Savannah Guthrie, host of the “Today” show, shared her thoughts about the ransom notes linked to her mother, Nancy Guthrie, who was kidnapped from her home in Arizona. She believes that while many of the notes appeared to be forgeries, two of them seemed genuine.
In her emotional first interview, which aired Thursday, she explained, “There are a number of different notes. I think a lot of them… weren’t real and I didn’t have a chance to see them.” However, she expressed confidence that the two notes returned to her family were authentic.
Guthrie went on to say that those who send fake ransom notes should really reflect on the pain they cause to families in distress.
Following the report of her mother’s disappearance on February 1, her family received alarming demands for billions in Bitcoin.
In response, Guthrie and her siblings created recorded messages on social media urging for their mother’s safe return, emphasizing their willingness to communicate but asking for proof of her safety.
Two days post-disappearance, one note sent to TMZ claimed Nancy was “safe but scared,” while also insisting that millions in Bitcoin needed to be paid to avoid dire consequences.
Other similar communications were sent to local media, though it wasn’t clear which notes the Guthrie family reacted to.
Guthrie described making a video appeal as “surreal.” She remarked, “It’s astounding that we have to make a video. We’re dealing with someone who has kidnapped an 84-year-old woman—someone frail, in the middle of the night, barefoot, in pajamas, just pleading for mercy.”
As the notes circulated, authorities released unsettling surveillance footage showing a masked individual at Nancy’s home on the night she went missing. Guthrie recalled how disturbing it was to see the assailant’s image, adding, “It’s absolutely horrifying. I can’t even fathom who that could be. I witnessed her standing on the bed. That’s just too much to handle.”
