Federal investigators have concluded that every known message purportedly linked to the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of “Today” show co-host Savannah Guthrie, is not genuine, an FBI official told Reuters on Tuesday. The determination covers three communications: two ransom notes reported in early February, shortly after Guthrie vanished, and a more recent message from an individual claiming to know the kidnappers’ identities. “None of the ransom notes are believed to be genuine,” the FBI official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the investigation remains active.
A second law enforcement source familiar with the matter confirmed the FBI assessment.
FBI Finding Raises Questions About Core Premise of Case
The disclosure that all three notes have been discounted as fakes calls into question the fundamental assumption that Nancy Guthrie was abducted with the intent to collect a ransom. Two of the messages had been widely reported as direct communications from her alleged captors.
The third note, received later, purported to offer insider knowledge of the kidnappers. With none of these believed to be authentic, investigators now face a case that may lack the clearest motive originally attached to it. All three messages were initially delivered to various media outlets, including the celebrity news site TMZ.com, before being turned over to authorities for forensic review.
The FBI’s assessment, based on analysis of the materials, led to the conclusion that none of the notes are credible. The official did not disclose the specific techniques or evidence that led to that determination, but the finding has been confirmed by a second law enforcement source.
Local Investigation Continues With Forensic Work
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department remains the lead agency in the overall investigation. A spokesperson for the department, Angelica Carrillo, declined to comment on the FBI’s assessment, citing an agreement to refer all inquiries about ransom notes to federal authorities.
“We don’t have any updates, other than this is still an active investigation,” Carrillo said. She added that DNA samples and video evidence collected in the case “remain under forensic analysis.” Those forensic results could provide crucial information regardless of the authenticity of the notes. Savannah Guthrie, 54, who has co-anchored NBC’s “Today” show for years, has referenced ransom demands in her public statements regarding her mother’s disappearance.
However, the source material does not specify her response to the FBI’s conclusion that those demands were part of fraudulent communications. The case has drawn widespread attention due to Guthrie’s prominent role in national television news.
Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Role in Abduction Cases
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is the principal federal law enforcement and domestic intelligence agency of the United States. Created in 1908 as the Bureau of Investigation, it received its current name in 1935.
The agency operates under the Justice Department and answers to the attorney general and the director of national intelligence. Over time, the FBI became the lead body for probing violations of federal criminal law across a broad range of offenses, including kidnappings that cross state lines or involve ransom demands transmitted through interstate commerce. The FBI maintains field offices in major cities and smaller communities, giving it a presence across the country for cases that require federal resources.
It also runs attaché offices at U.S. missions abroad to coordinate with foreign police and security services, though those offices generally work with local authorities rather than acting independently. In a case such as a reported abduction with ransom demands, the FBI’s role reflects its authority over federal crimes and its capacity to assess evidence sent through public channels.
A federal finding that messages are inauthentic can reshape how an investigation is framed, even when local officers remain in charge of the broader case. That appears to be the situation here, with Pima County leading the inquiry while relying on the FBI’s analysis of the ransom notes.
