What To Know
- Retired FBI profiler James Fitzgerald discussed the authenticity of a new ransom note claiming to have video evidence of Nancy Guthrie with her kidnappers.
- Fitzgerald argued that a genuine informant would provide such critical information directly to law enforcement.
- Despite ongoing ransom notes and a $1 million reward, there have been no credible leads or suspects in the case of Savannah Guthrie’s mother.
An FBI profiler just shared his verdict on a new ransom note claiming to have a video of Nancy Guthrie with her kidnappers, nearly five months after Today co-anchor Savannah Guthrie‘s mother, 84, was abducted in Tucson, Arizona.
On June 26, NewsNation senior national correspondent Brian Entin spoke with retired FBI profiler James Fitzgerald — the main subject of the drama series Manhunt: Unabomber — about the latest development in Nancy’s case. The Brian Entin Investigates journalist addressed a new note sent to TMZ claiming to have video evidence of Nancy with the “main guy” who kidnapped her.
Per TMZ, the note read, in part, “I have a phone stashed in a secure location guaranteeing both the information it stores and the safety of the phone. What it contains is my definition of delivering them on a silver platter, a short video of the main guy with nancy the day that was probably her last, pictures of both involved, names and addresses and age.”
The sender said he would reveal the phone’s location in exchange for one Bitcoin. Meanwhile, TMZ requested a screenshot of Nancy in the video as proof and sent the message to the FBI.
So, what did Fitzgerald think about the latest note?
“This guy, I don’t think he’s legit. I’m gonna say that upfront,” Fitzgerald told Entin. “I’m not sure any communication — and people are calling them notes, letters, whatever, posts, but I’m just going to call them communications, however they showed up — I don’t think any of them are authentic. And that includes this most recent one.”
The former FBI profiler explained, “So, two things. Why to TMZ? I mean, in the beginning, but certainly this one, this guy is now alleging that he has some kind of a hidden phone in a secret place, whatever. And it has pictures of the last day Nancy was alive and names, addresses, and ages of the two kidnappers. OK, do you think these two kidnappers would know who this guy is, who is putting this stuff out there? And if they do, they’re gonna take him out, if they’re really these bada** alleged kidnappers.”
If the note writer was legit, Fitzgerald argued, he would go to law enforcement with the information so it would remain out of the public eye. That way, he would be outed as an informant and would remain safe.
To sum up his thoughts, the FBI profiler asked, “Why would he risk himself for — and if I’ve done the math right, I think — one Bitcoin today is worth like $61,000? That’s not a whole lot of money to put your life on the line.”
Nancy was last seen at her Catalina Foothills home on the evening of January 31. Despite Savannah offering a $1 million reward, no suspect has been named in the case.
In another recent development, new details emerged about the second ransom note sent to TMZ in February, which claimed Nancy died after she was abducted and was “with nature” now.
What do you think of the newest ransom notes claiming to have a video of Nancy with her kidnapper?