Ransom note apologized for Nancy Guthrie's death, demanded payment

One of the ransom notes sent about Nancy Guthrie's February disappearance issued a "sputtering and labored" apology for her inadvertent death and suggested the 84-year-old's body could be returned for money. The message arrived on Feb. 6 and had a less confident tone than an earlier note from the same IP address.

Hours after Nancy was reported missing on Feb. 1, a previous message demanded $4 million in Bitcoin for her safe return and described her as "safe but scared." The note set a Feb. 5 deadline — "or else" — and raised the demand to $6 million if the money was not received by Feb.

9. Officials instead sent $152 to the Bitcoin address hoping to draw the person into a traceable cash withdrawal, but the amount went untouched. A separate Feb. 3 message received by another outlet did not contain an apology or admission of death, and it is unclear whether the notes were the same; that failed attempt was later called a critical error in the investigation's early days.

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