Nancy Guthrie Ransom 'Death' Note Debunked as Missing Mom's Disappearance Remains Unsolved

Sources have debunked previous claims that one of the shocking ransom notes sent in the wake of Nancy Guthrie's disappearance apologized for her alleged death.

The email in question was originally sent on February 6 from the same IP address as previous blackmail emails after the mother of Today show anchor Savannah Guthrie was seemingly snatched from her Arizona home.

Initial notes demanded the family pay $4 million in Bitcoin for Nancy's return and included disturbing details about the night Nancy disappeared, reported the New York Post.

It described Nancy as "safe but scared."

TMZ clarified that despite reports, no emails contained a rambling "apology" for Nancy's accidental death and offered to return Nancy's body for an unspecified price.

In reality, the email was one of dozens that police received from an individual who claimed to know the kidnappers and Nancy's location.

Instead, one message from the anonymous man offered up information in return for one Bitcoin. The man, who made it clear that he was not the kidnapper, claimed "time is of the essence."

The next day, the person emailed, "time is no longer of the essence," perhaps alluding to Nancy's death.

He continued to send emails about the investigation, eventually claiming Nancy was taken to Mexico. The sender demanded payment for fear of retribution or being implicated in the kidnapping.

The FBI does not believe the author to be a scammer.

The note may have shifted the Pima County Sheriff's Office's investigation from a missing person's case to a homicide investigation.

In the four months since Nancy disappeared, investigators have offered few updates on the case.

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos spoke out about why the investigation had been dragging out for so long.

"This is a very sensitive case. But what really makes it prolonged is we do rely on labs for the digital part of this case, which is very critical," he said. "We want to make sure that DNA doesn't just identify a suspect. It also exonerates those who are innocent."

Anonymous tips have pointed to graveyards on the Mexican border as the place where Nancy's remains are buried, but no DNA has confirmed the lead.

Ashleigh Banfield’s “Drop Dead” podcast revealed a grassroots group called Buscando Corazones Nogales has been actively investigating leads tied to the case in Nogales, Mexico.

“They have had huge successes in the past to the tune of finding 25 different unmarked graves in just one area,” Banfield said. “They got a tip and it was specific. They have not released everything, but they said there were enough specifics in the tip to suggest that Nancy Guthrie is buried in an area southwest of Nogales in an area called Mariposa, butterfly in English.”

Nancy was last seen at her home in Tucson, Ariz., on January 31. She was reported missing after failing to show up to a friend's home the next day.

Investigators believed the grandmother was forcibly taken from her house by a masked figure who appeared on doorbell camera footage the same day.

The Guthrie family has offered a $1 million reward to anyone with information that leads to her return.