BOMBSHELL UPDATE IN NANCY GUTHRIE CASE 😱 INVESTIGATORS SAY RANSOM NOTES WERE FAKE AS SHERIFF FACES FRESH CRITICISM OVER EARLY HANDLING OF DISAPPEARANCE
The mysterious ransom notes that have appeared in the case of Nancy Guthrie have been determined to have been fake by law enforcement, it was revealed Tuesday.
The FBI determined that two notes received shortly after the disappearance of Nancy – the mother of Today cohost Savannah Guthrie – were inauthentic. A third note appeared recently claiming to know the kidnappers.
‘None of the ransom notes are believed to be genuine,’ the FBI official told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The two early notes were widely reported to have been communications from kidnappers – sparking the theory she was being held for ransom.
The first note, according to TMZ, demanded a sum ‘in the millions’ to be paid in cryptocurrency and set two deadlines for payment – on February 5 and February 9.
The second note was reported by NBC News last week to have referred to Guthrie at that point as having died, without making an apology or demanding any payment for the return of her body.
The FBI has additionally discounted the authenticity of a third note that TMZ reported it received last week from someone claiming to know the identities of Nancy’s abductors
The third note claimed to have video of the ‘main guy’ involved in her kidnapping, as well as of the victim on the day she died.
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The FBI determined that two notes received shortly after the disappearance of Nancy – the mother of Today cohost Savannah Guthrie – were inauthentic
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The two early notes were widely reported to have been communications from kidnappers – sparking the theory she was being held for ransom
Meanwhile, it has been revealed that the Pima County Sheriff’s Department rejected help from a volunteer search and rescue team in the early days of the disappearance.
Volunteer-led search and rescue group United Cajun Navy offered to assist Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos in the search for Nancy, 84, with canine and drone teams.
But Brian Trascher, United Cajun Navy’s national vice president, said that Nanos repeatedly turned down the offer, even during a pivotal period in the investigation.
‘We really felt strongly that there was a good chance that she could have ended up somewhere along the border, just because there’s a lot of human remains that get found down there,’ Trascher told NewsNation on Monday.
Trascher said that his group’s goal was to be ‘just to be a force multiplier, extra set of eyes, ears, and hands and feet’ for the Guthries.
However, he added that any findings now would likely be grim, nearly five months after Nancy’s disappearance.
‘At this point, just to try to bring some closure to the Guthrie family,’ Trascher said.
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United Cajun Navy national vice president Brian Trascher claimed his organization had been repeatedly rejected by sheriff
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The first ransom note, according to TMZ, demanded a sum ‘in the millions’ to be paid in cryptocurrency and set two deadlines for payment – on February 5 and February 9
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He added: ‘It makes it even harder when you see Savannah on TV all the time and knowing what she’s going through. She’s putting on a professional face, but behind her eyes, you can tell, she’s still really suffering.’
On Monday, Trascher said he did not know ‘exactly how many times’ the sheriff’s office turned down his group’s offer to help.
‘We do know that there was a sort of, like, a blanket declination from the sheriff’s office to accept any outside help,’ he told NewsNation.
Though Trascher admitted that the United Cajun Army was ‘not privy to everything that they’ve done or what they may not have done,’ he insisted their volunteers could have been of help to the sheriff’s office.
‘I think early on when we were closer to the abduction date, it would have been a lot more beneficial,’ Trascher said.
Trascher suggested that any search for Nancy now would likely turn up her body, while blasting Nanos’ office.
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‘None of the ransom notes are believed to be genuine,’ the FBI official told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity
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Savannah has returned to the Today show, where she is seen here hugging a staffer
‘I hate to say it, but at this point, you’d just be looking for remains, which would be valuable to the family to be able to have that closure,’ he said. ‘But for some reason, they just decided they were not going to take the outside help.’
A spokesperson for the Pima County Sheriff’s Department (PCSD) told the Daily Mail on Tuesday night: ‘The Cajun Navy was thanked for their concern and willingness to direct any information received to the designated tip submission sites.
‘They were notified that at this time, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department will not be utilizing external operational support. We are grateful for their offer to assist and for their continued interest in supporting this effort.’
The United Cajun Navy previously submitted a 41-page proposal describing a massive operation that included two dozen canines, former law enforcement volunteers and drones ready to be deployed.
The proposal, titled ‘Tactical Operational Packet: Search for Nancy Guthrie,’ was sent to Nanos back in March, according to NewsNation’s Brian Entin.
The volunteer group said it was prepared to offer support on the ground and in the water using volunteers, drones and thermal technology.
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The two early notes were widely reported to have been communications from kidnappers – sparking the theory she was being held for ransom
At the time, the organization added that the plan’s purpose was to ‘provide structured search support’ and that they would operate under the sheriff’s authority.
On June 11, Nanos released a statement on X saying his department was ‘aware of reports regarding an anonymous tip’ regarding Nancy’s disappearance that had been provided ‘to a group in Mexico.’
‘At this time, we have not been contacted by Mexican authorities,’ Nanos said.
He confirmed the investigation into Nancy’s disappearance remained ongoing.
The Buscando Corazones Nogales group, which searches for missing people in Mexico, led a search for Nancy in Nogales, Sonora, near the US-Mexico border, on June 17, according to KVOA.
The group initially received a tip on May 10 and also looked for Nancy on May 16. However, all of the searches so far have come up empty handed.
A blackmail letter included an apology for accidentally killing Nancy, Air Mail reported last week.
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‘At this time, we have not been contacted by Mexican authorities,’ Nanos said
The letter, which was sent in February but not revealed until recently said that Nancy had been accidentally killed.
It offered to deliver her body back to them in exchange for $4 million, according to the outlet.
However, no suspects or persons of interest in Nancy’s disappearance have been publicly named by the Pima County Sheriff’s Department to date, roughly five months after she vanished.
The FBI released doorbell footage from outside her home showing a masked figure wearing black latex gloves, a backpack and what seemed to be a holstered gun.
Authorities described the suspect as a man with ‘an average build’ and roughly 5’9′ or 5’10’.
He donned a black, 25-liter ‘Ozark Trail Hiker Pack’ backpack in the short clips released.
Nancy was last seen at her $1million home in the Catalina Foothills area outside Tucson on January 31.
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The FBI released doorbell footage from outside her home showing a masked figure wearing black latex gloves, a backpack and what seemed to be a holstered gun
She had dinner with her daughter Annie that evening and was driven home by son-in-law Tommaso Cioni, who dropped her off around 9.50pm.
At 1.47am, the masked individual was captured outside Nancy’s home. He disabled the home’s doorbell camera that captured him.
Less than an hour later, the 84-year-old’s pacemaker monitoring app disconnected from her phone.
Investigators believe that could be the moment when Nancy was removed from the house.
Nancy’s disappearance was reported the following day by family members after she did not attend a church service.
Drops of blood were found on the front porch of her home. Authorities believe that she was kidnapped.
Nancy needs daily medication for a heart condition and had problems walking, the FBI has said.
The Guthries have offered a reward of up to $1million for information leading to her whereabouts. In addition, the FBI is also offering a reward of $100,000.
The Daily Mail has reached out to the United Cajun Navy for further comment.
SOURCE: https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-15943263/Ransom-notes-Nancy-Guthrie-case-determined-FAKE-bombshell-update-sheriff-blasted-refusing-help-early-days-disappearance.html
