The investigation into the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie has taken a dramatic new turn after the FBI confirmed that the ransom notes which fuelled widespread speculation in the early days of the case are not believed to be genuine.
Nancy, the 84-year-old mother of Today co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, vanished from her home in Tucson, Arizona, on January 31. Nearly five months later, authorities say the mysterious messages that appeared after her disappearance are now believed to be fake.
FBI dismisses ransom notes
Speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity, an FBI official confirmed that investigators do not believe any of the three ransom notes connected to the case were authentic.
"None of the ransom notes are believed to be genuine," the official said.
© Getty ImagesThe revelation marks a significant shift in the investigation, as the first two notes had prompted widespread reports that Nancy had been abducted for ransom.
According to TMZ, the first message demanded millions of dollars in cryptocurrency and gave two payment deadlines.
A second letter, later reported by NBC News, claimed Nancy had died but did not demand money in exchange for returning her body.
© Getty ImagesMore recently, a third message sent to TMZ claimed to identify Nancy's alleged kidnappers and said the sender possessed video evidence connected to the case. Investigators have now dismissed all three communications as inauthentic.
Volunteer search team says offer was declined
The latest development comes as a volunteer search-and-rescue organisation revealed it repeatedly offered to assist authorities during the early stages of the investigation.
Brian Trascher, national vice president of the United Cajun Navy, told NewsNation that the organisation proposed deploying drones, canine teams and experienced volunteers to help search for Nancy.
© Getty Images"We really felt strongly that there was a good chance that she could have ended up somewhere along the border," he said.
He described the team's role as being "just to be a force multiplier, extra set of eyes, ears, and hands and feet."
According to Brian, the Pima County Sheriff's Department declined the group's offers of assistance.
A spokesperson for the department later confirmed the organisation had been thanked for its offer but said investigators would not be using external operational support.
© Getty ImagesSearch continues
The United Cajun Navy submitted a detailed 41-page proposal outlining a search operation involving trained volunteers, drones, thermal imaging technology and more than 20 search dogs.
Brian acknowledged that, nearly five months after Nancy disappeared, any discovery would likely be focused on bringing closure to her family.
"I hate to say it, but at this point, you'd just be looking for remains, which would be valuable to the family to be able to have that closure," he said.
Investigation remains active
Authorities continue to believe Nancy was kidnapped from her home.Security footage released by the FBI shows a masked individual wearing black clothing, latex gloves and a backpack outside her property during the early hours of February 1.
Investigators believe the suspect disabled Nancy's doorbell camera before her pacemaker monitoring app disconnected less than an hour later.
© FBINancy, who requires daily medication for a heart condition and has mobility issues, has not been seen since. No suspects or persons of interest have been publicly identified.
The FBI is offering a reward of $100,000 for information leading to Nancy's whereabouts, while the Guthrie family has pledged an additional reward of up to $1 million. The investigation remains ongoing.
