Crime & Justice

CSI Sheryl McCollum says Guthrie ‘ransom’ notes read like a con

Name: CSI Sheryl McCollum says Guthrie ‘ransom’ notes read like a con
Uploaded: 2026-07-24T04:30:00+00:00
Description: Sheryl McCollum, described on-air as an active CSI in metro Atlanta, argues that the notes released in the Nancy Guthrie case do not read like authentic ransom communications. She cites what she characterises as telltale inconsistencies, including a reported 48-hour delay before the note was sent, multiple deadlines and different payment amounts, and language she says over-explains basic points.

Reality Check with Ross Coulthart · Are Nancy Guthrie ransom notes real? Sheryl McCollum says no | Jesse Weber Live · July 24, 2026

Reality Check with Ross Coulthart

Are Nancy Guthrie ransom notes real? Sheryl McCollum says no | Jesse Weber Live

"“If this was a real demand, it would have been sent immediately. This gives you 2 different deadlines to give money, gives you different amounts. That’s not a ransom note.”"

Sheryl McCollum, described on-air as an active CSI in metro Atlanta, argues that the notes released in the Nancy Guthrie case do not read like authentic ransom communications. She cites what she characterises as telltale inconsistencies, including a reported 48-hour delay before the note was sent, multiple deadlines and different payment amounts, and language she says over-explains basic points.

About this episode

In this short NewsNation segment, host Jesse Weber interviews Sheryl McCollum, introduced as an active CSI in metro Atlanta, about the authenticity and investigative impact of purported ransom notes in the Nancy Guthrie case. McCollum says the notes do not “ring true” to her, pointing to features she argues are inconsistent with genuine ransom demands: an opening greeting, information she says is unnecessary to include, and what she describes as a 48-hour delay before the note was delivered or sent. She also highlights multiple deadlines, changing payment amounts, and unusual phrasing as reasons she believes the communications may be staged or part of a con rather than a coherent extortion attempt.

Weber presses on alternative explanations, including whether specificity in the language could have been intended to signal credibility, and asks whether making the note public complicates investigative work. McCollum responds that if the case is still active, the note should not have been released, arguing that disclosure can harm both the investigation and the family by fuelling speculation. The exchange closes with questions about whether investigators will ultimately determine what happened, with McCollum expressing hope for answers while suggesting that identifying the author of the note has proven difficult.

Key takeaways

Sheryl McCollum says the purported ransom note(s) do not read as authentic ransom demands, in her view.
She cites a reported 48-hour delay, multiple deadlines, and differing sums as indicators that “that’s not a ransom note”.
McCollum argues the language over-explains obvious details, which she says undermines credibility.
She says releasing the note publicly could harm the investigation and the family if the case remains active.
Host Jesse Weber asks whether law enforcement can definitively verify the note’s authenticity and what the FBI may be doing to trace its author.