STORY: :: Archive

:: NBC/TODAY

Federal investigators say all three kidnapping related notes linked to the disappearance of "Today Show" host Savannah Guthrie's mother are fake.

:: FBI Director Kash Patel via X

That includes two messages that surfaced shortly after 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie disappeared from her Tucson, Arizona home in late January...

as well as a more recent note from someone claiming to know the kidnappers' identities.

That's according to an FBI official who spoke to Reuters on Tuesday.

The official added, that the first two notes came from the same sender, but investigators determined the author was not connected to Guthrie's disappearance.

How the FBI drew that conclusion was unspecified.

One of those notes reportedly demanded millions of dollars in cryptocurrency.

In an effort to test its authenticity, the FBI deposited a small amount of crypto into an account specified in the message. The money was never claimed.

The findings now raise fresh questions about whether Nancy Guthrie was abducted for ransom at all.

The Pima County Sheriff's Department, which is leading the investigation, declined to comment on the notes but says the case remains active.

Authorities say DNA evidence and video footage collected during the investigation are still undergoing forensic analysis.

Nancy Guthrie vanished on January 31.

DNA testing later confirmed that blood found on her front porch belonged to her.

:: Savannah Guthrie via Instagram

Savannah Guthrie has repeatedly appealed for information about her mother's fate and has offered a $1 million reward.

Her family says they continue to hold onto hope while searching for answers, but acknowledge that "she may already be gone."