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‘Today’ Savannah Guthrie
2-Day Absence Not Connected To Nancy
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Savannah Guthrie‘s latest absence from “Today” has viewers wondering if it’s connected to the kidnapping case involving her mom … but TMZ has learned that’s not what’s going on.
Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ … Savannah is off for a few days to spend time with her family, and her absence has nothing to do with the investigation into the Nancy Guthrie abduction.
Savannah was absent from the NBC morning show for a second straight day Thursday, with Laura Jarrett filling in alongside Craig Melvin after Sheinelle Jones stepped in Wednesday.
Her time away comes as the investigation into her mom’s kidnapping remains active. Nancy disappeared from her Arizona home on January 31 … and authorities continue to investigate the case as a kidnapping for ransom.
As we’ve reported, the FBI is now clarifying confusion surrounding the ransom notes that have surfaced during the investigation.
An FBI Phoenix spokesperson told TMZ … “The FBI and its task force partners have received several ransom notes over the course of this investigation. Some have been deemed to be extortion attempts without legitimacy. Other ransom demands may potentially be legitimate and are still being investigated as such.”
The clarification comes after a report suggested the ransom notes had been determined to be fake. Law enforcement sources previously told TMZ that characterization wasn’t accurate, and an FBI official later told us it’s “more likely than not” that two of the ransom notes are legitimate.
TMZ has received more than a dozen emails from someone claiming to know the identities of Nancy’s alleged kidnappers, demanding 1 Bitcoin in exchange for that information. The sender later claimed to know the location of a hidden phone containing photos and videos allegedly connected to the kidnapping, again demanding payment.
