The FBI reportedly determined three ransom notes related to Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance — one of which allegedly claimed she died — are fake.
“None of the ransom notes are believed to be genuine,” an anonymous FBI source told Reuters on Tuesday.
A second law enforcement source familiar with the case cosigned the FBI assessment, the outlet reported.
Page Six has reached out to the FBI and the Pima County Sheriff’s Department in Arizona.
Multiple ransom notes were sent to TMZ and local Arizona news outlets after Savannah Guthrie’s 84-year-old was allegedly abducted from her Tucson home in the early hours of February 1.
The FBI official told Reuters the first two ransom notes sent in February were believed to have originated from the same sender.
The first note sent to TMZ demanded cryptocurrency payment “in the millions,” with two deadlines for payment on Feb. 5 and 9.
The second ransom note, as Air Mail reported last week, included an apology for Nancy’s death and floated the idea of returning her body for money, though no amount was specified.
But the FBI official told Reuters they found both notes were fake by depositing a small amount of cryptocurrency into the account as instructed, and the money was never touched.
The official said “on that basis and by other unspecified means,” they determined the sender of the first two notes was not connected to Nancy’s abduction.
The third note, which TMZ reportedly received last week with the sender claiming they have video of Nancy with her kidnapper, was also determined to be fake, the FBI source claimed.
The official “did not reveal how investigators ruled out the third note as fake,” per Reuters.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos, who has faced criticism for his handling of the case, cast doubt on the third ransom note on Monday.
“I think the FBI has done a number of arrests for false or fake ransom notes,” he said on local radio station KVOI AM 1030. “It’s a shame that that happens, but I think we’re looking at another one of those today.”
Nanos added, “People who call in fake ransom notes, people who claim for the sake of media and the family, they get out and disturb, in this case, an entire neighborhood.”
Since the investigation began, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department has insisted they are still working on the belief that Nancy is still alive.
The FBI, led by Director Kash Patel, is offering a reward of up to $100,000 for information related to Nancy’s disappearance.
Savannah, for her part, is back on “Today” after taking a two-month break from the news program following her mom’s disappearance.
The 54-year-old journalist addressed the ransom note about Nancy’s alleged death on the show last week, telling viewers that she and her family are “in agony.”
“We cannot be at peace,” she added. “No matter how small, the reward is there. You can tell us, it can be anonymous. Please do the right thin
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