When investigators in the Arizona
, the mother of "Today" show co-host Savannah Guthrie, released Friday, one of the messages directly contradicted what Pima County Sheriff told CBS News in an interview one day earlier.
asserted
Sheriff → release → interview
"I have nothing to indicate she's dead," Nanos said Thursday.
asserted
Nanos → have → nothing
"I don't have a body.
asserted
I → have → body
I don't have a burial site.
asserted
I → have → site
I don't have any note.
asserted
I → have → note
But he did have a note.
asserted
he → have → note
On Friday, Nanos released the two notes to the public for the first time.
asserted
Nanos → release → time
The messages had originally been sent to the local CBS station in Tucson in February, shortly after the 84-year-old's abduction.
asserted
messages → send → abduction
Nanos said he released the ransom notes hoping someone would recognize the author's potentially distinctive wording and help identify who sent them.
asserted
who → say → them
The first, submitted a day after Guthrie was reported missing, opened with "Hello Savannah, we have your mother," demanded a $4 million ransom be paid in bitcoin, and promised to return her to a "safe drop off location" in Tucson within 12 hours of the ransom's deposit.
asserted
ransom → submit → deposit
The second note, sent just four days later, says, "We never intended to hurt her, that was not our intention.
asserted
that → send → her
She perished shortly after she was taken.
asserted
she → perish → ?
We believe it was heart related.
asserted
it → believe → ?
She is buried in nature now."
asserted
She → bury → nature
The first note included details about Nancy Guthrie's white Apple Watch and the floodlights on her back porch, leading the FBI to take them seriously.
Both notes were sent via a tip line to CBS affiliate KOLD-TV using email addresses that appeared to be made up and used references to the Guthrie family.
asserted
that → include → family
CBS News has
that investigators believed both notes were sent from the same IP address.
asserted
notes → have → address
That address was masked and investigators don't know whose computer it was sent from.
asserted
it → mask → computer
Lance Leising, a retired FBI supervisory special agent, told CBS News that releasing the notes to drive more tips from the public was a great thing to do.
asserted
releasing → tell → public
"However, so late in the case and after a period of time where they have had no communication with the public, it just seems that the media strategy here is a little haphazard," Leising said.
asserted
Leising → have → public
Leising said the months-delayed release could be due to questions of authenticity.
uncertain
release → say → authenticity
"I'm sure, and maybe even to this day, they're not 100% sure if these notes are legitimate," Leising said.
asserted
Leising → say → day
"I mean, they've already arrested and charged people for sending hoax and fake notes in."
asserted
they → mean → notes
Jason Pack, another retired FBI supervisory special agent, noted that the second message dropped the ransom demand.
asserted
message → note → demand
"The money is simply gone," Pack told CBS News on Friday.
asserted
Pack → go → Friday
People motivated by money do not walk away from $4 million when the plan falls apart.
asserted
plan → motivate → million
They try to salvage something.
asserted
They → try → something
This writer asked for nothing at all.
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writer → ask → nothing
Pack believes one person wrote both notes.
asserted
person → believe → notes
"Same channel, same habits, same distance from responsibility," he said.
asserted
he → say → responsibility
"Whether that person took Nancy or watched the coverage and decided to insert himself is the open question."
asserted
took → take → himself
When CBS News asked Nanos about the messages, he said, "Those hostage notes: Are they valid, do we believe they're valid?
asserted
they → ask → notes
We think every one of them's valid until we show otherwise."
asserted
we → think → them
In an Instagram post Saturday marking six months since her mother's disappearance,
"someone to come forward," including anyone who might recognize the writing in the ransom notes.
uncertain
who → mark → notes
She said, "There is a way to end this situation and do the right thing.
asserted
She → say → thing
"Following a lengthy, and at times unflattering, account in the Wall Street Journal over the weekend of how local investigators handled the Guthrie investigation
asserted
investigators → follow → investigation
, Nanos took to social media to address the Guthrie family and concerned citizens.
asserted
Nanos → take → family
"We're still here, we're not going away," Nanos said.
asserted
Nanos → go → ?
"If you could just see the team working, you would see the energy, the concern.
uncertain
you → see → energy
They're fired up, and we'll continue to work this case hard."
asserted
we → fire → case
Nanos said he has no doubt the case will be solved.
asserted
case → say → doubt
…and 1 more, not listed.
The Aporia
