A new letter demanding Bitcoin surfaced Monday claiming that Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of TODAY show anchor Savannah Guthrie, is alive and being held in the Mexican state of Sonora. TMZ reported it received the note and forwarded it to the FBI.
Nancy disappeared from her Arizona home without a trace on February 1. She was last seen entering her $1 million home on the evening of January 31 after having dinner with her daughter, Annie, and son-in-law, Tommaso Cioni. She was reported missing the next morning after failing to attend a virtual church service with friends.
No one has been arrested. Only a few people have been taken in for questioning. The Guthrie family has offered a $1 million reward for information leading to her recovery.
The letter TMZ claimed to receive is the latest in a series of ransom notes that have tormented the Guthrie family since Nancy's disappearance. This one demanded one bitcoin for information, with a payment structure involving half a bitcoin, and claimed Nancy had been out of the United States for five years, the Daily Mail reported. It referenced the date of February 11.
The notes have been a source of anguish layered on top of an already devastating situation. Savannah reportedly told Kotb she believed two of the notes were genuine. Whether this latest message is a legitimate communication from whoever took Nancy or just another act of predatory cruelty directed at a grieving family remains unknown.
The FBI previously released images of a potential suspect at Nancy's door on the night she vanished. Ten days after she was reported missing, the bureau released additional photos and videos of the potential suspect. And yet, months later, the case remains open with no arrests.
The timing of the note coincided with Guthrie's return to the TODAY show after a two-month hiatus. She arrived at Rockefeller Plaza around 8:30 a.m. ET Monday and was visibly emotional as she rejoined her colleagues.
Guthrie cried as she was welcomed back on air, wiping away tears with co-host Al Roker's handkerchief and locking arms with co-host Jenna Bush Hager. She sobbed as she met with those who had gathered outside the Manhattan studio.
"These signs are so beautiful, you guys have been so beautiful. I've received so many letters, so much kindness to me and my whole family."
She told the crowd she could feel their prayers and told them simply, "I love you."
At the studio desk, co-host Craig Melvin placed a protective hand on top of Savannah's and offered a straightforward welcome: "It's good to have you home." Guthrie collected herself and pivoted to work. "Well, ready or not, here we go, let's read the news."
There is something admirable in that. A woman whose mother vanished under circumstances that suggest abduction, who has been subjected to what may be psychologically torturous ransom demands, chose to sit down in front of millions of people and do her job. Whatever your feelings about morning television or NBC's editorial choices, that took backbone.
The claim that an 84-year-old woman was taken from her Arizona home and spirited into the Mexican state of Sonora should unsettle everyone. Whether or not this particular note is credible, the claim itself reflects a reality that border-state residents live with daily: proximity to a border that remains porous and to criminal networks that operate across it with relative impunity.
Arizona is ground zero for border security debates precisely because the consequences of failed enforcement don't stay abstract there. They show up in missing persons cases, in cartel activity that bleeds northward, in communities that feel abandoned by a federal government more interested in litigating terminology than protecting citizens.
Nancy Guthrie's disappearance has received national attention because of her daughter's fame. Thousands of families along the southern border corridor deal with crime, threats, and loss that never make the morning shows. The spotlight here is warranted. It should also illuminate the cases that don't come with a $1 million reward and a network platform.
NBC is said to have created a comprehensive plan to help Savannah return, though no details have been provided. It remains unclear what will happen if there is an update about Nancy's case just before Guthrie goes on air or while she is hosting live.
For now, the FBI has the latest letter. The family has its faith and its reward offer. And Savannah Guthrie has her anchor desk, which may be the only thing in her life right now that feels like solid ground.