A second message sent days after the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie allegedly claimed that the 84-year-old mother of Today co-anchor Savannah Guthrie had died, according to NBC News.
The note indicated that she had died but contained no apology or request for payment for the release of her body, the outlet reported, citing three people familiar with the matter.
The contents of the message have not been publicly released.
The reported note was the second message linked to Nancy’s disappearance. The first note demanded millions of dollars in Bitcoin in exchange for Nancy’s return, while the second claimed she had died following the abduction, according to Tucson television station KOLD News 13, which said it received both messages.
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Savannah Guthrie and mother Nancy Guthrie.
Savannah Guthrie/Instagram
The full contents of the two messages have not been publicly released “out of respect for the family and the investigation,” KOLD said.
While the two messages did not originate from the same IP address, the sender allegedly used the same type of secure server to conceal their location in both instances, according to the outlet.
Investigators familiar with the case believe the same person or people likely sent both notes, CBS reported. Authorities also believe the second note was likely sent by the same individual or group responsible for Nancy’s abduction.
The existence of the second message was first acknowledged publicly on Feb. 6.
At the time, the FBI and Pima County Sheriff’s Department said in a statement to PEOPLE that the agencies were “aware of a new message” regarding Nancy’s disappearance and were working to determine its authenticity.
“Investigators are actively inspecting the information provided in the message for its authenticity,” the statement said.
One day after authorities acknowledged the new message, Savannah, 54, and her siblings, Annie and Camron, shared an emotional appeal on Instagram.
“We received your message and we understand,” Savannah said in a video shared on Instagram on Feb. 7.
“We beg you now to return our mother to us so that we can celebrate with her,” she continued. “This is the only way we will have peace. This is very valuable to us, and we will pay.”
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Savannah Guthrie and mother Nancy Guthrie.
Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty
Nancy was last seen at her Arizona home at approximately 9:30 p.m. local time on Jan. 31, according to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department. She was reported missing the following day after she failed to show up for a virtual church service, PEOPLE previously reported.
The investigation into Nancy’s disappearance “remains active and ongoing,” the Sheriff’s Department told PEOPLE in a statement on Monday, June 22.
“The Pima County Sheriff’s Department continues to work closely with the FBI as investigators follow up on leads, review information, and pursue the facts surrounding this case,” the department’s statement continued.
The FBI declined to comment on the note.
