On July 31, the Pima County Sheriff's Department, led by Sheriff Chris Nanos, released two ransom notes that are apparently connected to the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie.
The first of the notes, sent on February 2, a day after Nancy, 84, was reported missing, included what was allegedly a message to the Guthrie family demanding a bitcoin payment for her return. "We have your mother Nancy. She is safe but scared. She will be held for ransom and once payment is received she will be released unharmed," the letter stated in part.
A second note was sent four days later, which claimed that Nancy had died of a heart condition owing to the stress she was under and lack of medication, going as far as to say she was "buried in nature."
© Getty ImagesThe Pima County Sheriff's Department reveals why they put out the notes now
On August 1, marking six months since her disappearance, the PCSD put out a video answering several questions in connection with the case, including why they decided to put out the ransom notes now.
"Well, really two reasons," the sheriff explained, noting firstly that notes were already "out there," with several media outlets having access to them already. "We just saw what was being said, and we felt like we needed to put something out that's really accurate, and this was the time," he added.
"Investigators felt like there's a number of pieces of information in these notes that just might jar someone to say, 'I've heard that,' or [recognize] the wording, the style of the writing… it might jog somebody to think about who would've written this, how was this done?" he continued.
© KOLD TV"Anybody who reads them, my investigators, we look at it, and clearly there's things in there that are very concerning to our investigative team, too," the sheriff noted. "So we hope that by releasing the actual note we'll get some response from the community."
Savannah Guthrie's response to the notes
Savannah Guthrie, meanwhile, took to her social media page on August 1 with a photo of her mother, and wrote beside it: "Six months ago, someone took her out of her bed in the dead of night. We have lived every moment, every breath, and every heartbeat in agony and despair ever since."
"There is a hole inside us that can never be filled," she penned of her family's trauma. "There is an ache that cannot be softened. And there is a determination in us that cannot be quenched - to find out what happened to her, so that we can give her the dignity of a proper goodbye - a celebration of her remarkable life that she so deserves."
© Getty ImagesIn a plea to her followers, she wrote: "We are begging for help. We are desperate. We need someone to come forward. Someone knows something. Someone suspects something. Someone recognizes the writing in the ransom demand notes. Someone has noticed something different, strange, troubling or just unusual - perhaps with someone they deeply love."
"Perhaps they are afraid to come forward. Perhaps they are conflicted. Perhaps they are angry or upset for being in this situation. There is a way out - to tell what you know. You can do so anonymously. The reward is available. There is a way to end this situation and do the right thing."
© InstagramThe NBC News anchor concluded with: "We will never stop looking for answers - and we will never stop looking for the light. We will always be hoping and praying and believing in the best of our world - in spite of circumstance. This is what our faith makes possible. Please. Bring her home."
