TUCSON, Ariz. – Two news outlets received possible ransom notes relating to Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance, which reportedly contain “sensitive information” that may only have been known to the person who took her.
Information about the contents of those notes has trickled out after they were received Monday evening and Tuesday morning, respectively.
On Thursday night, TMZ’s Harvey Levin spoke with Fox News’ Sean Hannity on “Hannity,” and provided more insight into the alleged ransom note his newsroom received.
“The letter begins by saying she is safe, but scared, and they go on to say she knows exactly what the demand is,” he said. “And so they are, you know, through us, telling the family and obviously the sheriff’s department gave the family the letter we received, exactly what they’re demanding, and they’re saying that Nancy is aware of it.”
He said the contents of the note also made him believe that the person who wrote it is in the Tucson area.
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“There is a phrase in this email that absolutely makes me believe this person who wrote this, and if they’re telling the truth, that Nancy is within a radius of the Tucson area — not in Tucson right now, but in a radius. It could be New Mexico. I don’t know how far, but I think at least what the authorities have is they’ve got a radius, and that’s something.”
He also confirmed that the note included a demand for money in the form of Bitcoin.
Early Friday afternoon, Levin released a video drawing a radius around Tucson where he believes, based on information gleaned from the ransom note, Guthrie is possibly being held.
During a press conference on Thursday afternoon, Heith Janke, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Phoenix field office, divulged why the FBI believes that at least one of the notes is legitimate.
“Because this was the ransom that came in, and it had facts associated with a deadline, with a monetary value they were asking for,” he said.
“Yeah, the ransom itself. One talked about an Apple Watch and one talked about a floodlight,” he continued. “And we’re not going to go into specifics. It’s very important that we keep this investigation moving forward.”
Authorities have not confirmed whether the notes, one sent to local CBS affiliate KOLD and one sent to TMZ, share the same contents.
Fox News Digital found two possible floodlights on Guthrie’s property, which is located in a dark residential area in Tucson.
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Later on Thursday night, TMZ’s Harvey Levin spoke with Fox News’ Sean Hannity on “Hannity,” and provided more insight into the alleged ransom note his newsroom received.
“The letter begins by saying she is safe, but scared, and they go on to say she knows exactly what the demand is,” he said. “And so they are, you know, through us, telling the family and obviously the sheriff’s department gave the family the letter we received, exactly what they’re demanding, and they’re saying that Nancy is aware of it.”
He said the contents of the note also made him believe that the person who wrote it is in the Tucson area.
He also confirmed that the note included a demand for money in the form of Bitcoin.
Guthrie, 84, was last seen at her Tucson home at around 9:30 p.m. Saturday, according to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department.
Police also said in the Thursday press conference that they have not identified a suspect in the case, but that they’re looking into everyone who had contact with Guthrie.
While officials didn’t initially elaborate on the circumstances of her disappearance, Sheriff Chris Nanos said on Monday that “we do, in fact, have a crime.” A law enforcement source told Fox News Digital that there were “blood drops” leading from the entryway outside down the house’s pathway towards the driveway.
A Pima County Sheriff’s Office official told Fox News Digital on Monday that officials believe Nancy Guthrie was either kidnapped or abducted.
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“Sheriff [Chris] Nanos has stated that he believes that a crime has been committed,” a spokesperson for Pima County Sheriff’s Office told Fox News Digital. “At this point, investigators believe she was taken from the home against her will and that includes possible kidnapping or abduction.”
Following Tuesday’s news conference by the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, TMZ and Tucson’s CBS affiliate both reported receiving possible ransom notes related to Nancy Guthrie. The Pima County Sheriff’s Department said it was “aware” of the possible ransom note and would be investigating it further.
TMZ reported receiving a possible ransom note that demanded millions of dollars be sent in cryptocurrency to a specific Bitcoin address. The note allegedly contained a deadline. The note TMZ received reportedly contained “an element of ‘or else.’”
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While TMZ initially reported that the alleged note said Nancy Guthrie was wearing a specific item of clothing, it later clarified that the note says she wasn’t wearing it.
The possible ransom note, which was given to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, also described an item at Nancy Guthrie’s home that was apparently damaged.
KOLD, Tucson’s CBS affiliate, reported they received an email on Monday night that appeared to be a possible ransom note and said it had been forwarded to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department.
In an interview on CNN, KOLD Anchor Mary Coleman said the possible ransom note contained information that “only someone who is holding [Nancy Guthrie] for ransom, would know.”
“Very sensitive information and things that people who weren’t there when she was taken captive wouldn’t know,” Coleman said.
Coleman said some of the details in the letter indicated it “might not be a hoax.”
KGUN-TV in Tucson says it had received a ransom note referencing Nancy Guthrie. The Scripps station says the alleged letter includes two specific deadlines and reportedly refers to evidence at the crime scene, neither of which have been authenticated by police. KGUN-TV says it forwarded the note to investigators.
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In an Instagram video posted on Wednesday night, Savannah Guthrie and her siblings pleaded with whomever took their mother to make contact.
“Our mom is a kind, faithful, loyal, fiercely loving woman of goodness and light,” Savannah Guthrie said. “She’s funny, spunky. She has grandchildren that adore her and crowd around her and cover her with kisses. She loves fun and adventure. She is a devoted friend. She is full of kindness and knowledge. Talk to her and you’ll see.”
“Our mom is our heart and our home. Her health, her heart is fragile,” she continued. “She is without any medicine. She needs it to survive. She needs not to suffer. We, too, have heard the reports about a ransom letter in the media. As a family, we are doing everything that we can,” she added.
“We are ready to talk. However, we live in a world where voices and images are easily manipulated,” Savannah Guthrie said. “We need to know without a doubt that she is alive and that you have her. We want to hear from you, and we are ready to listen. Please reach out to us.”
