Crime Stories with Nancy Grace - Chilling Ransom Note Details Emerge in Nancy Guthrie Abduction | Crime Alert 07.27.26

Episode Date: July 27, 2026

Details of the terrifying ransom notes have surfaced in the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, the investigation ongoing nearly six months later. Dispute over a sixty-five-dollar garage parking fee escalates into a deadly shooting spree at Saint Paul apartment complex leasing office. Wisconsin mother shot and killed during a child custody exchange, hours after filing a restraining order against her child's father. Sydney Silvagni reports. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-heart podcast. Guaranteed human. Get Bell Pure Fiber Internet with Crave, Netflix, and Disney Plus. From $94 a month, price guaranteed for two years on Internet with a two-year term and auto pay credit. Visit bell.ca for details and to check availability. Bell, connection is everything. Crime Alert, hourly update. Breaking Crime News now. I'm Sidney Silvani.

Chilling new details have emerged in the terrifying disappearance of, Nancy Guthrie as investigators examine a ransom note sent to her family. 84-year-old Nancy has been missing from her Tucson home since January 31st, after being reported missing February 1st. Authorities believe a masked man abducted her after surveillance video captured him tampering with her doorbell camera. Speaking on the Crime Junkie podcast, crime journalist Brianna Whitney revealed the alarming contents of the first ransom note received by her daughter, Savannah Guthrie. Hello, Savannah.

We have your mother Nancy. She is safe but scared. She will be held for ransom. And once payment is received, she will be released unharmed. We will be holding her for a maximum of seven days. Whitney explained that the note demands millions of dollars in U.S. currency and set two strict payment deadlines.

Sources previously disclosed the kidnapper initially demanded $4 million in Bitcoin due by Thursday, February 5th, warning that if unpaid, The demand would increase to $6 million by Monday, February 9th. The note promised Nancy would be released to a safe drop-off location in Tucson within 12 hours of payment. If the payment is not received by the last deadline on Monday the 9th at 5 p.m., she will be killed. Your mother is aware of this, and her life is in your hands. It is in the best interest of everyone to have this completed as soon as possible.

You will not be able to contact me from here on end. out, there will be no negotiation. Do not play games. Law enforcement will not be able to help you. The note concluded with details about the crime scene mentioning a white smartwatch on the floor near Nancy's bed and a destroyed backyard floodlight. While the FBI works to verify the note's legitimacy, the lead agency, the Pima County Sheriff's Department, states it has no additional information. This follows a June 22nd NBC News report regarding a second ransom note sent to family and media claiming Nancy was dead, though it offered no apology or ransom request for her body. Savannah Guthrie delivered a tearful appeal on the Today Show.

Somebody knows something. This is a new story today that is on your radar, but this is the life that my sister lives, that I live, that my brother lives, that our extended families live, that our children live every day. And we are in agony. We cannot be at peace. Savannah, who returned to co-anchor today on April 6th, alongside Craig Melvin and Hoda Cobb, recently spoke on Today with Jenna and Chanel, admitting she cries every morning while leaning on supportive friends to hold both her sadness and joy together. More Crime and Justice News after this.

Get Bell Pure Fiber Internet with Crave Netflix and Disney Plus from $94 a month. Price guaranteed for two years on Internet with a two-year term and auto pay credit. for details and to check availability. Bell, connection is everything. In St. Paul, Minnesota, a dispute over a parking fee ended in a horrific triple homicide inside an apartment complex leasing office. On Monday, St. Paul police responded to frantic calls reporting gunshots and screams at the complex just after 4 p.m. Officers arrived to find three workers shot to death, 56-year-old Dina Silcox, 43-year-old Adam Wilwardig,

and 25-year-old Nancy Fuentes Zambrano. Silcox and Wilwardig were found on the office floor, while Fuentes Zambrano was found near a back window, attempting to escape. Police arrested 30-year-old Sagab Benesu the following day in Virginia, Minnesota, nearly 200 miles away, driving Fuentes Zambrano's stolen vehicle. Benesu faces three counts of second-degree murder. According to a criminal complaint, Benesu's roommate contacted police after Benesu confessed. The roommate explained that Benesu, a trucker hoping to join the Navy, had sold his car

and attempted to cancel a $65 monthly garage parking contract he had recently renewed. Staffers informed him over the phone that the fee could not be canceled, prompting Benesu to confront them in person. Surveillance video captures Benesu firing six shots at Wilwardig while covering his ears, then shooting Silcox six times while shouting a profane insult. Four additional shots and screaming were recorded off camera as he shot Fuentes Zambrano. Following his arrest, Benesu admitted he became overwhelmed by stress over the contract and felt discriminated against as a black immigrant from Ethiopia. Held on $10 million bond, Benesu claimed life without his family no longer made sense.

Victims are remembered fondly by loved ones and former tenants. In St. Francis, Wisconsin, a young mother was gunned down during a custody exchange hours after seeking legal protection against her child's father. Authorities report 33-year-old Randall Lenniard shot Kiana Pliska six times in a parking lot on July 16th in front of their six-year-old son. Following the shooting, Lenniard called his sister, admitting to the attack and threatening further violence against himself and his child. His sister immediately alerted 911. Police arrested Leniard following a chase in Wauwatosa, and prosecutors charged him Monday with homicide and stalking. Court documents reveal a harrowing pattern of domestic abuse leading up to the tragedy. Plista filed her second restraining order against Lanyard hours before her murder,

detailing how Lenniard kicked in her front door the previous day, breaking the hinges while their son dialed 911. Pliska also reported that Lenniard had been tracking her with an air tag and had previously, physically assaulted her at another custody exchange, writing in her petition that she was terrified of what he would do next. The criminal complaint notes Lenniard previously threatened to engage in a shootout with police if officers attempted to arrest him. For more crime and justice news, be sure to join us for crime stories with Nancy Grace on Fox 1, YouTube, Sirius XM, and now streaming on 2B. With this crime alert, I'm Sidney Silvani. This is an I-Heart podcast, guaranteed human.