Anonymous tipsters claim seeing Nancy Guthrie alive in Mexico, while earlier messages said she was dead. The latest anonymous notes also repeat a bitcoin demand for information about the kidnappers, and investigators have not confirmed either claim.
Anonymous notes sent to TMZ on Monday and Tuesday said the sender could identify the people involved in Guthrie's abduction in exchange for 1 bitcoin. In the newer message, the sender claimed, "I saw her alive with them in the state of Sonora, Mexico," while the earlier note said, "she is dead".
The case centers on Nancy Guthrie, the mother of NBC host Savannah Guthrie, who was reported abducted from her Tucson-area home in February. TMZ said the first ransom note demanded a large bitcoin payment and referenced items connected to the home, while the sender later raised the demand and said they wanted payment in stages.
Law enforcement has not publicly verified the notes. The Pima County Sheriff's Department said it was aware of reports about possible ransom notes and that all tips were being routed to detectives working with the FBI.
Read more: Nancy Guthrie Likely Brought to Mexico by Kidnappers and May Have Died in Trip, Veteran Cop Says
Earlier reporting showed investigators were treating the disappearance as a serious kidnapping case and looking at leads near the Arizona-Mexico border, the BBC reported.
The Los Angeles Times reported that detectives were examining forensic evidence and other traces from the home while also coordinating with Mexican authorities because of the region's closeness to Sonora.
The new letter claims the sender saw Guthrie in Sonora, but no public agency has confirmed that sighting. TMZ also reported that the FBI appeared unconvinced the message was authentic, noting there was no bitcoin transfer to the related wallet. At current prices, 1 bitcoin is worth $68,907.29, as per the Los Angeles Times.
