On Monday, Savannah Guthrie returned to the Today show for the first time since the disappearance of her mother in early February.
And while the search for Nancy Guthrie has yet to yield any results, investigators haven’t given up.
Sadly, the focus now seems to be more on recovery than rescue, and a new tip from an informant alleges that the 84-year-old captive has indeed passed away.
If you’ve been following the case closely, then you may know that TMZ and other media outlets have received messages from an informant who claimed to have inside information about Nancy’s whereabouts.
“I saw her alive with them in the state of Sonora Mexico,” reads one note that was published by TMZ this week.
That might sound like hopeful news, but the outlet also received a note that states bluntly, “She is dead.”
TMZ says they’ve been forwarding all of the informant’s notes to the FBI, but the agency seems to have doubts about the note’s authenticity, and thus has been unwilling to pay the informant.
In a separate note, the informant expressed their frustration with the situation.
“It’s unbelievable that millions have been wasted and yet here I am willing to deliver them on a silver platter since the 11th of february for a bitcoin but I am disregarded as a scam,” they wrote.
“They are free and the case is frozen but the ego’s remain hot when it comes to me. Arrogance at its finest.”
If the informant’s claims turn out to be true, then the criticism of FBI Director Kash Patel’s handling of the case will likely only intensify.
“I just want what’s fair and to live peacefully with enough to start my life again quietly without having to join a witness protection program,” the informant continued.
They are requesting one Bitcoin as payment, which is currently valued at roughly $68,000.
Savannah did not directly address her mother’s disappearance during her return to Today, but she did become visibly emotional while greeting supportive fans outside the studio.
In her previous videos and social media posts, Savannah acknowledged the sad reality that her mother might have passed away.
We will have further updates on this developing story as new information becomes available.