Purported Nancy Guthrie note includes unusual demand that breaks basic ransom rule: retired FBI negotiator

The latest revelations astir the purported archetypal ransom enactment successful the Nancy Guthrie lawsuit look inconsistent with a kidnapping for ransom, according to a retired FBI negotiator.

"The information that they wanted to chopped disconnected connection rapidly suggests that they whitethorn not person had kidnapping for ransom arsenic a superior motive, adjacent though that's what this says," said Jason Pack, a retired FBI supervisory agent. "It doesn't look similar however a accustomed kidnapping goes down."

He said emblematic kidnappers privation to support connection channels unfastened to negociate outgo and support leverage implicit the victim's family, making the reported request for nary further interaction highly unusual.

NEW DETAILS FROM NANCY GUTHRIE RANSOM DEMAND REVEALED, 'HER LIFE IS IN YOUR HANDS': REPORT

Savannah Guthrie volition instrumentality to "Today" connected Monday aft a two-month lack since her mother, Nancy, went missing connected Feb. 1. (Getty Images/Fox News Digital)

"The astir telling motion is this nary negotiation, nary further interaction line," Pack told Fox News Digital. "Genuine kidnappers wanna support the enactment of connection open."

The sender did, however, incorporated known unit tactics, including mounting a deadline, making threats and telling the household that Guthrie knew what would hap if they failed to comply, Pack said.

But cutting disconnected connection earlier the deadlines passed was besides unusual, helium added.

NANCY GUTHRIE RANSOM NOTE CLAIMED THAT SHE HAD DIED, BEEN ‘BURIED WITH NATURE,’ SOURCE SAYS

Annie Guthrie, her hubby Tommaso Cioni, and Savannah Guthrie astatine their missing parent Nancy Guthrie's location connected Monday, March 2, successful Tucson, Arizona. (Fox News)

Guthrie was taken from her location successful Tucson's Catalina Foothills vicinity successful the aboriginal greeting hours of Feb. 1, according to the Pima County Sheriff's Department and the FBI. She has not been seen since, and nary impervious of beingness was ever provided.

In a 2nd purported ransom note, the sender indicated Guthrie had died soon aft she was taken and been buried "with nature."

New excerpts from what is reportedly the archetypal enactment received by section media shed airy connected wherefore Pack believes the connection departed from a accepted ransom demand.

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

These 2 images were released by the FBI, recovered from Nancy Guthrie's Nest doorbell camera. It's unclear whether they amusement the aforesaid person. (FBI)

Briana Whitney, who was moving for the Phoenix-based AZ Family quality outlet erstwhile the lawsuit broke, joined "Crime Junkie" big Ashley Flowers connected Wednesday to sermon the enactment her erstwhile outlet received. "Crime Junkie" declined to stock copies of the text.

"Hello Savannah, we person your parent Nancy," she began, speechmaking from what she said was the archetypal enactment sent to section media. "She is harmless but scared. She volition beryllium held for ransom, and erstwhile outgo is received, she volition beryllium released unharmed. We volition beryllium holding her for a maximum of 7 days."

As antecedently conveyed by authorities, the sender gave 2 deadlines with accrued wealth demands the longer it took.

"Once outgo is received to the Bitcoin code below, she volition beryllium released wrong 12 hours of deposit to a harmless drop-off determination backmost successful Tucson," Whitney read. "If the outgo is not received by the past deadline connected Monday the 9th astatine 5 p.m., she volition beryllium killed. Your parent is alert of this, and her beingness is successful your hands."

Deputies analyse a flyer taped to Nancy Guthrie's mailbox connected Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026. They were called to the country aft unpaid searchers and respective streamers walked onto Guthrie's spot with a shovel. (Michael Ruiz/Fox News Digital)

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The sender near nary country for further dialogue.

"It is successful the champion involvement of everyone to person this completed arsenic soon arsenic possible," the enactment reportedly continued. "You volition not beryllium capable to interaction maine from present connected out. There volition beryllium nary negotiation. Do not play games. Law enforcement volition not beryllium capable to assistance you."

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The enactment besides included details that whitethorn person lone been disposable to investigators and the fishy astatine the time, including the determination of Guthrie's Apple Watch and details astir the smashed floodlight successful her backyard — but adjacent that is not capable to pin down kidnapping for ransom arsenic a motive, Pack said.

Savannah Guthrie poses alongside her parent Nancy Guthrie during a accumulation interruption whilst hosting NBC's "Today Show" unrecorded from Australia. (Photo by Don Arnold/WireImage)

"The details astir the information camera and the spotlight that was out, that proves that they cognize what the location was like, what the situation whitethorn person been like, but it's not a existent impervious of life," helium said.

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In astir ransom kidnappings, helium said, the abductors volition privation to beryllium they person possession of the unfortunate and that the unfortunate is alive.

"All these things enactment unneurotic don't look truly similar they spell with the kidnapping for ransom," helium said.

Investigators look to beryllium divided connected the notes' authenticity. While 1 idiosyncratic has already pleaded blameworthy to sending an imposter ransom enactment to Guthrie's different daughter, Annie, and her hubby Tommaso Cioni, that lawsuit is not believed to beryllium connected to the notes sent to section media stations.

A well-wisher signs a banner that reads "Bring her home" and shows a photograph of Nancy Guthrie, U.S. tv writer Savannah Guthrie's abducted aged mother, astatine the KVOA newsroom, wherever Savannah worked earlier successful her career, successful Tucson, Arizona, U.S., Feb. 12, 2026. (Rebecca Noble/Reuters)

"The FBI and its task unit partners person received respective ransom notes implicit the people of this investigation," the FBI's Phoenix bureau said successful a connection successful June. "Some person been deemed to beryllium extortion attempts without legitimacy. Other ransom demands whitethorn perchance beryllium morganatic and are inactive being investigated arsenic such. This lawsuit continues to beryllium investigated arsenic a kidnapping for ransom case. The FBI has and volition proceed to connection each assistance imaginable successful the probe — nevertheless section authorities stay the lead."

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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. Still, the 2 notes that Whitney mentioned person been deemed perchance authentic by investigators and by the Guthrie family.

The lone known fishy remains publically unidentified — a masked intruder who appeared connected Nest doorbell camera video that the FBI recovered with assistance from Google.

He is described arsenic lasting betwixt 5 feet, 9 inches and 5 feet, 10 inches gangly with an mean build. He was wearing a achromatic Ozark Trail backpack. It remains unclear whether helium acted alone.

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The sum of rewards successful the lawsuit is implicit $1.2 million.

Anyone with accusation is asked to dial 1-800-CALL-FBI. Tips tin besides beryllium submitted anonymously to Tucson's Crime Stoppers affiliate astatine 520-88-CRIME.