FBI Backtracks: Some Nancy Guthrie Ransom Notes Are Legit

The plot twist nobody expected: the FBI just walked back claims that all those ransom notes connected to Nancy Guthrie’s kidnapping were fake.

Last week, Reuters reported that investigators had deemed the ransom demands illegitimate—the kind of headline that seemed to close a chapter on months of uncertainty. But behind the scenes, law enforcement was already pushing back. Now, the FBI Phoenix office is setting the record straight, and it’s messier than a simple yes or no.

According to the agency’s official statement, they’ve received multiple ransom notes throughout the investigation into Savannah Guthrie’s mother, who was kidnapped from her Arizona home on January 31. The reality? Some are extortion attempts without substance. Others may be legitimate and are actively being investigated as such. That’s a significant shift from the“all fake”narrative that made headlines.

The wrinkle here is that TMZ has been on the front lines of this story, receiving over a dozen emails from someone claiming to know the kidnappers’identities and demanding 1 Bitcoin in exchange. An FBI official told Harvey Levin directly that it’s“more likely than not that the 2 ransom notes are real”and that they’re“more legitimate than not.”That’s not a ringing endorsement—but it’s a far cry from a flat denial.

Nancy has been missing for nearly six months now. A masked figure was captured on her Ring camera the night she disappeared, but investigators still have no confirmed leads on her whereabouts or who has her. The legitimacy question matters because every credible tip, every real ransom demand, could theoretically bring investigators closer to answers. And right now, the FBI is treating at least some of these messages as potentially genuine—which means the investigation is still very much alive.