someone directly involved in her disappearance. Mohandie was not convinced those details carry that significance, saying he did not "make much out of those two details," since they could plausibly have reached an outside party indirectly rather than confirming direct involvement in the case.

Beyond questioning the notes, Mohandie offered his own theory on what may have happened to Guthrie, breaking from the working assumption that has guided much of the investigation. Rather than a planned kidnapping, Mohandie said he believes the case may reflect "a simple matter of a burglary gone wrong and then attempts to cover things up." He was careful to characterize the theory as a hypothesis rather than a conclusion, noting that investigators are continuing to pursue multiple leads and possibilities in parallel.

Guthrie's disappearance has drawn national attention given her family's television profile. She was last seen the night before she was reported missing, after being dropped off at her home following a family dinner. When relatives were unable to reach her and later went to check on her, they found signs at the home that prompted an immediate report to local authorities. The Pima County Sheriff's Department opened an investigation and subsequently requested assistance from the FBI's Phoenix field office, classifying the case as a suspected abduction.

Investigators have previously released doorbell camera footage showing a masked individual at Guthrie's front door on the night she disappeared, along with a still image of the suspected intruder, though no arrests have been announced in the case. The Pima County Sheriff's Department has not publicly commented on Mohandie's alternative theory or provided additional updates on the status of the investigation beyond the release of the ransom notes.

A reward for information leading to a resolution in the case remains in place and currently totals more than $1.2 million, according to information released by investigators. Anyone with information related to Guthrie's disappearance is asked to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI, or, for those wishing to remain anonymous, to call 520-88-CRIME.

The case has continued to draw scrutiny from true-crime commentators and forensic experts in the months since Guthrie's disappearance, with the six-month release of the ransom notes seen by some analysts as a signal that investigators may be running low on conventional leads and are turning to the public for additional assistance. Mohandie, who has consulted on numerous high-profile criminal cases throughout his career, said the decision to publicize the letters could still prove useful even if the notes themselves turn out to be fabricated, since renewed public attention on the case could prompt someone with relevant information to come forward.

As the investigation continues, both the Pima County Sheriff's Department and the FBI have indicated they remain focused on pursuing all viable leads, including the possibility that the ransom notes are connected to Guthrie's disappearance, even as some experts, including Mohandie, remain doubtful about their authenticity. No timeline has been given for when investigators expect to resolve the case, which remains one of the highest-profile active missing person investigations in the country.