When families are searching for answers, false hope may be one of the cruelest distractions of all.

Federal investigators have reportedly concluded that three ransom notes connected to the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie — the 84-year-old mother of “Today” co-host Savannah Guthrie — were not authentic, adding another unsettling turn to an already troubling case.

According to Reuters, an FBI official speaking anonymously because of the active investigation said federal authorities determined that none of the communications came from legitimate abductors.

That conclusion applies to two ransom letters that surfaced in early February shortly after Guthrie disappeared, as well as a later note that claimed to identify the people responsible.

“None of the ransom notes are believed to be genuine,” the FBI source told the outlet.

The finding shifts attention away from the letters themselves and back toward the unanswered questions surrounding the disappearance.

False communications in missing-person cases can consume investigative resources, distort timelines, and place additional emotional strain on families already living through uncertainty. Investigators generally treat such messages seriously until evidence points elsewhere — because ignoring a real lead carries obvious risks.

Now, according to the report, authorities no longer view these notes as credible.

That does not answer what happened to Nancy Guthrie.

It does remove one possible path.

Investigators have not publicly identified who created the letters or explained whether the communications were intended as a hoax, an attempt to interfere with the investigation, or something else entirely. The case remains active.

For families waiting for answers, headlines and speculation are not substitutes for facts. The disappearance itself remains the story — and every false lead only makes the search for truth more urgent.