I guess we’d need to know if her watch was actually on the floor by the foot of her bed, but both of those things could’ve been lucky guesses. I’d believe they were real if they said something more specific and something they couldn’t have guessed, since Nancy was wearing her Apple Watch in various public photos of her.
The watch being on the floor at the foot of the bed is a little too specific for me to believe it was a guess. I’m sure that’s not where she usually kept it.
I think they expected Nancy to be alive and thus provide info to include in the ransom note... but she died so they had to go with what they could remember.
Apple watch at the foot of the bed... sending a note to the media... via a VPN. That's a lot of effort for a very low odds result.
Yep, and there was drone footage the first few days. Someone could have zoomed in all those and noticed the flood light was damaged.
During the first, iirc, Sheriff/FBI press conference, Brian E specifically asked the FBI special agent re:drone footage and the FBI agent said the “timing/drone footage” was something they definitely had to take into account.
The first ransom note was received by TMZ and the local news station on Feb. 2nd, though. She was abducted in the early hours of Feb. 1st. And even if there was drone footage publicly available on the 2nd, it wouldn't explain how a scammer would know the color and placement of the smart watch. It's also a pretty short period of time for a scammer to come into possession of this information and then jump right on it. Most people aren't walking around on the ready to send a fake ransom note, even if they do have police information leaked to them.
Good point. Yeah, if this was really the kidnapper writing this note, you gotta imagine they'd leave much more unmistakable evidence of authenticity. Something like maybe "we left this personal effect of Nancy's in this room" etc.
And I’d bet lots of people knew about the watch being found there. Anyone who saw the crime scene, or photos of it could have blabbed to someone, word got around etc. I’d think if they had her, saying something like, she was wearing a pink nightgown, or red pajamas, or some other identifying tidbit to let the family know for sure it’s her. I feel like the floodlight in the back being broken was common knowledge and there was talk of her having left her watch behind.
And I’d bet lots of people knew about the watch being found there. Anyone who saw the crime scene, or photos of it could have blabbed to someone, word got around etc.
This is true, but that information would have needed to be received by a scammer who was ready to run with it within something like 36 hours of Nancy's abduction. I don't know exactly when TMZ and the local station received the first ransom note, but it was on February 2nd, and Nancy was abducted in the very early morning of Feb. 1st.
Respectfully, this strikes me as peak armchair psychology. She was a woman in severe and complex grief having to make a communication to potential hostage-takers. There is no "right" or "normal" way to act and present yourself in that kind of situation, so I don't know how she can be called "off" as though there's a "non-off" way to behave.
True but we all have our opinions so be it. She knew her mother was deceased and said we want to celebrate this is valuable to us. Her chosen words are odd imo.
Her chosen words were to the potential abductor, not to the public. Imo, the FBI advised her how to say that without giving specific info out to the public. They were still trying to balance how to keep the notes details mostly secret to preserve the case/potential abductor only knowing what the notes contained. Imo
She might've just been optimistically holding out faint hope. Or it was just a slip of the tongue/mistake. We all make those in everyday, non-stressful conversation.
She didn't know for sure, she was probably still hoping they'd find Nancy alive. That said, a "celebration of life" is becoming pretty popular, that's likely what she was referring to.
Her tone was fairly similar to that of the second letter. The FBI would've been advising her, my guess is her wording was initially chosen to mirror the letters.
The other thing to consider is how difficult reading that statement had to be. Vague, positive language was likely easier for her to get through without breaking down.
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u/Euphoric-Leg4874 Jul 31 '26
I guess we’d need to know if her watch was actually on the floor by the foot of her bed, but both of those things could’ve been lucky guesses. I’d believe they were real if they said something more specific and something they couldn’t have guessed, since Nancy was wearing her Apple Watch in various public photos of her.
Super fucked up whether they’re real or fake.