FBI Officials Refute Reuters Reports About Nancy Guthrie Ransom Notes Being Fake
Nancy Guthrie Kidnapping Law Enforcement Sources Refute Reuters Report About Ransom Notes
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10:00 AM PT -- Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the Reuters report about the ransom notes being fake is not accurate.
The series of alleged ransom notes sent to media outlets about Nancy Guthrie's kidnapping are bogus, according to a new report.
Reuters published an article Tuesday, saying the Federal Bureau of Investigation determined the notes are fake, but did not say how investigators came to that conclusion.
TMZ and other news outlets received the notes, which were then turned over to the FBI for analysis. The 2 alleged ransom notes were sent early on in the case ... and Reuters references the separate notes from someone claiming to know the kidnappers' identities, which TMZ obtained.
In fact, we got over a dozen emails from the same man claiming he knew the kidnapper's identity and Nancy's location but was not part of the crime. His first email -- sent just days after the abduction -- said he would divulge information in exchange for one Bitcoin, but noted, "time is more than relevant."
The following day, he sent another email that stated time was "no longer an issue," suggesting Nancy had died. He also said he needed the money so he could go underground, fearing retribution and being implicated by the authorities.
The person went quiet for months ... until last week, when he sent TMZ a new message -- claiming he'd reveal the location of a stashed phone with video and photos of the alleged perps in exchange for 1 Bitcoin.
In February, Nancy was kidnapped from her home in Tucson, Arizona, and a masked man was caught on a doorbell camera outside her home. Her daughter, "TODAY" show host Savannah Guthrie, has made several public pleas ... asking for the return of her 84-year-old mom.
