Nancy Guthrie Case: Sheriff Hopes Released Ransom Notes Trigger New Leads

The Sheriff in the Nancy Guthrie abduction case is speaking out after authorities released two ransom notes tied to the disappearance of the 84-year-old, hoping the public can help crack the case as the investigation enters its sixth month.

Pima County Sheriff’s Department Sheriff Chris Nanos says investigators decided to make the letters public because they believe someone may recognize the wording, handwriting style or details inside the messages ... and that could provide the breakthrough they need.

In a video shared Saturday, Nanos explained that releasing the notes was a calculated move designed to spark someone’s memory.

As we previously reported ... investigators released the full text of two ransom notes received by local Tucson news outlet KOLD shortly after Nancy vanished from her Tucson, Arizona home on Feb. 1. One note -- which TMZ also received -- claimed Nancy was alive and being held for ransom, while a second message later stated she had died unintentionally.

Nanos says the case remains a “very active investigation” and insists detectives are continuing to follow leads, analyze evidence and review an overwhelming amount of information submitted by the public.

The sheriff also pushed back on criticism surrounding people who have been questioned or had search warrants served during the investigation, explaining that those actions do not automatically mean someone has been cleared or identified as a suspect.

As we previously reported, a delivery driver named Carlos Palazuelos claims he was wrongfully detained at gunpoint in the Nancy Guthrie investigation and plans to sue for $2.5 Million over damage law enforcement allegedly caused at his home.

Nanos emphasized that Nancy’s family members -- including her daughter Savannah Guthrie -- are not suspects in the case, saying they are victims of what he called a “very horrific crime.”

Nanos says investigators believe the answer could come from someone who has not yet spoken up, adding "Someone knows who this person is ... Someone knows something.”

Savannah made an emotional plea for information on Saturday, urging anyone who recognizes something about the ransom notes or has noticed anything unusual to come forward, saying "someone knows something" and asking anyone with information to speak up, even anonymously.