A second ransom note in the months-long investigation into the abduction of Nancy Guthrie claims the 84-year-old died and was "buried with nature now," according to a source close to the investigation who spoke to NewsNation reporter Brian Entin on Monday.
The note indicated her death was not intentional but offered no direct apology, the source said.
The grim revelation marked a dark new chapter in the case, which gripped the nation since Guthrie, the mother of "Today" show co-host Savannah Guthrie, vanished from her Tucson, Arizona home in the early morning hours of Feb. 1. Bloodstains confirmed to be Nancy's were found at the scene, and investigators have treated the residence as a crime scene from the outset.
ABC News separately reported Monday that the second note was received by a Tucson television station shortly after her disappearance, and indicated she died soon after being taken.
In February, criminologist Casey Jordan told MS NOW the case appeared to be shifting from a search-and-rescue operation to a search-and-recovery effort.
Multiple ransom notes demanding cryptocurrency payments circulated in the weeks following Guthrie's disappearance, several routed through media outlets, which former FBI agents described as highly unusual. No suspect has been charged in the abduction.
Investigators continue to pursue forensic leads, including DNA evidence being processed at multiple FBI labs around the country. Five labs were working the case, with Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos warning results could take up to six months to untangle.
The Guthrie family has offered $1 million for information leading to answers.