Nearly eight months after Nancy Guthrie vanished from her home near Tucson, Ariz., the $1 million reward her family is offering remains unclaimed. No one has been charged, and investigators said on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026, that they were examining a new possible ransom note. Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of “Today” co-host Savannah Guthrie, was last seen at her home on the night of Jan. 31 and was reported missing Feb. 1.
“The PCSD/FBI Guthrie task force was recently made aware of a new possible ransom note in the Nancy Guthrie investigation,” the Pima County Sheriff’s Department said in a statement, adding that investigators were also looking into social media comments about the note to determine its credibility. The department did not say who received it or what it said.
Why the Reward Remains Unclaimed
A retired FBI agent offered a blunt theory for the unclaimed money back in March: the only people who know what became of her are, in his view, the people responsible for it. Steve Moore laid out that assessment on March 12 on NewsNation’s “Brian Entin Investigates.” “I think the reason is most likely the fact that the only people who have knowledge of this are culpable,” Moore said.
Moore said he was not surprised that no accomplice had come forward, arguing that whoever is behind the case has kept knowledge of it contained. He noted that reward offers generally carry firm restrictions barring anyone culpable in a crime from collecting. “How are you going to spend a million dollars when you’re going to be in prison for most of the rest of your life?” he asked. Some tips already submitted, he added, may eventually turn out to have been valuable even though they were not recognized that way when they arrived.
The Guthrie family announced its $1 million reward on Feb. 24 for information leading to her recovery. Separately, the FBI is offering up to $100,000, and the local 88-CRIME tip line is offering $102,500 after an anonymous donation, for information about her whereabouts or leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone involved. Together, the rewards total about $1.2 million.
What the Sheriff Has Said
Moore’s remarks followed comments from Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos, who told NBC News on Thursday, March 12, that investigators believe the kidnapping was targeted, while cautioning that the public should not assume the danger is over. Nanos declined to share what investigators believe motivated the suspect, citing the integrity of the investigation.
“Don’t think for a minute that because it happened to the Guthrie family, you’re safe. No, keep your wits about you,” Nanos told NBC News.
The Man on the Porch
Authorities believe Nancy Guthrie was kidnapped, and blood found on the front porch of her home was confirmed to be hers. From the earliest days of the case, investigators have voiced concern for her health: she has a pacemaker and needs daily heart medication.
On Feb. 10, the FBI released doorbell camera images of an armed man on her porch the night she disappeared, wearing a ski mask, a jacket, long pants, gloves and a holstered handgun. Days later, the FBI described him as roughly 5-foot-9 or 5-foot-10 with an average build, carrying a black 25-liter Ozark Trail Hiker Pack backpack. He has never been publicly identified.
Months of False Leads
The months since have produced leads that went nowhere. A man detained during a traffic stop on Feb. 10 was released without charges. Gloves found about 2 miles from the home were traced to a restaurant worker unconnected to the case. Human remains found in August about 15 miles from her home were ruled unrelated.
Ransom notes have been a recurring thread. The FBI has said some were extortion attempts without legitimacy, and in July the sheriff’s department released the full text of the notes, hoping someone would recognize the writer. A California man, Derrick Callella, was sentenced on Aug. 31 to five years’ probation for sending hoax ransom messages. On Sept. 28, a day before the new statement, Nanos said he knew nothing of a separate bitcoin demand circulating on social media.
The Case on Television
The disappearance has drawn sustained national attention. Jody Weis, a retired FBI agent and former Chicago police superintendent, discussed the case on “The National News Desk” in late February, in a segment that also covered the armed intruder shot and killed at President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla., on Feb. 22.
Savannah Guthrie returned to the “Today” anchor desk on April 6 and has used her platform to keep the case in view. “Please don’t stop praying and hoping with us. Bring her home,” she wrote on Instagram. On Sept. 15, responding on air to Allison Janney’s mention of her mother at the Emmy Awards, she said, “We just want our mom home, give her a proper goodbye,” adding, “We need help.”
The FBI and the Pima County Sheriff’s Department have asked anyone with information to call 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), 520-351-4900 or 520-88-CRIME, or to submit a tip through the FBI’s online tip portal at tips.fbi.gov.