The nightmare of a missing loved one never ends.
The Ramsey family has lived it for nearly 30 years.
And JonBenét Ramsey's dad had this important advice for Savannah Guthrie.
The JonBenét Ramsey Case Taught One Father Everything About Police Failures
John Ramsey knows what the Guthrie family is going through better than almost anyone.
On Christmas morning 1996, Ramsey's wife Patsy found a ransom note demanding $118,000 for their 6-year-old daughter JonBenét's return.
The note was written on Patsy's own notepad with her sharpie and took an FBI expert 21 minutes to recreate, meaning whoever wrote it spent nearly half an hour inside the Ramsey home that night.
Hours later, John discovered his daughter's body in the basement, beaten and strangled.
The killer has never been found because police botched the investigation from the first minute.
Boulder Police treated the crime scene like a social gathering, letting friends and family wander through the house contaminating evidence while JonBenét's body lay undiscovered in the basement.
They fell for the ransom note and assumed a kidnapper had whisked the child away, when the real crime was happening right under their feet.
That mistake destroyed any chance of solving the case quickly.
Ramsey's Critical Advice: Hammer The Police
Fox & Friends asked Ramsey about the ransom note the Guthrie family received with a February 9 deadline.
His advice was blunt.
"The key is that they insist the police accept help from whoever offers," Ramsey told the morning show hosts.
He wasn't mincing words about what the family faces.
"It's a horrible anxiety and feeling of helplessness," Ramsey said.
"It's a horrible time for them, I'm sorry to say."
Ramsey's most important guidance focused on what happens behind closed doors.
"Hammer the police. Ask questions," he stated.
"The important thing for the family is to make sure the police are doing everything that can be done."
Police departments resist outside expertise even when lives are on the line.
Ramsey learned that the hard way.
"We thought the police knew what they were doing, and they didn't. At all," Ramsey added.
The Boulder Police Department has been "very hesitant to share any information with us" even decades later, Ramsey told the New York Post.
He believes they misplaced critical evidence and refuse to continue DNA testing because they don't want to admit their failures.
Don't Pay The Ransom Without Proof Of Life
Savannah Guthrie and her siblings posted a heartbreaking video Saturday saying "we will pay" in response to the kidnapper's demands.
Ramsey had direct advice about that promise.
"No. Not unless they know that she's alive," Ramsey said when asked if the family should pay.
"Particularly in this world, you don't want to be just sending money to anybody."
Multiple ransom notes have been sent to media outlets demanding $6 million in Bitcoin by Monday at 5 p.m. local time.
The notes contain specific details about Nancy's Apple Watch location and a destroyed backyard floodlight that only someone at the crime scene would know.
The alleged kidnappers have refused to provide proof of life or any way for the family to communicate with them.
That's a massive red flag.
Former NYPD hostage negotiator Jack Cambria told the New York Post that publicly promising to pay "goes against law enforcement protocols unless we have proof of life."
FBI crisis negotiation expert Gregory Vecchi explained that proof of life is essential before any negotiation can move forward.
"Without communication and proof of life, there is no leverage and no way to ensure the victim's safety," he told Independent Journal Review.
The Guthrie family has repeatedly begged for proof Nancy is alive, asking the kidnappers to reach out with questions only she could answer.
The FBI Can Bring "Tremendous Resources" If Police Let Them
Ramsey's final advice focused on making sure local police accept help from the FBI.
"The key is that they insist the police accept help from whoever offers it," Ramsey emphasized.
"The FBI can bring tremendous resources to bear, if asked. They have to be asked."
Both the FBI and Pima County Sheriff's Department are investigating Nancy's disappearance.
Sheriff Chris Nanos has been tight-lipped about details, frustrating the family and the public.
He admitted Friday that Nancy's doorbell camera was disconnected early Sunday morning and that the home's camera system failed to capture anyone the day she vanished.
Nancy, 84, has a pacemaker and requires daily medication for high blood pressure and heart conditions.
She's been missing since January 31 when she disappeared from her Tucson home after returning from dinner at her daughter Annie's house.
President Donald Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One late Friday that investigators may be nearing "definitive" answers in the case.
The FBI is offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to Nancy's recovery.
Ramsey's advice boils down to three things: Don't assume the police know what they're doing, demand they accept expert help, and never pay a ransom without proof of life.
The Guthrie family can't afford to make the same mistakes.
Sources:
- DeAnna Janes, "John Ramsey offers critical advice to Savannah Guthrie's family amid ransom note crisis," Parade, February 9, 2026.
- Stephen Sorace, et al., "Nancy Guthrie disappearance: Ransom demand for Savannah Guthrie's mom is reportedly $6M," Fox News, February 8, 2026.
- Staff, "FBI investigating new message in Nancy Guthrie case," NewsNation, February 7, 2026.
- Staff, "Kidnapping Expert Says Guthrie Family Ransom Video Signals Belief Mom Is Alive," Independent Journal Review, February 8, 2026.
- Staff, "JonBenét Ramsey murder case: The ransom note and other evidence," CBS News, December 22, 2024.
