Nancy Guthrie Sheriff Says Released Ransom Notes Could 'Jog Somebody' as Search for Missing 84-Year-Old Continues
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said releasing the ransom notes could help generate new leads in Nancy Guthrie's disappearance.
Aug. 2 2026, Published 2:50 p.m. ET
The sheriff investigating Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance defended releasing two ransom notes, saying they could help solve the six-month case, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said investigators hope someone recognizes the language or details and comes forward with information about the 84-year-old’s abduction.
Sheriff Says Notes Could Trigger New Leads
Authorities made public two ransom notes sent days after Nancy Guthrie was abducted from her Tucson home.
In a video shared on X on August 1, Nanos explained why investigators decided the time was right to release the letters in full after months of keeping them under wraps.
"We just saw what was being said, and we felt like we needed to put something out that's really accurate, and this was the time," Nanos said.
"Investigators felt like there's a number of pieces of information in these notes that it just might jog someone to say, 'I've heard that,' or [recognize] the wording, the style of the writing. It might jog somebody to think about who would've written this, how was this done?" he shared.
He added: "My investigators, we look at it, and clearly there's things in there that are very concerning to our investigative team. So we hope that by releasing the actual note we'll get some response from the community."
The first letter claimed Nancy Guthrie was alive and being held for ransom, demanding payment for her safe return.
Ransom Notes Contained Chilling Claims
A second note sent days later alleged Nancy Guthrie had died unintentionally from a heart-related condition.
Authorities released the full text of two letters on July 31. The notes were originally sent to multiple news outlets on February 2 — one day after Nancy vanished from her Tucson, Arizona, home — and again on February 6.
The first note, addressed directly to Nancy's daughter, Today host Savannah Guthrie, claimed the missing grandmother was alive.
"Hello Savannah, We have your mother Nancy," the letter read. "She is safe but scared. She will be held for ransom, and once payment is received she will be released unharmed."
Days later, a second note painted a far darker picture, claiming Nancy had died shortly after being abducted.
"We did not fully grasp the seriousness of her physical condition," the anonymous sender wrote. "We never intended to hurt her; that was not our intention. She perished shortly after she was taken. We believe it was heart-related."
The note continued: "She is buried in nature now. Nothing you could have done could have changed the outcome. We want your family to know this and hope you all can find peace. We are truly sorry."
'Someone Knows Something'
Sheriff Chris Nanos said investigators hope the wording and writing style in the letters will 'jog somebody's' memory.
Nanos stressed the investigation remains active despite entering its sixth month, revealing detectives are still combing through mountains of evidence.
"We think somebody knows something. We hope that by releasing some of this information, it will jog somebody," he said.
"A lot of people have called us with information. We also know a lot of people are hesitant to do so... Someone knows who this person is, someone knows something — we want that person to call us."
The sheriff added investigators still have "a lot of work ahead," including analyzing forensic evidence, reviewing "thousands and thousands of videos [and] photos," and following up on "tens of thousands of tips."
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Fox News Analyst Shares Grim Theory
Fox News legal analyst Donna Rotunno said she believes Nancy Guthrie likely died within hours of being abducted.
As investigators continue searching for answers, Fox News legal analyst Donna Rotunno shared her bleak assessment of what she believes likely happened to Nancy after the ransom notes were made public.
Speaking on The Big Weekend Show on Saturday, Rotunno said, per Mediaite: "I think that she was dead in the very few hours — I'm not so sure she was alive when they sent that Feb. 2 letter, to be frank."
"If you believe the letters are authentic," Rotunno continued, "the first letter comes Feb. 2... and then four days later they send a letter saying she has perished and we didn't mean for it to happen."
"So, the odds are, the woman with her condition, at her age, being terrified, and the fear she must have felt being pulled out of her home," she said.
