TUCSON, Ariz. — More than two months after 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie vanished from her Catalina Foothills home, new ransom-style notes sent to TMZ claim the mother of "Today" show co-anchor Savannah Guthrie is dead and offer information on her body and kidnappers in exchange for Bitcoin, prompting the FBI to investigate the latest communications in a case that has gripped the nation.

Nancy Guthrie
Nancy Guthrie

The notes arrived Monday, the same day Savannah Guthrie returned to the "Today" show anchor desk for the first time since her mother's disappearance, according to TMZ founder Harvey Levin. One message allegedly stated the sender knows "where her body is and who the kidnapper is" and demanded half a Bitcoin — roughly $34,000 at current values — upfront, with the remainder to be paid after a public arrest. A second note claimed the writer last saw Nancy Guthrie alive in Sonora, Mexico, near the Arizona border.

TMZ said it immediately alerted the FBI. Authorities have not confirmed the authenticity of the latest notes, but the development adds to a string of purported ransom demands that have emerged since early February.

Nancy Guthrie was last seen around 9:45 p.m. on Jan. 31 at her adobe home nestled among mesquite trees and saguaros in an upscale neighborhood outside Tucson. She failed to appear the next morning for an online church service with friends, prompting her daughter Annie to check on her. Blood was found near the doorstep, and evidence indicated she had been taken against her will, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said. She was reported missing Feb. 1.

Investigators believe she was abducted in the middle of the night, possibly while in her pajamas and without shoes. "She couldn't walk 50 yards by herself," Nanos has repeatedly stated, ruling out the possibility that the medically fragile woman with a pacemaker wandered off voluntarily. The FBI quickly joined the probe, citing its suspicious nature.

Doorbell camera footage released by authorities showed a masked, armed individual at Guthrie's doorstep on the night of the disappearance. Additional images from Jan. 11 — three weeks earlier — captured a similar masked figure, raising questions about whether the abduction was targeted and planned.

Savannah Guthrie, 54, has described the family's anguish in emotional interviews. In her first television appearance since the abduction, she told co-host Hoda Kotb she believes the initial ransom notes the family received and responded to were likely authentic. She has blamed herself at times, noting the home was her childhood residence and expressing regret over not being there more often. The family offered a $1 million reward for information leading to her mother's return or the arrest of those responsible.

Sheriff Nanos has said authorities believe they know the motive and that the kidnapping was likely targeted, though he stopped short of providing details to protect the investigation. He cleared all Guthrie family members, including Savannah and her siblings and their spouses, as suspects early on, calling them "victims in this case" who have been fully cooperative.

Despite an intense search involving federal agents, local deputies, volunteers and thousands of tips, no arrests have been made and Nancy Guthrie has not been found. DNA evidence recovered at the scene, including from a glove, has not yielded a breakthrough; one sample matched an unrelated restaurant worker. Other leads, including surveillance footage reviewed from the area, produced no significant suspects.

Earlier ransom notes and communications have added to the mystery. Some demanded large sums, while others offered information for cryptocurrency. The FBI has treated certain initial notes as potentially credible, though many tips have led to dead ends. A person previously detained with his mother in a SWAT raid near the home was released without charges and has publicly denied any involvement.

As the case enters its third month — now more than 67 days since she was last seen — experts say the passage of time complicates the investigation. Retired FBI agents and private investigators have noted that elderly victims with medical needs face heightened risks, and some have speculated that a medical emergency could have altered the kidnappers' plans if the abduction was intended for ransom.

Pima County Sheriff's officials and the FBI continue to describe the case as active, with forensic analysis ongoing. Tips have slowed, but authorities urge anyone with information to come forward. Neighbors were previously asked to share security footage from the weeks surrounding the disappearance.

Savannah Guthrie returned to "Today" on April 6, appearing stoic during the morning broadcast alongside Craig Melvin before becoming emotional greeting supporters on the plaza who wore yellow ribbons in honor of her mother. "It's good to be home," she said simply at the top of the show. She has split time between New York and Tucson in recent weeks while remaining involved in the search.

The case has drawn intense media attention, in part because of Savannah Guthrie's prominence as a beloved television journalist. It has also highlighted the vulnerabilities of elderly residents living alone, even in seemingly safe neighborhoods. Some analysts have pointed to possible early investigative missteps, including an initial assumption by some responders that Nancy Guthrie might have simply wandered away, though officials have pushed back on claims of major errors.

Speculation has ranged widely online and in cable news panels, from theories of a botched ransom plot to questions about whether the perpetrator knew the home's layout or was interrupted by a neighbor's dog. No theory has been confirmed.

Nanos warned in March that the unknown suspect could strike again, urging vigilance in the community. He has expressed frustration with armchair detectives and false tips that have revictimized the family.

As of Thursday, no new official updates had been released by the Pima County Sheriff's Department or FBI beyond the TMZ-reported notes. The latest communications have reignited public interest, with many questioning whether they represent a genuine lead or another cruel hoax targeting a grieving family.

Nancy Guthrie, a mother of three and grandmother, was described by family as vibrant and faithful despite her health challenges. Friends and relatives have continued holding vigils and sharing memories, clinging to hope even as grim possibilities mount.

The FBI and local authorities have asked the public to report any information, no matter how small, to a dedicated tip line. The $1 million family reward remains active for credible information leading to resolution of the case.

For now, the search for Nancy Guthrie continues in the Arizona desert and beyond, with investigators chasing every lead while her daughter balances public duty with private heartbreak. The new notes claiming her death have only deepened the anguish for a family and a nation still waiting for answers in one of the most puzzling abduction cases in recent memory.