True Crime

Moment of truth in the Nancy Guthrie kidnapping case ... the first deadline from the ransom letter came and went ... but the family says they still haven't heard a peep from whoever abducted her.

The first deadline lapsed at 4 PM PT Thursday ... that's when millions of dollars in bitcoin were due in exchange for Nancy's safe return.

'TODAY' host Savannah Guthrie uploaded a video of her brother, Camron Guthrie, saying the family has not gotten proof of life on Nancy ... as they've been requesting since Wednesday evening.

Finally, an arrest in the Nancy Guthrie kidnapping, but it's not one of her captors ... it's a guy the feds claim sent text messages to Nancy's family asking them about bitcoin ... and the FBI says they don't believe the guy has any connection to the ransom note.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, the feds say a Los Angeles man named Derrick Callella texted Nancy's daughter Annie and her son-in-law Tommaso Cioni, "Did you get the bitcoin were [sic] waiting on our end for the transaction."

The FBI says the texts were sent Wednesday, shortly after 'TODAY' anchor Savannah Guthrie uploaded a video of her siblings making a plea to Nancy's captors. In the video, Savannah mentioned the ransom note, begged for proof of life and said they were ready to talk.

Savannah Guthrie says she's aware there's an alleged ransom note demanding payment for the return of her kidnapped mother, Nancy Guthrie ... and she says she's ready to talk on one condition.

In an emotional video posted on her social media Wednesday, the 'TODAY' anchor says before there can be any movement on meeting the alleged ransom's demands, she's pleading to know Nancy is alive ... and she says the rise of A.I. makes it harder to confirm if any photos, audio or videos of Nancy are legit.

TMZ was sent an alleged ransom note Tuesday and forwarded it to law enforcement. The note demanded millions of dollars in Bitcoin in exchange for Nancy, and it gave a tight deadline with an element of "or else" while also describing some things about her and her home.

A new development in the kidnapping of 'TODAY' anchor Savannah Guthrie's mother Nancy ... the Arizona home of Savannah's sister Annie Guthrie and her husband Tommaso Cioni is crawling with law enforcement agents.

Photos show a deputy wearing an ICAC shirt arriving Wednesday afternoon at Annie and Tommaso's home ... and what's even more interesting is what he appears to have in the bag over his shoulder.

Now, the ICAC badge appears to be from the Internet Crimes Against Children task force ... and the box with a strap over his shoulder is believed to be a forensic extraction device used to access data from smartphones, SIM cards and more.

A suspicious man was seen lurking in someone's yard near Nancy Guthrie's Arizona home several weeks ago ... and police are now investigating the case to see if it's tied to the mother of Savannah Guthrie's kidnapping.

The Pima County Sheriff's Department tells TMZ ... in early January, an elderly man spotted the trespasser at his Tucson home, less than 10 minutes away from 84-year-old Nancy's house. The sheriff's department said the case was forwarded to the unit investigating Nancy's case for possible leads.

TMZ spoke to the elderly man, who says he caught the loiterer in his yard after a motion sensor went off and a floodlight switched on. We're told the light spooked the uninvited guest, who fled on foot before anyone could get a good look at his face. The man noted there was no break-in attempt and nothing was stolen from his yard.

As the search continues for Savannah Guthrie's kidnapped mother ... Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos painted a cautiously hopeful picture of where the investigation is at right now.

In a new interview Wednesday, Nanos told 'TODAY' ... "We have nothing else to go on but the belief that she is here, she's present, she's alive, and we want to save her."

As you know ... detectives suspect Savannah's 84-year-old mom Nancy was taken from her Arizona home in the middle of the night against her will.

While some details have come out, none of them have led to cracking the case or even identifying any persons of interest in the Tucson-area case.

The search continues for Savannah Guthrie's kidnapped mother ... and law enforcement in Arizona is recapping what they know so far about Nancy Guthrie's abduction.

The Pima County Sheriff's Department says Nancy's Tucson-area home has been processed for evidence inside and out ... and the home has now been turned over to the Guthrie family.

Savannah has been away from 'TODAY' as the investigation moves forward ... and PCSD says they've remained in close contact with the Guthries and continue to update them as things progress.

12:59 PM PT -- The Pima County Sheriff's Department posted on X they are "aware of reports circulating about possible ransom note(s) regarding the investigation into Nancy Guthrie."

The tweet says the department is taking all tips and leads very seriously and anything that comes in "goes directly to our detectives who are coordinating with the FBI."

Another scary twist in the disappearance of "TODAY" host Savannah Guthrie's kidnapped mother ... TMZ has received an alleged ransom note demanding payment for the release of Nancy Guthrie.

The note, which was sent to us Tuesday morning, demands a specific substantial amount of Bitcoin ... the amount is in the millions, and the note demands the cryptocurrency be sent to a specific Bitcoin address.

TMZ has verified the Bitcoin address is real.

President Donald Trump says he's willing to put even more federal resources forward in order to help Savannah Guthrie's missing mother ... and, he says he even plans to call Savannah later in the day.

POTUS answered several questions from reporters Tuesday ... including one about whether he'd consider putting forth more federal help -- the FBI's currently assisting in the investigation -- to find 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie.

The prez says he's fully briefed on the situation in Tucson ... and he's also got a solid relationship with Savannah ... who he plans to call later on today to check in.

There's a trail of blood leading away from the front door of the Arizona home of 'TODAY' anchor Savannah Guthrie's kidnapped mom ... and it's all on video.

New footage captured by NewsNation Senior National Correspondent Brian Entin shows blood drops and splatter on Nancy Guthrie's front porch.

Nancy was reported missing Sunday -- cops say she was snatched from her bed in the middle of the night -- and it looks like there's an unopened Amazon package on the porch too.

Blood was reportedly found inside the home, alongside signs of forced entry ... and the Pima County Sheriff's Department says DNA samples collected at the Tucson-area home are confirmed to belong to Nancy.

Savannah Guthrie's completely focused on her personal life after her mother was abducted from her Arizona home ... so, she's stepping back from Winter Olympics coverage.

NBC made the announcement in a statement Wednesday ... saying, "Savannah will not be joining us at the Olympics as she focuses on being with her family during this difficult time. Our hearts are with her and the entire Guthrie family as the search continues for their mother. We will share additional information about our Opening Ceremony coverage plans soon.”

As you know ... Savannah's 84-year-old mom, Nancy, was last seen Saturday around 9:30 PM ... she was reported missing around noon the next day. Authorities quickly confirmed to the public there were concerning signs at her home that indicated a crime. It was later determined Nancy was abducted from the residence.

Shocking development in the double murder of an Ohio dentist and his wife ... she was shot 9 times, and he took 7 bullets ... and her ex-husband is charged with their murders.

Monique Tepe took one bullet to the head, three to the chest, one to the ribs, one to the forearm, one to the hand and two her upper arm ... according to the Franklin County Coroner's Office.

Spencer, meanwhile, took one bullet to the head, one to the neck, three to the torso, and two to his bilateral upper extremities.

9:50 AM PST -- Neo has bonded out of jail after meeting a $60,000 bail.

D4vd's friend Neo has been booked into the LAPD Metropolitan Detention Center after being arrested in Montana for failing to appear as a witness.

Online records show Neo was booked around 11:30 PM Friday and is being held on a $60,000 bail. Law enforcement sources tell TMZ he remains charged with failing to appear ... a felony.

We broke the news -- the popular streamer was cuffed and put behind bars in Helena, Montana Thursday on a warrant out of the Los Angeles Police Department. Police then confirmed to us he was on his way to the City of Angels after he made a court appearance before a judge earlier Friday.

Bryan Kohberger's killing spree in Idaho left a blood-soaked mess behind ... and newly released photos from the crime scene show just how gory this quadruple murder really was.

Idaho State Police released the photos from the November 2022 murders ... and you see blood all over the rooms of the home shared by Kohberger's victims, who were students at the University of Idaho.

Blood is splattered all over the place ... on sheets, mattresses, walls, furniture, doors, walls, floors and household items.

A contestant on Erica Mena's reality dating show was fatally shot in St. Louis ... and prosecutors have already charged a man with murder in connection with the death.

"Two Ways With Erica Mena" contestant Pee Wee was found shot early Wednesday morning and he died at the scene ... according to the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.

Pee Wee -- government name Jardyn Walker -- had been reported missing Tuesday night and was last seen delivering packages for his job in the University City area ... according to the University City Police Department.

Nick Reiner knows he killed his parents, Rob and Michele Reiner, but he doesn't understand why he's in jail ... sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ.

TMZ has a documentary -- "TMZ Investigates The Reiner Murders: What Really Happened" -- airing tonight on FOX and dropping Saturday on Hulu. Our sources say Nick is delusional and believes the people who put him behind bars are engaged in a "conspiracy" against him.

Our sources say Nick's fatal mental spiral occurred about a month before the murders, when doctors changed the meds he was taking for schizoaffective disorder -- a severe mental illness that causes delusions, hallucinations, and mania. The meds made him increasingly dangerous and erratic. We're told the meds are still not working properly.