Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of NBC “Today” show co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, disappeared from her home in the foothills outside Tucson, Arizona, on the night of 31 January. Blood was found near the doorstep, and local authorities in Pima County said they believed she was abducted or taken against her will. The FBI later released doorbell-camera footage showing a masked, armed man on the porch in the early hours of 1 February.

In the days after her disappearance, at least two ransom notes were sent to media outlets in Tucson and nationally. The first, received on 2 February, demanded millions of dollars in bitcoin and contained specific details about the interior of the home that investigators considered authenticating, according to US law enforcement sources cited by multiple American news organisations. A second note, sent on 6 February, stated that Nancy Guthrie had died shortly after the kidnapping and that her death was not intended, those sources said. Investigators believe both communications originated from the same computer IP address and were likely sent by the abductor or abductors. The family responded with a brief video in which Savannah Guthrie said, “We received your message and we understand,” and indicated a willingness to pay for her mother’s return.

Not all accounts of the notes align. The founder of the entertainment outlet TMZ, which also received emails, said the message his organisation obtained did not contain an apology or a claim of death, but rather described Nancy Guthrie as “scared but OK.” The Pima County Sheriff’s Department has declined to comment on the contents of any notes, referring questions to the FBI, which has not publicly confirmed the messages. No proof of life has been received, and no suspect has been identified. The family members have been cleared of involvement, according to the sheriff.

Volunteer search teams have scoured desert terrain near Tucson and the Arizona–Mexico border without finding a body. A reward of one million dollars has been offered for information. The investigation, led by a joint task force of the sheriff’s department and the FBI, remains active and ongoing, authorities said.