Ransom note connected to Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance apologized for accidentally killing her

CATALINA FOOTHILLS, ARIZONA: One of the ransom notes sent to Nancy Guthrie’s family following her disturbing disappearance reportedly apologized for accidentally killing her.

The 86-year-old mother of TODAY Show host Savannah Guthrie has not been seen since she was allegedly abducted from her home in Tucson, Arizona, in the early hours of February 1.

The 86-year-old mother of TODAY Show host Savannah Guthrie has not been seen since she was allegedly abducted from her home in Tucson, Arizona, in the early hours of February 1 (@savannahguthrie/Facebook)

She was last seen on the evening of January 31 after being dropped off at her home following a family game night at her daughter Annie's residence.

Ransom note demands money for returning Nancy's body

Following the matriarch’s disappearance, a series of ransom notes were sent to her family, including two emails in early February that TMZ said were verified by the FBI as legitimate.

The initial message, which was received on February 5, said Guthrie was 'safe but scared', and agreed to return her if the family paid $4 million in Bitcoin.

The note warned that the ransom demand would rise to $6 million if payment were not made by February 9, adding a chilling "or else," according to Air Mail.

However, instead of delivering the hefty sum, officials sent $152 to the Bitcoin address in question, hoping to tempt the person to withdraw the money as cash and thus become traceable. But the amount remained untouched.

The next message, which came from the same IP address as these initial, seemingly credible emails, arrived at the Guthrie family's home on February 6, apparently apologizing for her death.

The message in a “new, less confident tone” said that Guthrie had been accidentally killed, and offered to deliver her body back to the family for a sum of $4 million.

After Air Mail's report was published on Monday, TMZ, which received the first note, said none of the letters contained an apology or stated that Guthrie was dead.

The publication reported that the sender initially warned that "time is of the essence," but followed up a day later, claiming that "time is no longer of the essence" because Guthrie had allegedly been taken to Mexico.

Savannah Guthrie’s saddening plea

A day after receiving the ransom note, Savannah posted a heartbreaking clip on Instagram, sitting next to her brother, Camron, and sister, Annie.

“We beg you now to return our mother to us, so that we can celebrate with her,” the TV host pleaded in the video posted to her Instagram page.

"This is the only way we will have peace. This is very valuable to us, and we will pay,” they continued.

The Today co-host appeared to reference those very ransom notes during her first interview about the family tragedy with Hoda Kotb in March.

“I believe the two notes that we received that we responded to, I tend to believe those are real,” she said at the time.

Later that same month, Savannah again offered $1 million for Nancy’s return.

“We know that she may be lost,” she stated in an emotional post. “She may already be gone. … And if this is what is to be, then we will accept it, but we need to know where she is. We need her to come home.”