TUCSON, Ariz. — The FBI and the Pima County Sheriff’s Department say they are reviewing a “new message” linked to the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of NBC’s “Today” co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, after the first deadline in a purported ransom note passed in southern Arizona. Officials have not released the message’s contents, but said investigators are checking its authenticity, Feb. 7, 2026.
Investigators learned of the latest communication after KOLD-TV said it received the message Friday morning and provided it, along with an internet protocol address, to law enforcement, according to a Reuters report.
In a statement cited by ABC News, the sheriff’s department said investigators are “actively inspecting the information provided in the message for its authenticity.” Authorities have not said whether the new message includes proof of life, and officials said they had no proof of life as of Thursday. No suspect or person of interest has been identified.
New message in the Nancy Guthrie case follows a missed deadline
Authorities said a purported ransom note sent to media outlets earlier this week listed two deadlines: one that passed at 5 p.m. Thursday and a second set for Monday.
Beyond confirming a message exists, authorities have declined to describe it. As CBS News reported, investigators have not said what form the message took or what information it contained.
Detectives also returned to Nancy Guthrie’s home and restricted traffic in front of the residence to aid investigators, officials said.
What investigators have said about Nancy Guthrie
Nancy Guthrie was last seen the evening of Jan. 31 after relatives dropped her off at her home in the Catalina Foothills area, authorities said. She was reported missing the next day after family members could not reach her and she failed to attend church.
Authorities say Nancy Guthrie is considered a vulnerable adult with difficulty walking, a pacemaker and a need for daily medication for a heart condition. The FBI’s public missing-person bulletin and tip instructions are posted on the agency’s wanted-page listing.
Investigators have also cited evidence at the home that led them to believe she did not leave voluntarily. Officials have said blood found on the porch matched Nancy Guthrie’s DNA, and that a doorbell camera was disabled and her pacemaker app disconnected in the hours she is believed to have been taken.
Earlier developments in the Nancy Guthrie investigation
Feb. 3: Investigators confirmed blood recovered at the home matched her DNA and continued canvassing the neighborhood, KOLD reported.
Feb. 5: The FBI Phoenix Field Office announced a reward of up to $50,000 for information that leads to Nancy Guthrie’s recovery or an arrest, according to an FBI statement.
Feb. 5: Savannah Guthrie posted a video appeal asking anyone holding her mother to contact the family, Reuters reported.
Investigators continue to ask residents with security-camera footage or other information from the area to contact law enforcement. Anyone with tips is urged to call 1-800-CALL-FBI.
