'Hello Savannah, We Have Your Mother': Nancy Guthrie's First Eerie Ransom Note Revealed as Elderly Woman Remains Missing
The entire contents of the first Nancy Guthrie ransom note have been revealed.
July 23 2026, Published 7:40 p.m. ET
The chilling alleged ransom note about Nancy Guthrie's kidnapping opened with a greeting to her daughter, Today host Savannah Guthrie, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
"I think you guys deserve to know everything that I know, no holding back," reporter and Crime Junkie podcast host Briana Whitney told viewers on July 23, while going on to share the contents of the first note.
'Hello Savannah, We Have Your Mother Nancy'
Briana Whitney read aloud the first ransom note on her 'Crime Junkies' podcast.
"There's been parts that people know, but I don't think they know all of the verbiage. And I think this is very important because it sets the tone for what was about to come. So I'm going to read you part of it," Whitney told co-host Ashley Flowers about the ransom note sent on February 2, the day after Nancy was abducted from her Tucson, Arizona, home.
"Hello Savannah. We have your mother, Nancy," the terrifying letter began.
"She is safe but scared. She will be held for ransom, and once payment is received, she will be released unharmed. We will be holding her for a maximum of seven days," Whitney continued as she read from her laptop.
Curious Details In First Ransom Note Revealed
Whitney pointed out that the letter only addressed Savannah Guthrie and not her siblings.
Whitney went on to point out a curious detail in the note: whoever wrote it asked for millions in "US dollars," which isn't something most people in America would include.
The former Phoenix TV news reporter added, "Then they get pretty demanding and snarky in the way they address Savannah. And mind you, that's also important. They're addressing only Savannah. They don't say 'the Guthrie family.'"
The note went on to read, "Once payment is received to the Bitcoin address below, she will be released within 12 hours and dropped off at a safe location back in Tucson," indicating she had been taken out of the city.
Ransom Note Told Savannah Guthrie Her Mom's Life Was 'In Your Hands'
The ransom letter warned Savannah Guthrie 'Do not play games.'
The note told Savannah that if payment wasn't received by the final deadline of February 9 at 5:00 p.m., "she will be killed. Your mother is aware of this, and her life is in your hands."
It went on to add, "It is in the best interest of everyone to have this completed as soon as possible."
"You will not be able to contact me from here on out. There will be no negotiation. Do not play games," the alleged kidnapper warned, telling Savannah, "Law enforcement will not be able to help you."
At the bottom of the letter was a Bitcoin wallet and address where the funds were to be deposited.
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A masked man was seen at Nancy Guthrie's door within the hour that she was abducted.
The note also gave details that suggested the abductor had been at Nancy's home, sharing that the frail grandmother's white smartwatch was on the floor at the foot of the bed, and pointing out that a backyard floodlight had been destroyed.
At the time, the letters were sent to two local Tucson TV news stations, as well as TMZ.
NBC News reported on June 22 that a second note from the kidnappers claimed Nancy died shortly after she had been taken from her home.
TMZ claimed on February 13 that they received a third letter appearing to be from someone who could identify the kidnappers in exchange for money. Savannah and her family later offered a $1million reward for Nancy's recovery in late February, but it has not produced any leads.
While the FBI has not officially stated that the letters are fake, a bureau official told Reuters on June 30, "None of the ransom notes are believed to be genuine."
A second law enforcement source with knowledge of the case backed the FBI's conclusion that the ransom notes did not appear to be credible.
Nancy has been missing for nearly six months with no clues as to where she was taken and what her fate was. A Nest doorbell camera showed a masked man armed with a gun at her front door in the hour she went missing, but he was never identified by authorities.
