FBI says all ransom notes in Nancy Guthrie case were fake

Federal investigators have concluded that all three kidnapping-related messages tied to Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance were fake, a finding that strips away one of the most public-facing narratives in the case. The FBI now says the notes cannot be trusted, even as the disappearance of the 84-year-old mother of Savannah Guthrie remains unsolved and heavily scrutinized.

The FBI said Nancy Guthrie was last seen on the evening of January 31, 2026, at her residence in the Catalina Foothills neighborhood of Tucson, Arizona. Investigators consider her a vulnerable adult who has difficulty walking, has a pacemaker, and needs daily medication for a heart condition. The bureau is offering a reward of up to $100,000 for information leading to her location or the arrest and conviction of anyone involved, and it is asking the public to send tips, photographs and doorbell-camera footage that could help identify what happened.

What makes the new finding so significant is not only that the notes were false, but how they entered the case. The messages were first delivered to media outlets, including TMZ, before being turned over to authorities. One federal law-enforcement source confirmed the FBI’s assessment that “None of the ransom notes are believed to be genuine,” referring to two notes reported in February, days after Guthrie vanished, and a third later message from someone claiming to know the kidnappers’ identities. That leaves the public with a much narrower set of verified facts: Guthrie disappeared from home, authorities treated the case as active, and the ransom storyline no longer holds up on its own.

The evidence that remains under review is more concrete but still incomplete. FBI materials say an armed individual appeared to tamper with Guthrie’s front-door camera the morning she disappeared. The suspect is described as a man about 5-foot-9 to 5-foot-10, with an average build, wearing a black 25-liter Ozark Trail Hiker Pack backpack. The Pima County Sheriff’s Department, which is leading the investigation, said it still has no new update and is continuing to review DNA samples and video evidence. Earlier authorities said they did not believe Guthrie left home willingly, and the department said she was reported missing on February 1, 2026.

The case has also drawn in Guthrie’s family and the public response around them. Savannah Guthrie posted a plea for help after her mother was reported missing, and a family video statement in February asked people to bring Nancy Guthrie home. At the same time, the volunteer search-and-rescue group United Cajun Navy says the sheriff’s office turned down its offers of help. With the ransom notes now dismissed as fake, the central question has shifted from what the messages said to who made them, why they appeared, and how a high-profile disappearance can be misread when false evidence enters the story early.