Nancy Guthrie Case: Ex-FBI Abduction Expert Speaks Out After Cops Share Big Update

As the Nancy Guthrie investigation reaches its eighth month tomorrow, Thursday, October 1, a former FBI abduction expert has shared his thoughts on the case following a recent update from the Pima County Sheriff’s Department.

Nancy, the 84-year-old mother of Today’s Savannah Guthrie, went missing on February 1, when police believe she was abducted from her Tucson, Arizona, home. Investigators have released doorbell camera footage of a masked suspect and sent DNA for testing at the FBI lab in Quantico, but no suspects have been named publicly.

On Monday, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos released a statement on social media saying, “The PCSD/FBI Guthrie Task Force was recently made aware of a new possible ransom note related to the Nancy Guthrie investigation… Investigators are looking further into the information to determine its credibility.”

Less than 24 hours later, Nanos put out another statement, saying, “After further review, investigators determined the text message is not credible.”

No further details were provided on the text’s contents, when it was sent, or who it was addressed to. Nanos referenced social media chatter about the note but didn’t go into specifics.

Statement regarding the Guthrie Investigation – pic.twitter.com/ba0kVIOoWU

— Pima County Sheriff’s Department (@PimaSheriff) September 29, 2026

“Investigators will continue to review reported messages for credibility and investigate any potential attempts at extortion,” Nanos added in his latest update.

Speaking to the New York Post on Tuesday (September 29), former FBI abduction expert Jason Pack explained, “You have to take every communication like this seriously until you have a good reason not to. Investigators can’t afford to brush something aside just because an earlier note may have turned out to be bogus.”

Several fake ransom notes have been sent in the Guthrie case, including one from a California man who pleaded guilty to two counts of harassment using a telecommunication device back in July. He was sentenced to two five-year probation terms, which will be served concurrently, and also ordered to pay a $200 special assessment and report to the probation office within 72 hours.

Pack, who specialized in crisis negotiation, said when investigating such notes, “The first question is simple: Who sent it? Then you start pulling the string.” If the note was sent electronically or demanded money, investigators will attempt to trace email accounts, IP addresses, devices, crypto wallets, etc.

In July, the PCSD released two letters sent to the Guthrie family earlier in the investigation. The first note demanded millions in the cryptocurrency Bitcoin for the return of Nancy, while the second note claimed that Nancy had “perished” and was “buried in nature.”

However, although investigators confirmed the notes’ legitimacy, they didn’t lead to a discovery of Nancy’s whereabouts or any potential suspects.