Pima County Sheriff releases ransom note contents in Nancy Guthrie case as investigation hits six-month mark

Six months after Nancy Guthrie was last confirmed at her Catalina Foothills home, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department has released details from two ransom notes sent to media outlets in February. Guthrie was last seen at the residence on the evening of Jan. 31, 2026.

The first note, received by KGUN9 on Feb. 3 and addressed to Guthrie’s daughter, Savannah, claimed Guthrie was being held for ransom. It demanded $4 million in bitcoin by a Thursday deadline and warned the amount would increase to $6 million if the payment was not made. The note also threatened Guthrie’s life and warned the family not to contact law enforcement.

A second message, received Feb. 6 and addressed to the Guthrie family, claimed Nancy Guthrie had died soon after she was taken. The message said her captors believed her death was related to a heart condition, claimed she had been buried and said there was nothing the family could have done to save her.

Investigators said the notes contain distinct word choices, sentence structures and phrasing that could be familiar to someone who knows the writer. The department is asking anyone with information, including details they believe may be unimportant, to come forward. Investigators also want people to report unusual behavior around the time of the doorbell videos, such as unexplained injuries, sudden travel, vehicle repairs or cleaning, and changes in work or appointments.