Eerie Apple Watch clue that proved Nancy Guthrie's Bitcoin ransom note was real

It looks increasingly likely that the case of Nancy Guthrie is going to meet a tragic end, with the 84-year-old missing since February 2026 and authorities still unable to locate her. Known as the mother of NBC News journalist and Today co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, doorbell footage showed an 'armed' individual at her home in the early hours of the morning. This is still believed to be the person who kidnapped Guthrie.

A joint investigation from the Pima County Sheriff's Department, FBI, and US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) gained international attention, but despite a potential DNA breakthrough, the hunt for Nancy Guthrie has gone cold.

Due to Guthrie's limited mobility and claims she "couldn't walk 50 yards by herself," officials maintain Guthrie was kidnapped or "otherwise taken against her will." This was backed up after blood was found at the entrance to her home in Catalina Foothills.

It's believed that she was kidnapped for ransom, with notes demanding a Bitcoin payout in exchange for her return.

CBS has given an unfortunately pessimistic update, claiming that two specific notes sent to the family are likely to be from Guthrie's abductor(s). In March, Savannah Guthrie warned of misinformation when she told NBC: "There are a lot of different notes, I think, that came, and I think most of them — it's my understanding — are not real, and I didn't see them.

“But I believe the two notes that we received, that we responded to, I tend to believe those are real."

In terms of notes that investigators think are from Guthrie's kidnapper, the first was sent to two local news stations and TMZ on February 2. As well as making the Bitcoin ransom, it mentioned several specific details on Guthrie's home, seemingly in a way to prove they were the ones who had her. These details included the likes of her back porch light being broken and an obscure mention that her Apple Watch with a white band was on the bedroom floor. While the mention of an Apple Watch might seem minute, it could prove to be a key descriptor in proving the sender had an intimate knowledge of the crime scene.

The real heartache comes from a February 6 follow-up that was written in a similar kind of language and is thought to have come from the same IP address as the first note. Here, the sender claimed that Nancy Guthrie had died, although it reiterated this wasn't their intention.

Over on X, NewsNation's Brian Entin potentially revealed more, saying that the second note mentioned referred to Nancy Guthrie being "buried with nature now." Entin concluded: "The note indicated Nancy's death was not intentional, but did not offer a direct apology."

After both notes had been sent, Savannah Guthrie took to Instagram to appeal to her mother's captor and added: "We received your message and we understand. We beg you now to return our mother to us so that we can celebrate with her. This is the only way we will have peace...This is very valuable to us, and we will pay."

In earlier videos, the family asked for proof of life and noted Nancy's fragile health alongside her need for daily medication.

As well as a $100,000 reward offered by the FBI, Guthrie's family said they'll hand over $1 million for information on her whereabouts.