The mystery surrounding Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance has taken yet another twist after a new message surfaced claiming to contain evidence tied to her alleged kidnappers. But Arizona investigators aren’t convinced the latest communication is the breakthrough it claims to be.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos is now publicly casting doubt on the newest demand letter, saying authorities believe it may be just another fake in a case that has already generated multiple misleading tips and alleged ransom notes.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos says investigators believe the latest Nancy Guthrie demand letter is another fake
The latest email, first reported by TMZ, allegedly came from the same person behind previous messages claiming knowledge of what happened to Savannah Guthrie’s mother, Nancy Guthrie, who has been missing since February.
According to the outlet, the sender claimed to possess a phone containing “a short video of the main guy with Nancy the day that was probably her last,” along with photographs, names, and addresses of two alleged kidnappers. The email also demanded one Bitcoin in exchange for the phone’s password. TMZ said it forwarded the message to the FBI and asked the sender to provide a single image of Nancy to help authenticate the claims.
Sheriff Chris Nanos, however, isn’t buying it.
Speaking on the June 26 episode of The Buckmaster Show on Tucson’s 1030 KVOI AM, Nanos said, “I think the FBI has done a number of arrests for false or fake ransom notes. I think we’re looking at another one of those today with what’s been reported. But we’ll let the FBI do their work.”
Nanos added that while public interest has helped keep the investigation active, false claims have complicated the search.
“It is a shame that these types of events occur,” he said. “People have great interest, and that’s good because it helps us, but then it gets really abused. People who call in fake ransom notes… they get out and disturb, in this case, an entire neighborhood.”
The sheriff’s comments come days after NBC News reported that investigators were reviewing a second letter sent to media outlets claiming Nancy had died. Unlike an earlier message that requested cryptocurrency for her release, the newer letter reportedly did not ask for money. NBC reported that both communications were being examined and were initially considered potentially credible.
Earlier this month, Savannah Guthrie made an emotional plea on Today, asking viewers to help locate her mother. “We’re begging for your help,” Savannah said. “We love our mom, and we’ll never stop looking for her, ever,” according to Today.
For now, investigators continue to work alongside the FBI while urging the public to report credible information and avoid spreading unverified claims.
TELL US – DO YOU THINK INVESTIGATORS ARE RIGHT TO TREAT THESE LATEST DEMAND LETTERS WITH SKEPTICISM UNTIL THEY CAN BE VERIFIED?