Nancy Guthrie probably dead-new ransom note is 'Mea Culpa' to avoid death penalty

A former FBI agent says she believes missing Tucson resident Nancy Guthrie is dead after she was taken from her home earlier this year. Jennifer Coffindaffer suggests a new ransom note is “a mea culpa” to avoid the death penalty for murdering Guthrie, who was taken from her Catalina Foothills home on Feb. 1, 2026.

Nancy Guthrie is the mom of NBC “Today” co-host Savannah Guthrie.

‘Mea Culpa’ Note, To Avoid Murder Charges

According to Coffeeindafer, NewsNation Prime’s Brian Entin the recently obtained email claiming that Guthrie died of natural causes shorty after her Feb. 1 abduction from her home and that she “was buried with nature” is not a legitimate ransom request. She believes it “is some sort of pretext” to evade murder charges by the state of Arizona where an abductor could face capital punishment.

“They have a murder on their hands as opposed to a kidnapping, and that is punishable by the death penalty in Arizona,” she explained in her NewsNation interview about the email, which offered one bitcoin valued at about $60,000, in exchange for a video on a phone purported to show Guthrie with her abductor.

The offer, Coffindaffer argued, is “about attention, about control” and not the family of Guthrie and her ability to come up with the money.

In addition to the July 6 note, investigators do believe that a private message on Feb. 3 also stated that she accidentally died. “I do really believe that, unfortunately, Nancy Guthrie is not with us,” she concluded.

Kidnapping timeline and investigative update

The last time anyone seen Guthrie alive was on Jan. 31. The first “Today” host reported that her mom disappeared after missing her weekly church livestream in February after her 84-year-old mom, also named Nancy, did not call for her usual weekly bible group with friends.

Police investigating discovered bloodstains inside of Guthrie’s home and doorbell camera footage showing an armed man who allegedly broke in and snatched her in front of camera prior to a Feb. 1 missing person’s report being filed.

Initially, early demand messages in February made offers of millions of dollars inbitcoin, before later communications on February 3 stated Guthrie died while in captivity. Later, an email was transmitted to TMZ on June. This offered the delivery of a bitcoin if information about what’s contained on a smart phone showing a video clip of Guthrie could be delivered.

To date no one has been arrested. Sheriff of the Pima County Sheriff’s Department said at an earlier press conference the ongoing investigations with the FBI is continuing. On offer now is a reward of over $1.2 million.

Profiling the Notes – Using “Psychological distancing” in a Mea Culpa

The profiler also suggests that a “mea culpa” Note, such as the one that says the kidnapper buried her “with nature” shows “psychological distancing,” the practice of employing euphemisms or gentle language to downplay the significance of a terrible crime. The Note is “defensive” by claiming Guthrie’s death was “not intentional,” the FBI criminal profiling expert offered up to investigators.

Savanah Guthrie appeared in a video published in the past couple of weeks seeking the safe return of her mom as the FBI and Sheriff continue the investigation into the abduction.