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Investigators Release Ransom Notes as Nancy Guthrie Probe Reaches Six Months

Officials hope the notes will prompt new tips while complex DNA and digital testing at multiple labs continues to delay a public breakthrough.

Overview

  • Nancy Guthrie, 84, was taken from her Tucson‑area home on Feb. 1, 2026, and investigators continue to treat the case as a suspected kidnapping after blood was found at the scene and doorbell video showed a masked person.
  • Pima County and the FBI on July 31 publicly released two ransom emails sent to a Tucson TV station, one demanding $4 million in bitcoin and a later message claiming Guthrie died and saying she was "buried in nature."
  • Forensic work has encountered setbacks as hair recovered at the home produced no usable DNA and a mixed biological sample from the scene remains under analysis by several labs including the FBI lab.
  • A joint Pima County Sheriff’s OfficeFBI task force says it is actively pursuing digital and DNA leads and that public rewards totaling about $1.1–$1.2 million remain available for information that advances the case.
  • Two men detained early in the investigation have filed a notice of claim seeking $3.25 million for alleged wrongful detention and property damage, increasing scrutiny of police actions while the search continues.