A ransom note sent to TMZ claimed that Nancy Guthrie, the missing 84-year-old mother of NBC “Today” co-host Savannah Guthrie, is “safe but scared,” according to the outlet. The note, sent two days after Nancy Guthrie was reported missing, demanded millions of dollars in bitcoin and warned of “consequential” repercussions if the demands were not met.
TMZ founder Harvey Levin said the message indicated that Guthrie was aware of the demands being made for her release, The New York Post reported.
“The letter begins by saying she is safe but scared, and they go on to say she knows exactly what the demand is,” Levin told Sean Hannity on Fox News Thursday night.
“They are, through us, telling the family exactly what they are demanding, and they are saying that Nancy is aware of it,” Levin said.
Levin said the note claimed it would be the kidnappers’ only communication and that negotiations would not continue.
“They are also saying this will be their only communication and they are done communicating and negotiating,” he said.
Levin said details in the note led him to believe Guthrie was still in the Tucson area, though he declined to elaborate.
He said the message referenced insider details about the case, including information about Guthrie’s Apple Watch and a damaged floodlight at her home.
Levin said those details had not been publicly disclosed at the time the note was sent, prompting concern about its authenticity.
“That was what really put my antenna up and we immediately called the sheriff,” Levin told Erin Burnett on CNN.
Levin said the note also included information about the placement of Guthrie’s Apple Watch that had not been publicly released.
“If that placement is accurate, I’m sure that is something that puts this letter on the FBI radar,” he said.
Authorities have said they are taking the note seriously. It was not immediately clear whether all of the notes contained identical information. Fox News reported Friday, however, that Guthrie may no longer be in the Tucson area.
Heith Janke, head of the FBI’s Phoenix office, said some notes included a Thursday evening deadline for payment and a second deadline set for Monday.
A separate note sent to KOLD-TV included details believed to be known only to the abductor, anchor Mary Coleman told CNN.
“When we saw some of those details, it was clear after a couple of sentences that this might not be a hoax,” Coleman said.
The developments followed public pleas from Savannah Guthrie and her siblings, who said they were willing to communicate but wanted proof their mother was alive.
Authorities said no suspects or persons of interest have been identified.
“Right now, we believe Nancy is still out there. We want her home,” Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said Thursday.
Nanos said investigators believe Guthrie may have been targeted but have not determined whether her disappearance is connected to her daughter’s national profile.
Investigators said Guthrie was last seen Saturday night when family members dropped her off at her home. Just before 2 a.m. Sunday, the home’s doorbell camera was disconnected, according to authorities. At 2:28 a.m., the application linked to Guthrie’s pacemaker disconnected from her phone, officials said.
A tow truck was seen removing a vehicle from Guthrie’s driveway Friday evening as the investigation continued. The vehicle appeared to be an SUV, and FBI agents were earlier seen examining a blue SUV inside the garage.
Authorities did not immediately explain why the vehicle was removed.
Fox News Digital later observed the tow truck traveling with a sheriff’s department escort.
President Donald Trump said Friday that significant developments had occurred in recent hours and that he believed answers could soon emerge.
Sen. Mark Kelly, a Democrat from Arizona, visited the Pima County Sheriff’s Department on Friday.
“I stopped by the @PimaSheriff Department to drop off some coffee and donuts and thank Sheriff Nanos and all the deputies for their dedication,” Kelly wrote on X.