Home - CBSNews.com
· collected 2026-08-04 · by Jonathan Vigliotti, Anna Schecter
Pima County Sheriff Nanos released two ransom notes sent in February after his mother-in-law's abduction, which directly contradicted his earlier statement that he had no evidence of her death. The first note demanded a $4 million ransom, while the second note claimed Nancy Guthrie had died from a heart-related issue and was buried in nature. Retired FBI agents Lance Leising and Jason Pack questioned the legitimacy of the notes, with Leising suggesting they may have been released too late to be effective and Pack noting that the writer dropped the ransom demand. Both agents believe the same person wrote both notes, but it's unclear whether they were involved in Nancy Guthrie's disappearance or death.
Written by the local model on 2026-08-21,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Why this leaning score
The text presents a nuanced analysis of the situation, with criticism directed at Sheriff Nanos' handling of the case, particularly the late release of the ransom notes. Quotes from retired FBI agents also provide expert insight that questions the legitimacy and motives behind the notes. The neutral tone and presentation of both sides of the argument suggest a center-left leaning.
Written under an earlier scoring contract, which gave a paragraph
rather than checkable quotes. Re-analysing this article replaces it.
Leaning score -0.30 for article 361 · logged 2026-08-04
When investigators in the Arizona
, the mother of "Today" show co-host Savannah Guthrie, released Friday, one of the messages directly contradicted what Pima County Sheriff told CBS News in an interview one day earlier.
asserted
Sheriff → release → interview
"I have nothing to indicate she's dead," Nanos said Thursday.
asserted
Nanos → have → nothing
"I don't have a body.
asserted
I → have → body
I don't have a burial site.
asserted
I → have → site
I don't have any note.
asserted
I → have → note
But he did have a note.
asserted
he → have → note
On Friday, Nanos released the two notes to the public for the first time.
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Nanos → release → time
The messages had originally been sent to the local CBS station in Tucson in February, shortly after the 84-year-old's abduction.
asserted
messages → send → abduction
Nanos said he released the ransom notes hoping someone would recognize the author's potentially distinctive wording and help identify who sent them.
asserted
who → say → them
The first, submitted a day after Guthrie was reported missing, opened with "Hello Savannah, we have your mother," demanded a $4 million ransom be paid in bitcoin, and promised to return her to a "safe drop off location" in Tucson within 12 hours of the ransom's deposit.
asserted
ransom → submit → deposit
The second note, sent just four days later, says, "We never intended to hurt her, that was not our intention.
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that → send → her
She perished shortly after she was taken.
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she → perish → ?
We believe it was heart related.
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it → believe → ?
She is buried in nature now."
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She → bury → nature
The first note included details about Nancy Guthrie's white Apple Watch and the floodlights on her back porch, leading the FBI to take them seriously.
Both notes were sent via a tip line to CBS affiliate KOLD-TV using email addresses that appeared to be made up and used references to the Guthrie family.
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that → include → family
CBS News has
that investigators believed both notes were sent from the same IP address.
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notes → have → address
That address was masked and investigators don't know whose computer it was sent from.
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it → mask → computer
Lance Leising, a retired FBI supervisory special agent, told CBS News that releasing the notes to drive more tips from the public was a great thing to do.
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releasing → tell → public
"However, so late in the case and after a period of time where they have had no communication with the public, it just seems that the media strategy here is a little haphazard," Leising said.
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Leising → have → public
Leising said the months-delayed release could be due to questions of authenticity.
uncertain
release → say → authenticity
"I'm sure, and maybe even to this day, they're not 100% sure if these notes are legitimate," Leising said.
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Leising → say → day
"I mean, they've already arrested and charged people for sending hoax and fake notes in."
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they → mean → notes
Jason Pack, another retired FBI supervisory special agent, noted that the second message dropped the ransom demand.
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message → note → demand
"The money is simply gone," Pack told CBS News on Friday.
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Pack → go → Friday
People motivated by money do not walk away from $4 million when the plan falls apart.
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plan → motivate → million
They try to salvage something.
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They → try → something
This writer asked for nothing at all.
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writer → ask → nothing
Pack believes one person wrote both notes.
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person → believe → notes
"Same channel, same habits, same distance from responsibility," he said.
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he → say → responsibility
"Whether that person took Nancy or watched the coverage and decided to insert himself is the open question."
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took → take → himself
When CBS News asked Nanos about the messages, he said, "Those hostage notes: Are they valid, do we believe they're valid?
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they → ask → notes
We think every one of them's valid until we show otherwise."
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we → think → them
In an Instagram post Saturday marking six months since her mother's disappearance,
"someone to come forward," including anyone who might recognize the writing in the ransom notes.
uncertain
who → mark → notes
She said, "There is a way to end this situation and do the right thing.
asserted
She → say → thing
"Following a lengthy, and at times unflattering, account in the Wall Street Journal over the weekend of how local investigators handled the Guthrie investigation
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investigators → follow → investigation
, Nanos took to social media to address the Guthrie family and concerned citizens.
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Nanos → take → family
"We're still here, we're not going away," Nanos said.
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Nanos → go → ?
"If you could just see the team working, you would see the energy, the concern.
uncertain
you → see → energy
They're fired up, and we'll continue to work this case hard."
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we → fire → case
Nanos said he has no doubt the case will be solved.
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case → say → doubt
…and 1 more, not listed.
