Nearly eight months after Nancy Guthrie vanished from her Arizona home, investigators are examining another possible ransom note in a case that has already produced a string of mysterious messages, suspected extortion attempts and unanswered questions.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department confirmed Monday that the joint PCSD-FBI Guthrie Task Force had recently been alerted to what authorities described only as a “new possible ransom note.”
Investigators have not said who received the message, when it arrived or what it allegedly demands.
They also have not determined whether it is genuine.
“The PCSD/FBI Guthrie Task Force was recently made aware of a new possible ransom note related to the Nancy Guthrie investigation,” the sheriff’s department said.
Authorities added that investigators were aware of social media discussions surrounding the alleged note and were working to determine whether the information was credible.
The development represents one of the latest publicly disclosed leads in the disappearance of the 84-year-old mother of “Today” co-anchor Savannah Guthrie.
But investigators are approaching it cautiously.
A Pima County Sheriff’s Department spokesperson told Scripps News there was “some skepticism” surrounding the latest message.
That caution is significant because investigators have received numerous ransom-related communications since Nancy disappeared — and authorities say not all of them have been legitimate.
The FBI said in July that investigators had received several ransom notes during the case.
“Some have been deemed to be extortion attempts without legitimacy,” the bureau said at the time, while other ransom demands were considered potentially legitimate and remained under investigation.
The FBI emphasized that the disappearance continued to be investigated as a kidnapping-for-ransom case.
Nancy was last seen at her home in the Catalina Foothills area outside Tucson on the evening of Jan. 31.
She was reported missing the following day after she failed to attend church.
Investigators have said they believe she was taken against her will.
The case soon escalated into a major kidnapping investigation involving the Pima County Sheriff’s Department and FBI.
One of the most important pieces of evidence released publicly is surveillance footage showing a masked individual outside Nancy’s home around the time she disappeared.
According to the FBI, the individual appeared to tamper with a camera at Nancy’s front door. Federal investigators have said the person was armed and have asked the public for help identifying them.
Despite the widespread attention surrounding the case, authorities have not publicly identified a suspect or announced an arrest connected to Nancy’s disappearance.
The newly reported message is not the first ransom communication connected to the investigation.
Two notes that surfaced shortly after Nancy disappeared were eventually released publicly by investigators in July.
According to the Associated Press, the first was sent Feb. 2 and claimed Nancy was alive but frightened. It demanded $4 million in cryptocurrency in exchange for her safe return.
A second communication arrived Feb. 6 and contained a dramatically different message, claiming Nancy had died shortly after being abducted.
Authorities have never publicly confirmed that claim, and Nancy’s fate remains unknown.
The conflicting messages became another mystery for investigators trying to separate genuine information from people attempting to exploit the high-profile case.
Federal authorities have acknowledged that some communications received during the investigation were fraudulent.
In one case, California man Derrick Callella pleaded guilty in July to harassment charges after sending bogus ransom-related messages to members of the Guthrie family, according to CBS News.
That history helps explain why investigators are being careful about the latest alleged note rather than immediately treating it as a breakthrough.
Savannah Guthrie and her family have repeatedly appealed directly to anyone who may know what happened to Nancy.
In a message marking six months since her mother disappeared, Savannah said the family remained determined to bring her home.
“We will never stop looking for her,” she said.
Savannah also directed an emotional appeal toward whoever may have information about her mother, asking them to help investigators find her.
“Make the right choice,” she said. “Help us find her. Tell us where to look for her.”
The Guthrie family is offering a $1 million reward for information leading to Nancy’s recovery.
The FBI is separately offering up to $100,000 for information leading to Nancy’s location and/or the arrest and conviction of anyone responsible for her disappearance.
For now, the newest ransom note remains exactly what investigators have called it — a possible piece of evidence.
Authorities have not released its contents and have not confirmed reports circulating online about who allegedly received it or what the sender may have demanded.
Investigators will now have to determine whether the message contains information that could only be known by someone connected to Nancy’s disappearance or whether it is another attempt to capitalize on the case.
Nearly eight months after Nancy vanished, the central questions remain unanswered: who took her, why she was targeted and where she is now.
Anyone with information can contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI. The FBI continues to ask for information that could identify the person seen in surveillance footage outside Nancy’s home around the time of her disappearance.
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