Ransom Notes Reveal More Than Just a Kidnapper's Demands The release of ransom notes in the Nancy Guthrie case has shed new light on the kidnapper's mind, but it also raises questions about the language of desperation and the blurred lines between reality and fantasy.
The two redacted notes, released six months after Guthrie was taken from her Tucson area home, reveal a kidnapper who is as much interested in communicating their own emotions as in extracting a ransom.
The first note, sent to KOLD TV on February 2, sets the tone for the kidnapper's narrative: Nancy Guthrie is safe but scared, and the ransom demand is simple: millions of dollars in Bitcoin.