In mid-February 2026, TMZ received a third email from an individual claiming knowledge of the person responsible for the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of NBC âTodayâ show co-anchor Savannah Guthrie. The message, sent on a Friday, demanded $100,000 from the FBI in exchange for identifying the âmain individualâ involved and providing tracking information. The sender warned that this would be the final contact.
The tipster increased an earlier demand (previously one Bitcoin, then valued around $65,000) to match the FBIâs recently doubled reward of up to $100,000. The proposal called for an immediate deposit of $50,000 in Bitcoin into a specified account in return for the name and details of the primary suspect. The remaining $50,000 would be paid only after an arrest, with the sender stating they would not touch the first payment until then. Language in the email about âgamblingâ with personal safety and possible freedom was interpreted by TMZ founder Harvey Levin as suggesting the writer might be close to the events or concerned about self-incrimination. The message also advised authorities to âbe prepared to go internationalâ in pursuing the main individualâLevin said this phrasing pointed toward Mexico.
All three emails received by TMZ since the preceding Wednesday appeared to originate from the same source, identifiable by a consistent Bitcoin address despite the use of different names and fabricated email addresses submitted through TMZâs anonymous tip system. The first email demanded $50,000 for the kidnapperâs name and declared it would be the last contact. The second provided additional specifics. The third opened by addressing the FBI directly, stating distrust of the bureau and explaining the choice to communicate through TMZ instead. The sender expressed fear of retribution from the alleged kidnapper and of being arrested if contacting authorities directly, referencing a delivery driver who had been detained and questioned in connection with the case. The latest note included a âthree strikes and youâre outâ warning.
TMZ co-executive producer Charles Latibeaudiere noted that the third email also referenced Nancy Guthrieâs current status, though specific details were withheld out of respect for the ongoing investigation and at the request of the FBI. All three messages were shared with federal investigators, who Levin described as âkeenly interested.â No funds had been deposited into the Bitcoin account by the FBI at the time, raising the possibility among some that the communications could be a hoaxâan assessment Latibeaudiere acknowledged as a legitimate concern.
These tip emails were distinct from an earlier ransom note (or notes) received by TMZ and Tucson television stations around February 1â2, 2026, which demanded millions of dollars in Bitcoin for Nancy Guthrieâs release and used a different Bitcoin address. Deadlines in that ransom communication had already passed. While Levin described the ransom note as standing separately, Latibeaudiere observed that the writing style across the communications sounded similar and that the tip emails referenced prior messages.
Around the same period, members of the public contacted TMZ offering to pay the demanded sum themselves, frustrated that authorities had not done so. Concurrent investigative activity included an FBI increase of the reward to $100,000, release of doorbell-camera footage showing a masked individual (described as a man approximately 5-foot-9 to 5-foot-10 with an average build, carrying a black Walmart-sold Ozark Trail backpack) near Guthrieâs home, recovery of unidentified DNA from the property, and reports of heightened law-enforcement movement including possible SWAT activation and aerial surveillance in Pima County.
Nancy Guthrie was reported missing on February 1, 2026, after vanishing overnight from her home in the Catalina Foothills area of Tucson, Arizona. Timeline details released by authorities indicated activity around her doorbell camera and pacemaker in the early morning hours. The investigation remained active, with thousands of tips received and a 24-hour command post in operation. The family, including Savannah Guthrie, continued public appeals for information leading to her safe return.
Source: NewsNation report