New Nancy Guthrie Kidnapping Note Claims to Reveal Cause of Death

There’s a new development in the Nancy Guthrie case. A new note claims that Savannah‘s mom died shortly after her kidnapping.

Local Tucson, Arizona news station KOLA 13 News revealed the two notes from the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, which later turned them over to the FBI. The first note was sent on February 2nd, the day after Guthrie was discovered to be missing.

It read: “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. We will be holding her for a maximum of 7 days. You will need to send Bitcoin in the amount of $4 million USD before 5 PM on Thursday the 5th. If payment is not received, the ransom will be increased to 6 million USD, which will need to be paid by 5 PM on Monday the 9th. Once payment is received to the Bitcoin address below, she will be released within 12 hours of deposit to a safe drop-off location back in Tucson. If payment is not received by the last deadline on Monday the 9th at 5 PM, she will be killed. Your mother is aware of this, and her life is in your hands. It is in the best interest of everyone to have this completed as soon as possible. You will not be able to contact me from here on out; there will be no negotiation. Do not play games, law enforcement will not be able to help you.”

“She had a white smart watch on the floor at the foot of her bed, and the white flood light in the backyard was destroyed.”

The second note revealed, however, that they were too late and Nancy died shortly after. They revealed her alleged cause of death in the note with an apology.

“We did not fully grasp the seriousness of her physical condition. We never intended to hurt her; that was not our intention. She perished shortly after she was taken. We believe it was heart-related. She is buried in nature now. Nothing you could have done could have changed the outcome. We want your family to know this and hope you all can find peace. We are truly sorry,” it said.

The Sheriff’s department released a statement saying that they are still investigating every lead as they seek to provide answers for the Guthrie family. “We recognize relationships and loyalties change over time as do people and their perspectives. It is not too late to come forward. Regardless of how insignificant you think your information may be, or whether you think we are already aware of it, please contact us,” they ended.

Two men were brought in for questioning around her disappearance in February, but Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said they are not completely in the clear. “Nobody’s completely ruled out [as a suspect],” Nanos told ABC 15. “We took information, developed it for a warrant from a judge, a magistrate, and we served that warrant. All that information we gathered is gathered, and because we didn’t make an arrest or we released some people, it doesn’t mean they’re cleared. It just means we don’t have enough now to hold you.”

Guthrie was reported missing by a family member on February 1, 2026. She was last seen in her Tucson home on January 31.