A possible ransom text message reported in the Nancy Guthrie investigation is not credible, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department said Tuesday, reversing the uncertainty surrounding a potential new lead in the nearly eight-month search for the missing 84-year-old.
“Investigators are also aware of social media comments regarding the note and are looking further into the information to determine its credibility,” the department said in its earlier statement.
The sheriff’s department continues to urge anyone who receives a message about Guthrie to report it to law enforcement.
“Investigators will continue to review reported messages for credibility and investigate any potential attempts at extortion,” the department said on Tuesday, adding that the investigation into Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance remains active and ongoing.
It warned that scammers may try to exploit the case. The sheriff’s office told the public not to send money or share personal information in response to unsolicited messages.
The text message is separate from two notes authorities released publicly in July after they were sent to a Tucson television station shortly after Guthrie vanished. One demanded $4 million in bitcoin for her return. The other claimed she had died.
Guthrie, the mother of “Today” co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, was last seen at her home in the Catalina Foothills area outside Tucson on the evening of Jan. 31. Her family reported her missing Feb. 1.
The FBI released video showing an armed and masked person appearing to tamper with a camera at her front door and has asked for help identifying the person.
“We just want our mom home, give her a proper goodbye. That’s all,” Guthrie said during the Sept. 15 broadcast of NBC’s “Today” show.
The FBI is offering a reward of up to $100,000 for information leading to Nancy Guthrie’s location or the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in her disappearance.
Tips may be submitted through the FBI’s Nancy Guthrie case portal or by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI.
