In a sea of allegedly fake ransom notes and now a new online financial scam, the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie gets murkier and murkier.
The 84-year-old mother of TODAY anchor Savannah Guthrie was declared "missing" the morning of February 1, 2026, when she failed to show up for a church service with her friend.
© InstagramSince then, the FBI has gotten involved with the local Pima County Sheriff's Department, with Sheriff Chris Nanos leading the investigation. In the wee hours of July 14, the sheriff put out a new statement on the department's behalf warning netizens of an update in the case.
The Pima County Sheriff's Department responds to new online scam
"The Pima County Sheriff's Department is aware of posts circulating about the Guthrie Investigation that include a QR code requesting money," their latest message read, published at 4 AM EST.
"PCSD will never ask for money related to this case, or any investigation," it continued. "Please do not send money to people you do not know or scan QR codes requesting payment. If you see one of these posts, ignore it and report it. Stay alert and help spread the word."
This is the first statement from the department in nearly two weeks, following one issued with regard to a slew of new ransom notes that were delivered to various media outlets, some alleging that Nancy had died while others claimed to have knowledge of the kidnapper's identity.
Savannah Guthrie returns to TODAY
Meanwhile, over the past week on NBC's TODAY, Savannah has been absent from her usual anchor's desk, with her co-anchor Craig Melvin joined instead by Sheinelle Jones.
© XWhile no reason was provided for her absence, Savannah eventually returned to the show on Tuesday, July 14, with Craig welcoming her back after "some much deserved time off." The mom-of-two told her co-host that she was watching all the FIFA World Cup matches during her break.
The Guthrie family's statement on Nancy Guthrie's disappearance
Five months into Nancy's disappearance, Savannah, on behalf of the Guthrie family, issued a new statement to Tucson-based KOLD 13 News. "It is five months of agony and unending trauma for our family," she shared.
© Getty Images"There is not a moment that goes by that we aren't actively trying to find our mom. We thank the people of Tucson for holding her in their hearts, as well as both the FBI and the Pima County Sheriff's Office for their tireless work on behalf of our family. Bring her home."
The sheriff also spoke with the outlet about the influx of ransom notes and a focus on DNA testing and forensic work. "Especially when you throw in genealogy – now, you've got... this may not be the bad guy, but this person might be the bad guy's relative three times over. So, that has to be broken down to see if this might be someone of interest to us," he stated.
© Getty ImagesWhen asked about the notes, he responded: "I guess there's something out now that says the FBI or the sheriff dismissed notes – that is not the truth. What we know is we have a number of notes that we are going to continue to investigate."
