<p id=”par-1_75″><a href=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0Bi47Q9UAo”>The ransom notes</a> attached to Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance have taken center stage for months. Online sleuths, news anchors, and various news outlets all seemed confident the notes could hold clues to the whereabouts of the octogenarian. At the very least, they were the only concrete evidence the public had to go on. Now, though, the FBI has officially spoken on the notes, and the bureau seems confident they are bogus. Here is what we know.</p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-the-fbi-now-believes-the-ransom-notes-associated-with-nancy-guthrie-s-disappearance-are-fake”>The FBI now believes the ransom notes associated with Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance are fake</h2>
<p id=”par-2_54″>An FBI official has made it clear: while much of the public believed the ransom notes about Nancy Guthrie were legitimate, the FBI does not. The official, who was not named, spoke to <a href=”https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/fbi-determines-nancy-guthrie-kidnapping-notes-be-fakes-source-says-2026-07-01/”>Reuters </a>this week, saying all three of the most publicly discussed notes are now believed by the bureau to be fake.</p>
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<p id=”par-3_83″>The official referenced two notes received by news outlets in February, shortly after the octogenarian went missing, as well as a note recently received by TMZ from a person claiming to have information about the abduction. That most recent note is tied to several other messages the outlet received from an author who alleged they were <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/news/a-new-anonymous-note-about-nancy-guthrie-promises-fresh-information.html/”>not directly involved in the abduction </a>but knew the names and details of those responsible. The earlier notes were purported to have been penned by the abductor.</p>
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<div class=”related-article related-article–simple”>
<span class=”related-article-flag”>Related</span>
<p class=”related-article__title”>
<a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/news/a-new-anonymous-note-about-nancy-guthrie-promises-fresh-information.html/”>
A New Anonymous Note About Nancy Guthrie Promises Fresh Information </a>
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<p id=”par-4_48″>The news comes as a shock to many. In recent weeks, several outlets reported that investigators considered two of the notes potentially credible and were treating ransom as a possible motive. It is now unclear whether the investigation still believes money played any role in Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance.</p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-a-brief-overview-of-the-investigation”>A brief overview of the investigation</h2>
<p id=”par-5_77″>Nancy Guthrie was last seen by a family member on the evening of January 31, when she was dropped at her Tucson home after dinner. The alarm was raised the following morning when Nancy, 84, failed to appear for a planned event with friends. Police were called around noon on February 1, and the search quickly turned into a criminal investigation after the Pima County Sheriff’s Office said it believed Nancy had been taken against her will.</p>
<p id=”par-6_88″>On February 2, one day after she was reported missing, a ransom note was sent to Tucson media outlets, including CBS affiliate KOLD and TMZ. Investigators reportedly deemed it potentially credible, noting it contained specific details about her home and what she had been wearing. On February 4, Savannah Guthrie and her siblings, Camron and Annie, posted a video saying the family was “ready to talk.” They insisted they needed proof their mother was alive first, though. A second note, claiming Nancy had died, arrived on February 6.</p>
<p id=”par-7_100″>On February 10, the FBI released surveillance footage of a masked figure at Nancy’s door in the early morning hours of February 1. Investigators have described him as a possible suspect, though his face is obscured and no person of interest has been publicly identified. In late February, the family offered <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/news/savannah-guthrie-announces-1-million-reward-in-search-for-mom-nancy-donates-50000-to-center-for-missing-exploited-children.html/”>a $1 million reward </a>for information leading to Nancy’s return. The FBI’s reward went live weeks earlier. While thousands of tips have been fielded, authorities appear no closer to identifying those responsible. Nancy has now been missing for five months. The family no longer believes she is alive. </p>