An FBI source said kidnappers panicked and abandoned ransom demands after Nancy Guthrie died shortly after her abduction in February 2026 [1].
The development adds a grim layer to the ongoing investigation into the disappearance of the mother of Today co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, potentially shifting the case from a kidnapping for profit to a homicide investigation.
The abduction took place in Arizona, where the Pima County Sheriff’s Department is leading the search and investigation [2]. According to a source cited by TMZ, the kidnappers retreated from their financial demands once they realized Guthrie had died [1].
"The kidnappers panicked when they learned Nancy Guthrie had died," the unnamed FBI source said [1].
Investigators are currently reviewing a ransom note sent days after the February 2026 abduction [3]. The note explicitly stated, "She is dead" [3]. While the Pima County Sheriff’s Department is treating the document as a serious lead, officials have not yet verified the authenticity of the note [3], [4].
A spokesperson for the Pima County Sheriff’s Department said, "We are taking the alleged ransom note very seriously" [1].
Savannah Guthrie has used her platform to appeal for public assistance in locating her mother. "If anyone has any information, please call the FBI or the Pima County Sheriff’s Office," Guthrie said [1].
Despite the reports from the FBI source and the contents of the note, some reports indicate the case may still hinge on a mystery tipster, and her death has not been officially confirmed by medical examiners [5].
“"The kidnappers panicked when they learned Nancy Guthrie had died."”
The shift in the kidnappers' behavior—moving from demanding money to panicking and abandoning those demands—suggests the perpetrators may not have been prepared for the victim's death. If the ransom note is verified, the investigation will likely pivot from a rescue operation to a forensic search for a body and the pursuit of suspects for kidnapping and manslaughter or murder.
