Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of Today Show anchor Savannah Guthrie, had died after her abduction at the end of January, according to investigators interviewed by CNN, citing a note sent to the media shortly after her abduction.
The note reportedly followed an initial ransom letter demanding millions of dollars in Bitcoin in exchange for Guthrie’s return. The second note explained that Nancy had died shortly after she was abducted, though not the kidnappers’ intent, according to investigators interviewed by CNN.
On February 7, the Guthrie family responded to the abductors.
“We received your message, and we understand," they said in a statement
Only CNN and a local news station in Tucson, Arizona, where she lived, were reported to have known about the second letter.
Guthrie’s remains have still not been recovered; however, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department told reporters that the investigation “remains active and ongoing.”
“The Pima County Sheriff's Department continues to work closely with the FBI as investigators follow up on leads, review information, and pursue the facts surrounding this case,” a spokesperson for the sheriff's department said.
CBS reported that law enforcement asked media outlets to refrain from publishing details of the notes while officials investigated Guthrie’s disappearance.
When did Nancy Guthrie’s disappear?
Nancy Guthrie was reported missing in January, after she was dropped off by relatives on a Saturday and missed an online church service the next day.
The initial ransom letter, demanding millions of dollars in bitcoin, was sent to Nancy’s daughter, NBC’s Today Show anchor Savannah Guthrie.
Only now has it become public knowledge that a second note was sent to the family and media outlets in February apologizing for the unintended death of Nancy Guthrie, who was reportedly in poor health at the time.
Savannah Guthrie stepped away from the Today Show for two months, returning in late April, as the investigation into her mother’s abduction continued.