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TMZ founder Harvey Levin said the outlet is no longer publicly revealing new notes from a person who claims to have information about Nancy Guthrie’s suspected abduction.
In recent weeks, TMZ has reported receiving four notes requesting one Bitcoin (worth around $68,000) from an individual who purports to know and is willing to share the identity of the person who allegedly took Nancy, 84. The latest note was received on Monday, February 16.
During a Tuesday, February 17, interview on Fox News’ Hannity, Levin, 75, explained why TMZ will no longer share whether it has heard from the supposed informant.
“As for the person who wrote the note, we decided that we’re not going to say if he’s sent us any more letters,” Levin said. “If we say we got a letter today, and tomorrow you ask me, and I say we got a letter tomorrow, and then the next day we say we’re not gonna talk about it, it tips off the kidnapper. We’re essentially saying, ‘Well, that’s the day he gave us the information.’”
Levin continued, “We’re just not going to say anything. He can, if he wishes, give us the information, and as we promised, we will pass it on to the FBI. Then there’s a record that he supplied that information.”
On Monday, TMZ reported receiving a fourth note from the mystery sender, who alleged, “I know what I saw 5 days ago south of the border and I was told to shut up so I know who he is and that was definitely Nancy with them.”
The person did not identify themselves publicly because of a previous criminal charge for burglary, the outlet said.
TMZ shared a public plea with the person, encouraging them to share the information that they have, writing, “We will immediately forward the information to the FBI. If it leads to finding Nancy and/or the kidnappers, you then have a public record that you are the one responsible, thus ensuring you will get the reward. The FBI is aware we are making this overture.”
During Tuesday’s Hannity appearance, Levin also said that his publication has been in regular contact with the FBI as the investigation into Nancy’s disappearance continues into its third week.
The TMZ founder told Fox’s Sean Hannity that the FBI has been liaising with the outlet over not only the notes from the person claiming to have information about Nancy’s alleged kidnapper but also an unverified ransom note received by the outlet in early February.
TMZ and local Tucson, Arizona, outlets KOLD and KGUN reported receiving ransom notes demanding millions of dollars for Nancy’s safe return in the days after her February 1 disappearance. Neither the FBI nor the Pima County Sheriff’s Department have verified the authenticity of the alleged ransom notes.
“I will tell you, the FBI is very interested in both the ransom letter and these demand letters, in particular today,” Levin said on Tuesday. “There was a lot of communication between us and the FBI. They are really interested in this.”
Nancy, the mom of Today show cohost Savannah Guthrie, was first reported missing after she failed to attend a virtual Sunday church service. She was last seen at her home in the Catalina Foothills, north of Tucson, on the evening of January 31, when she was dropped off at home by Savannah’s sister, Annie Guthrie, following a family dinner.
