An Arizona news anchor who saw a possible Nancy Guthrie ransom note said it arrived by email — and that after reading just a couple of sentences, it was "clear after a couple of sentences" that it "might not be a hoax." "A lot of it is information that only someone who was holding her for ransom would know," Mary Coleman, anchor for Arizona-based CNN affiliate KOLD 13 News, told CNN Wednesday.
"Some very sensitive information and things that people who weren't there when she was taken captive wouldn't know," she added. Nancy was abducted from her home between Saturday night and Sunday morning as cops continue to search for her.
Not a Hoax Ransom Note
"It also included a dollar amount, a deadline, and, again, other specifics that only Guthrie's abductor might know, so that definitely raised some red flags," Coleman said, adding that it was clear immediately that it might not be a sick prank.
The search for 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, the mother of "Today" show co-host Savannah Guthrie, has reached its fifth day, with investigators still lacking both suspects and answers about what may have happened to her.
Coleman said the Pima County Sheriff's Department is reviewing the ransom note that was sent to the newsroom and has asked for additional information as part of the investigation.
"We immediately sent that information over to the sheriff's department, and they're, of course, looking into the legitimacy of it," she said.
"One of the detectives did get back to us and asked us for some more information so that they can start searching for an IP address and things of that nature to try and figure out who or what people are responsible here," Coleman said.
It's still unclear whether the note sent to KOLD 13 News is the same message that was also sent to TMZ.
The note, which was reportedly emailed on Tuesday, demanded millions of dollars in bitcoin in exchange for Nancy's safe return.
Inside the Ransom Note
The message also included a specific bitcoin address and contained details about what Nancy was wearing the night she vanished. Nancy, who has a pacemaker and depends on daily, life-saving medication, was last seen around 9:45 p.m. Saturday.
Family members say she had just been dropped off at her Tucson, Arizona, home by her daughter, Annie, and her son-in-law, Tommaso Cioni.
When Nancy didn't arrive at church on Sunday morning, a worried fellow parishioner reached out to the family, prompting them to contact the police.
Savannah Guthrie and her siblings, Annie and Camron, shared an emotional plea on Instagram, asking for their mother's safe return on Wednesday morning. "We need to know without a doubt that she's alive and that you have her," Savannah said.
"We want to hear from you, and we are ready to listen. Please reach out to us," she added.
Savannah Guthrie said her mother lives with "constant pain," adding that the family was willing and "ready to talk" if anyone had taken her.
But former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe said that the emotional video plea doesn't automatically mean Nancy was kidnapped. He suggested there's still no clear evidence the family has received a genuine ransom demand.
"To me, it reads like an effort to establish some sort of communication," McCabe told CNN late Wednesday. "We don't know this for sure, but I feel this is a fairly strong signal they don't believe they've had a legitimate ransom demand yet.
