First ransom note in Nancy Guthrie case detailed on podcast

The contents of the first ransom note sent in the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of "Today" show co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, have been publicly detailed for the first time, nearly six months after she vanished from her Tucson, Arizona, home. The note's text was read on a true crime podcast by journalist Briana Whitney, who said she had personally reviewed the document.

According to Whitney's account, the note opened by directly addressing Savannah Guthrie, stating, "Hello, Savannah. We have your mother, Nancy. She is safe but scared." It demanded a ransom payment in Bitcoin, promising Nancy Guthrie would be released within 12 hours of payment to a "safe drop off location back in Tucson." The note set a maximum holding period of seven days and issued a fatal ultimatum, warning that if payment was not received by 5 p.m. on Monday, February 9, 2026, "she will be killed." The message warned there would be no further contact or negotiation and explicitly cautioned against involving law enforcement, adding, "Your mother is aware of this and her life is in your hands."

The note also contained specific details from the crime scene, which Whitney suggested lent it...