Nancy Guthrie Update: FBI Profiler Casts Doubt on Latest Ransom Note Claiming Video Evidence

A retired FBI profiler has questioned the credibility of a new ransom communication claiming to contain video evidence of missing Nancy Guthrie with her alleged kidnappers, saying the latest message is unlikely to be authentic.

James Fitzgerald, a former FBI profiler known for his work on the Unabomber investigation, told NewsNation’s Brian Entin that he does not believe the message sent to TMZ is legitimate. He said someone with genuine evidence in a kidnapping case would be expected to contact law enforcement directly, rather than approach a media outlet for payment.

“This guy, I don’t think he’s legit. I’m gonna say that upfront,” Fitzgerald told NewsNation. “I’m not sure any communication and people are calling them notes, letters, whatever, posts, but I’m just going to call them communications, however they showed up, I don’t think any of them are authentic. And that includes this most recent one.”

Nancy Guthrie, 84, the mother of Today co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, was last seen at her home in Tucson’s Catalina Foothills on Jan. 31. Nearly five months later, investigators have not named a suspect or announced any arrests.

Savannah Guthrie has offered a $1 million reward for information leading to her mother’s recovery.

New message claims hidden phone contains evidence

The latest development surfaced after TMZ reported receiving a message from an unidentified sender who claimed to have a cellphone hidden in a secure location. The sender alleged that the phone contained evidence connected to Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance.

According to TMZ, the message claimed the device held “a short video of the main guy with Nancy the day that was probably her last,” as well as photos of two alleged abductors, their names, addresses, and ages.

The sender allegedly offered to reveal the phone’s location in exchange for one Bitcoin. TMZ said it asked for a screenshot from the alleged video as proof and forwarded the communication to the FBI.

Fitzgerald questions why the sender went to TMZ

Fitzgerald said the sender’s decision to contact TMZ rather than investigators raised immediate doubts about the claim. “Why to TMZ?” Fitzgerald said. “This guy is now alleging that he has some kind of hidden phone in a secret place, whatever. And it has pictures of the last day Nancy was alive and names, addresses, and ages of the two kidnappers.”

He argued that if the claims were true, the sender would be putting himself at risk by making the information public. “Do you think these two kidnappers would know who this guy is, who is putting this stuff out there?” Fitzgerald said. “And if they do, they’re gonna take him out, if they’re really these bad*** alleged kidnappers.”

Fitzgerald said a legitimate informant would more likely provide the information privately to authorities to avoid exposure. “Why would he risk himself for and if I’ve done the math right, I think one Bitcoin today is worth like $61,000?” he said. “That’s not a whole lot of money to put your life on the line.”

Earlier ransom communications remain part of the investigation

The new message follows earlier communications that have drawn scrutiny in the case.

A second ransom note sent in February reportedly claimed Nancy Guthrie had died after being abducted. CNN Chief Law Enforcement and Intelligence Analyst John Miller said investigators viewed that second message as significant because it appeared to come from the same electronic source as the initial ransom demand.

“The second note said, basically, it wasn’t intended to work this way, but in the course of the kidnapping, some things happened, and Nancy Guthrie is dead,” Miller said on CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360.

Miller said the second communication had “a very different tone” from the first ransom demand, despite sharing the same electronic origin. Authorities have not publicly confirmed whether the claims made in any of the communications are true.

Search continues nearly five months later

Search efforts have expanded beyond Arizona as investigators and volunteers continue pursuing leads.

Volunteer search group Buscando Corazones Nogales recently searched areas in Sonora, Mexico, after receiving anonymous tips suggesting Nancy Guthrie may have been taken across the U.S.-Mexico border. The group reportedly uncovered dozens of unmarked graves unrelated to the case but found no evidence connected to Guthrie.

Search experts have also weighed in on the challenges of locating evidence in remote desert terrain. Former NYPD K-9 unit founding member Michael Gould recently suggested that volunteers should “look up, not down,” saying scavenger birds such as vultures could help point searchers toward human remains in vast open areas.

For now, investigators continue to review new tips and communications. But Fitzgerald warned against treating the latest ransom claim as credible, saying the sender’s actions do not match what he would expect from someone with genuine evidence in a kidnapping investigation.

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