Nancy Guthrie ransom notes may be fake as renowned profiler says case looks more like burglary gone wrong

The 2 letters purported to beryllium connected to Nancy Guthrie's suspected abduction permission investigators with questions astir their authenticity, but forensic scientist Dr. Kris Mohandie says investigators made the close telephone by releasing them due to the fact that doing truthful could renew nationalist involvement and make caller leads.

"I don't deliberation the ransom enactment is legit, and I don't deliberation that that missive days aboriginal is morganatic — but I deliberation it's due for instrumentality enforcement to analyse it conscionable successful lawsuit it mightiness be," helium told Fox News Digital.

"A bully probe keeps an unfastened mind," helium said. "It truly does."

NANCY GUTHRIE RANSOM NOTES DON'T MATCH SUSPECT'S BEHAVIOR, PROFILER SAYS: 'I DON'T BELIEVE THEY'RE REAL'

A memorial to Nancy Guthrie successful her hometown of Tucson arsenic she remains missing. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Some investigators said they were assured that the ransom demands are each bogus, portion others are cautious astir reaching that decision portion Guthrie's whereabouts stay unknown, national instrumentality enforcement sources told Fox News and Fox News Digital past month.

Early successful the case, they appeared to person taken them seriously, with Heith Janke, past the peculiar cause successful complaint of the FBI’s Phoenix tract office, sitting down with Guthrie’s big children, including "Today" co-host Savannah Guthrie, to grounds a video effect to the archetypal note.

Mohandie besides cautioned against treating transgression country details successful the archetypal missive arsenic impervious its writer was involved. Those see references to Guthrie's Apple Watch and a breached floodlight.

Nancy Guthrie, the parent of "Today" co-host Savannah Guthrie, remains missing and the household is urging renewed attraction arsenic the hunt drags on. (Courtesy of NBC)

"I don't marque overmuch retired of those 2 details," helium said. "They look to beryllium details that inadvertently could person gotten to somebody, and truthful that's not capable for maine to say, this is thing lone the slayer would know."

NANCY GUTHRIE RANSOM NOTES RELEASE FOLLOWS UNABOMBER ‘PRECEDENT' THAT CRACKED CASE, EXPERT SAYS

Mohandie said the letters besides constituent to an writer who appears comfy with technology, citing references to Bitcoin, email connection and the antithetic request for "$4 cardinal USD" — details helium said could assistance place whoever wrote the letters, whether they beryllium to beryllium genuine oregon a hoax.

"I surely question the legitimacy of the alleged ransom enactment successful which the idiosyncratic is sending it to a quality outlet, saying this volition beryllium a ransom, truthful connected and truthful forth, talks astir we and past breaks into I successful presumption of pronouns," Mohandie told Fox News Digital. "There are a batch of things incorrect with that ransom note, and it raised a batch of questions for maine of veracity."

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A excavation work idiosyncratic arrives astatine Nancy Guthrie's location successful Tucson, AZ, connected Friday, March 6, 2026. Guthrie has been missing since the opening of February 2026. (Matthew Symons for Fox News Digital)

Mohandie said helium besides has doubts astir the 2nd letter, which claimed Guthrie had "perished" days aft the alleged kidnapping. While helium said investigators are close to prosecute each credible lead, helium questioned whether a kidnapper would hazard exposing themselves again with an apology oregon usage the connection "perished" successful spot of much communal terms.

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"I recognize wherefore instrumentality enforcement needs to analyse these arsenic imaginable leads, and it is simply a strategy that has worked," helium said. "You look astatine Ted Kaczynski and putting that retired determination connected the Unabomber lawsuit is what led to it being resolved. So they request to enactment that retired there. Maybe idiosyncratic does admit thing unsocial successful these writings."

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Even if the notes are hoaxes, investigators are looking to place the sender and perchance bring transgression charges, arsenic they did successful the lawsuit of Derrick Callella, who sent "imposter" ransom demands to the Guthrie household successful aboriginal February and has already pleaded guilty.

The devil is usually successful the details.

However, helium added, "the devil is usually successful the details." And portion overmuch of the contents of the notes person been publically known for months, the grammar and punctuation were lone disposable to a prime fewer earlier the Pima County Sheriff's Department made them nationalist Friday, July 31.

People bring flowers to Nancy Guthrie’s location successful Tucson, Arizona connected Friday, March 6, 2026. Guthrie has been missing since the opening of February 2026. (Matthew Symons for Fox News Digital)

PIMA COUNTY SHERIFF ISSUES ALERT FOR KIDNAPPING SUSPECT LESS THAN 10 MILES FROM NANCY GUTHRIE'S HOME

Mohandie said the surveillance footage released by investigators remains the astir important publically known portion of evidence, adding that it appears much accordant with a burglary oregon location penetration than a blase kidnapping plot.

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"Unfortunately, I deliberation this lawsuit is simply a elemental substance of a burglary gone incorrect and past attempts to screen things up," Mohandie said. "But that's a proposal and bully investigators are investigating each hypotheses and pursuing leads, and I deliberation they're doing their occupation here."

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The lone known suspect, the antheral who appears successful the Nest doorbell video, remains unidentified. According to the FBI, helium is astir 5 feet, 9 inches to 5 feet, 10 inches gangly with an mean build. He was carrying a achromatic Ozark Trail backpack.

Anyone with accusation is asked to dial 1-800-CALL-FBI or, to stay anonymous, telephone 520-88-CRIME.

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The sum of each rewards successful the lawsuit is implicit $1.2 cardinal — nary of which has been claimed.