The FBI has reached out to Mexican authorities in the search for Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of NBC anchor Savannah Guthrie, who was kidnapped from her home earlier this month. This comes after investigators received a new ransom demand for millions of dollars in cryptocurrency, according to TMZ.
Federal investigators now think Guthrie may have been taken across the U.S.-Mexico border after her early-morning abduction, as reported by TMZ , citing law enforcement sources. The FBI has asked Mexican officials to help find Guthrie and the person behind her disappearance, although details about Mexico’s role remain undisclosed.
This latest communication is the fifth ransom letter sent to Guthrie’s family and media outlets since her kidnapping. TMZ states that the most recent message asks for millions in cryptocurrency other than Bitcoin and provides a different crypto account number than those mentioned in earlier communications.
The new email also includes a warning about what might happen to Guthrie if the payment is not made and authorities have not shared the details of that message.
Guthrie vanished from her Arizona home in the early morning hours. Law enforcement officials have confirmed that investigators are treating this case as a kidnapping, with the FBI leading the investigation in partnership with local authorities.
TMZ also reported that investigators are reviewing the ransom communications and tracking the cryptocurrency account information related to the demands. Law enforcement agencies often use blockchain analysis to follow digital transactions, but officials have not stated whether any funds have been moved in this case.
The involvement of Mexican authorities expands the search beyond U.S. borders. Cross-border investigations usually require cooperation between the FBI and Mexican federal law enforcement, including sharing information and alerts at entry points. Authorities have not indicated whether they have identified a suspect or vehicle connected to Guthrie’s abduction.
Kidnapping cases that involve ransom demands often receive federal attention, especially when interstate or international factors are present. The FBI has not confirmed the theory that Guthrie was taken into Mexico, and officials have not provided details of any evidence supporting that idea.
Family members have not issued a public statement regarding the most recent ransom note. It is unclear if they have received any direct communication from the alleged kidnapper beyond the reported emails.
Investigators have not revealed whether the new cryptocurrency account is associated with any known exchanges or digital wallets. Federal authorities typically collaborate with cryptocurrency platforms to obtain records when ransom demands involve digital assets.
As of Tuesday, no arrests had been made. The FBI has not shared more information about Guthrie’s condition or whereabouts.
To sum up the timeline of events in the disappearance. On Saturday, January 31, 2026, Nancy Guthrie spent the evening with family, she then took an Uber at 5:32 p.m. to her daughter Annie’s house for dinner. Just before 10 p.m., her son-in-law, Tommaso Cioni, drove her back home, dropping her off at 9:48 p.m. Surveillance shows her garage door closed around 9:50 p.m., and Cioni likely left soon after.
At 1:47 a.m., a masked and gloved person disconnected her doorbell camera then minutes later, at 2:12 a.m., motion was detected at the property. On February 10, the FBI released footage from Nest’s backend systems showing an armed individual tampering with the device.
At 2:28 a.m., Guthrie’s pacemaker monitoring app was disconnected from her phone. Concern grew later that morning when a fellow church member called the family around 11 a.m. to say Guthrie had not shown up for services. By 11:56 a.m., relatives arrived at her home and found that she was missing.
