Nancy Guthrie Update: Second Ransom Note Claimed Savannah's Missing Mother Died and Was 'Buried in Nature'

A second ransom note connected to the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, mother of "Today" show co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, indicated that the 84-year-old had died shortly after she was abducted from her Tucson, Arizona, home in February, according to multiple news organizations that reported on the note's contents this week.

Nancy Guthrie was kidnapped from her home in Catalina Foothills, a suburb of Tucson, on February 1, 2026. Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said he believed she had been abducted, and a multi-agency investigation involving the Pima County Sheriff's Department, the FBI and U.S. Customs and Border Protection has included forensic analysis, neighborhood canvassing and a review of surveillance footage. Bloodstains found at the scene were confirmed to be Nancy's.

She was last seen at her home on the evening of Saturday, January 31, 2026, after her son-in-law, Tommaso Cioni, dropped her off at approximately 9:50 p.m. Cioni, who is married to Guthrie's daughter Annie, is the last known person to have seen her. When she failed to appear for a scheduled livestream of a church service the next morning, a member of her congregation alerted the family, who went to check on her, searched the property, and found no sign of her before calling 911 around noon. Deputies who responded noted that Guthrie's phone and other essential belongings, including her medications, were left behind in the home.

Ransom demands followed within days

In the days after she vanished, multiple ransom notes of undetermined origin demanded payment in cryptocurrency, with two deadlines that had already passed by February 9. The first note demanded a ransom of millions of dollars. In a video released on February 7, Savannah Guthrie said, "we will pay," and the ransom demand was later reported at $6 million with a deadline of 5 p.m. on February 9.

On February 24, the family offered $1 million for information that helps in her recovery. The FBI later released a surveillance photo on February 10 showing a potential subject in the investigation.

The second note's contents stayed private for months

A ransom note reportedly sent on February 6, 2026, claimed that Nancy died shortly after her kidnapping, but law enforcement asked that its contents be kept private so as not to interfere with the investigation. The note was not revealed publicly until June 22, 2026.

According to law enforcement sources who spoke to CNN, the note said, in essence, that the kidnapping "wasn't intended to work this way" but that "in the course of the kidnapping some things happened and Nancy Guthrie is dead," according to CNN Chief Law Enforcement and Intelligence Analyst John Miller. Investigators believed both the ransom note and the note describing her death were legitimate communications from whoever took her.

NBC News reported additional detail on the note's contents. Three people familiar with the matter told NBC News that the note indicated Nancy had died but contained no apology for allegedly taking her and made no request for payment for the release of her body.

A specific phrase from the note also circulated this week. A source close to the investigation told NewsNation correspondent Brian Entin that the note said Nancy died and was "buried with nature now," and that the note indicated her death was not intentional, though it did not include a direct apology. Authorities have not publicly confirmed the note's authenticity.

Law enforcement told Tucson station KOLD that the two notes received by the Guthrie family are believed to have come from the same person. While the notes were not sent from the same IP address, the sender appeared to have used the same type of secure server to conceal it, according to KOLD reporter Mary Coleman.

News outlets held back details for months

Several news organizations that received the notes said they delayed publishing their contents out of concern for the investigation and the family. KOLD's Coleman wrote on Facebook that the station "held off on sharing the contents of the notes" because it "wanted no part in compromising the investigation and out of respect for the family."

The notes were sent to Tucson media outlets that investigators deemed potentially credible, and the FBI attempted to trace their origin. Shortly after receiving the second note, Savannah Guthrie posted a statement on Instagram on February 7 saying, "We received your message and we understand."

Questions about additional alleged communications also surfaced this week. TMZ founder Harvey Levin said in a video that his outlet received an early note saying Guthrie was "scared but OK," but he said claims that TMZ had received a separate ransom note containing an apology to the Guthrie family were false.

Investigation remains active

The Pima County Sheriff's Department told CNN this week that the investigation remains "active and ongoing," and referred further questions about the ransom notes to the FBI. The FBI has recovered doorbell camera images of an armed and masked man outside Guthrie's home on the morning of her disappearance and has described that man as a suspect.

As of June 25, 2026, Nancy Guthrie has not been located, and the case has drawn international attention, with Savannah Guthrie suspending her broadcasting duties, including coverage of the 2026 Winter Olympics, to take part in the search before later returning to "Today."

Savannah Guthrie has repeatedly appealed to the public for help. On June 23, she said on "Today," "No matter how much I try to come out here every day and smile and find that joy, and I will, I promise I will, this is a moment to tell you that we need your help. We're begging for your help, and I'm not going to miss that opportunity. And so please if you're watching, no matter how small, the reward is there. You can tell us, it can be anonymous. Please do the right thing for us, for our family, for our children. We love our mom, and we'll never stop looking for her, ever."

Anyone with information has been urged to contact the FBI at 1-800-225-5324.

A separate, unverified lead emerged from outside the official investigation. Ramona Guadalupe Ayala Ortiz, leader of the Mexican missing-persons group Buscando Corazones Nogales, told the newspaper El Imparcial that her organization received an anonymous tip on June 10 claiming Nancy's remains were buried near the U.S.-Mexico border, prompting a search of the area. "We received an anonymous call telling us that the woman's remains were in the Mariposa area in a grave over a stream," Ayala Ortiz said, "and this time we came to explore this stream that we failed to explore in the first intervention." No trace of Nancy Guthrie has been found, despite the group uncovering more than 20 unmarked graves during its search.

Investigators have not publicly tied that tip to the case, and no arrests have been announced. Authorities continue to ask anyone with information about Nancy Guthrie's disappearance to come forward.