Nancy Guthrie Case: What Exactly Was in the First Ransom Note (Report)

Nearly six months after her disappearance, we are finally learning what Nancy Guthrie’s suspected kidnappers wrote to her daughter Savannah Guthrie in the first ransom note.

While bits and pieces have been reported over the past few months, crime journalist Briana Whitney is now revealing — for the first time anywhere — the exact contents of that first communication.

During an appearance on the “Crime Junkie” podcast, Briana read aloud from a transcript of the note, “Hello, Savannah. We have your mother, Nancy. She is safe but scared. She will be held for ransom, and once payment is received, she will be released unharmed. We will be holding her for a maximum of seven days.”

Briana then discussed the millions that were demanded in the note: “Once payment is received to the Bitcoin address below, she will be released within 12 hours of deposit to a safe drop off location back in Tucson.”

Along with giving two deadlines, it had been reported that $4 million in Bitcoin was first demanded and if that wasn’t met, $6 million in Bitcoin would be the cost for Nancy’s safe return. 

The note continued, “If the payment is not received by the last deadline on Monday the 9th at 5 p.m., she will be killed. Your mother is aware of this and her life is in your hands. It is in the best interest of everyone to have this completed as soon as possible. You will not be able to contact me from here on out. There will be no negotiation. Do not play games. Law enforcement will not be able to help you.”

According to Whitney, the ransom note also included information about Nancy’s Tucson home in order to prove the note’s legitimacy.

Whitney shared, “They said she had a white smartwatch that was on the floor near her bed, like at the foot of her bed, and that there was a floodlight in the backyard that had been destroyed.”

Five days later, a second note was reportedly sent, claiming that Nancy had died and was “buried with nature.”

Following the first ransom note, Savannah took to Instagram to send a message to the kidnappers.

Joined by her siblings Annie and Cameron, she said, “We received your message, and we understand.”

She goes on, “We beg you now to return our mother to us so that we can celebrate with her. This is the only way we will have peace."

She ended by stating directly, "This is very valuable to us — and we will pay.”

The validity of both notes has been in question, but Savannah did offer her opinion. 

In March, Savannah sat down with Hoda Kotb to discuss the abduction and said she felt some ransom notes were real and some were fake.

Savannah said, “I believe the two notes we received that we responded to, I tend to believe those are real.”

She said of the other notes, “There are a lot of different notes I think that came and I think most of them, it's my understanding, are not real and I didn't see them, but, you know, the person that would send a fake ransom note really has to look deeply at themselves.”

Last month, Savannah made an emotional plea during an episode of “Today.”

The tearful 54-year-old told viewers, "So no matter how much I try to come out here every day and to smile and find that joy — and I will, I promise I will — this is a moment to tell you that we need your help. We're begging for your help. And I'm not gonna miss that opportunity.”

The family is offering a $1 million reward for information leading to answers about what happened to Nancy.

Savannah said, “So, please, if you're watching... the reward is there. You can tell us. It can be anonymous. Please do the right thing for us, for our family, for our children. We love our mom, and we'll never stop looking for her, ever.”