NEWNow you can listen to Fox News articles!
Recent revelations about the alleged ransom amount in the Nancy Guthrie case seem inconsistent with kidnapping for ransom, according to a retired FBI negotiator.
“The fact that they wanted to cut contact immediately suggests that they may not have been kidnapped for ransom as a primary reason, although that is what this is saying,” said Jason Pack, a retired FBI agent in charge. “It's not clear how general kidnappings are going down.”
He said kidnappers typically want to keep lines of communication open to negotiate payment and maintain power in the victim's family, making the reported demand for no contact unusual.
NEW DETAILS FROM NANCY GUTHRIE RANSOM DEMAND REVEALED, 'HER LIFE IS IN YOUR HANDS': REPORT
Savannah Guthrie will return to “Tonight” on Monday after a two-month absence since her mother, Nancy, went missing on February 1. (Getty Images/Fox News Digital)
“The most important sign is that there is no conversation, no communication,” Pack told Fox News Digital. “The real kidnappers want to keep the line of communication open.”
The dispatcher, however, employed well-known tactics, including setting deadlines, threats and telling the family that Guthrie knew what would happen if they failed to comply, Pack said.
But cutting ties before the deadline was also unusual, he added.
NANCY GUTHRIE RANSOM NOTE SAYS HE DIED, 'BURIED WITH NATURE,' SOURCE SAYS.
Annie Guthrie, her husband Tommaso Cioni, and Savannah Guthrie at the home of their missing mother Nancy Guthrie on Monday, March 2, in Tucson, Arizona. (Fox Stories)
Guthrie was taken from his Tucson-area home in the Catalina Foothills on the morning of February 1, according to the Pima County Sheriff's Department and the FBI. He has not been seen since, and no proof of life has ever been given.
In the second purported ransom note, the sender indicated that Guthrie died shortly after being taken and was buried “with nature.”
New excerpts from what is reported to be the first note obtained by local media shed light on why Pack believes the communication went beyond a traditional ransom demand.
NANCY GUTHRIE RANSOM'S NOTES DO NOT MATCH SUSPECT'S BEHAVIOR, PROPHET SAYS: 'I CAN'T BELIEVE THEY ARE REAL'
These two photos were released by the FBI, found on Nancy Guthrie's Nest doorbell camera. It is not clear whether they are showing the same person. (FBI)
Briana Whitney, who worked for Phoenix-based news agency AZ Family at the time of the trial, joined “Crime Junkie” host Ashley Flowers on Wednesday to discuss the note her former store found. “Crime Junkie” declined to share copies of the document.
“Hello Savannah, we have your mother Nancy,” he began reading from what he said was the first note sent to the local media. “You are safe but you are afraid. You will be held for ransom, once the payment is received, you will be released unharmed. We will stay for seven days.”
As previously revealed by the authorities, the exporter has given two deadlines and increased cash requirements if it takes longer.
Once payment is received at the Bitcoin address below, he will be released within 12 hours of being placed in a safe disposal facility back in Tucson,” Whitney read. “If payment is not received by the final deadline of Monday the 9th at 5 p.m., he will be executed. Your mother knows this, and her life is in your hands.”
Deputies examined a flyer taped to Nancy Guthrie's mailbox on Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026. They were called to the scene after volunteer detectives and multiple dispatchers entered Guthrie's property with a shovel. (Michael Ruiz/Fox News Digital)
FOLLOW THE FOX TRUE CRIME TEAM ON X
The sender left no room for further discussion.
“It is a good opportunity for everyone that this is completed quickly,” the paper continues. “You will not be able to contact me from here on. There will be no negotiation. Do not play. Law enforcement will not be able to help you.”
SUBSCRIBE FOR THE LATEST TRUE CRIME NEWS
The note included information that may have been available only to investigators and the suspect at the time, including the location of Guthrie's Apple Watch and details about a broken light bulb in his yard — but even that wasn't enough to rule out kidnapping for ransom as a motive, Pack said.
Savannah Guthrie stands next to her mother Nancy Guthrie during a production break while hosting NBC's “Today Show” live from Australia. (Photo by Don Arnold/WireImage)
“The information about the security camera and the spotlight that was out, which proves that they know what the home was like, what the environment may have been like, but it's not real life evidence,” he said.
SEND US A TIP
In most cases of kidnapping for ransom, he said, the kidnappers will want to prove that they have the victim and that the victim is alive.
“All these things when put together do not seem to be related to kidnapping to get money,” he said.
Investigators appear to be divided on the authenticity of the notes. Although one person has already pleaded guilty to sending Guthrie's other daughter, Annie, and her husband Tommaso Cioni a ransom note, that charge is not believed to be connected to the notes sent to local media outlets.
A well-wisher signs a banner that reads “Bring her home” and shows a photo of Nancy Guthrie, US TV reporter Savannah Guthrie who was kidnapped by her elderly mother, in the KVOA newsroom, where Savannah worked earlier in her career, in Tucson, Arizona, US, Feb. 12, 2026. (Rebecca Noble/Reuters)
“The FBI and its task force partners obtained multiple leads during the course of the investigation,” the FBI's Phoenix office said in a statement in June. “Some have been treated as unauthorized extortion attempts. Some ransom demands may be legitimate and are still being investigated as such. This case continues to be investigated as a kidnapping-for-ransom case. The FBI has and will continue to provide all possible assistance in the investigation – but local authorities are still on the front lines.”
LISTEN TO THE NEW 'CRIME AND JUSTICE PODCAST WITH DONNA ROTUNNO'
Some investigators say they are certain the ransom demands are false, while others are wary of reaching that conclusion while Guthrie's whereabouts are unknown, law enforcement sources told Fox News and Fox News Digital. However, two of the notes Whitney mentioned were deemed authentic by investigators and the Guthrie family.
The only known suspect is not publicly known – a masked criminal who appeared in Nest doorbell camera video obtained by the FBI with help from Google.
He is described as standing between 5 feet, 9 inches and 5 feet, 10 inches tall with a medium build. He was wearing a black Ozark Trail backpack. It is not clear if he acted alone.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS PROGRAM
The total awards in this case are over $1.2 million.
Anyone with information is asked to call 1-800-CALL-FBI. Tips can also be submitted anonymously to Tucson's Crime Stoppers at 520-88-CRIME.
