The FBI's Phoenix office has clarified its stance on ransom demands sent following the unsolved abduction of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, stating they may still be legitimate despite recent claims to the contrary.
The FBI and its task force partners have received several ransom notes over the course of this investigation, with some deemed to be extortion attempts without legitimacy and others potentially being legitimate and still under investigation.
The case continues to be investigated as a kidnapping for ransom case, with the FBI offering assistance to local authorities who remain in the lead.
Investigators appear to be split on the potential authenticity of the ransom demands, with some viewing them as more legitimate than not and others expressing confidence that they are all bogus.
Nancy Guthrie's daughter, Savannah Guthrie, has publicly expressed her belief that at least two of the ransom notes could be real, responding to those notes in videos posted to her Instagram in February.
State and local authorities have declined to discuss the latest developments regarding the ransom demands publicly, with the FBI Director and Pima County Sheriff both choosing not to comment on the matter.
The family is asking anyone with information on Guthrie's case to dial 1-800-CALL-FBI, with tips also being accepted anonymously through Tucson's Crime Stoppers affiliate.
