Ex-FBI agent suggests costly way to finally crack Nancy Guthrie’s kidnapping case
A former FBI investigator says the family of Nancy Guthrie might consider paying part of the bitcoin demanded in disturbing ransom messages in hopes it could generate new clues about the missing woman’s fate.
Earlier this week, TMZ received two messages that appeared to be ransom notes. The sender asked for one bitcoin—valued at about $72,000—in return for information connected to the disappearance of the 84-year-old, who was taken from her home in Arizona. The messages also claimed the sender could identify the people responsible for the kidnapping.
Jennifer Coffindaffer, a former FBI agent, told Newsweek that sending a partial payment could help investigators trace activity connected to the demand. She suggested transferring half a bitcoin and monitoring what happens next.
According to Coffindaffer, investigators could watch whether the person behind the messages accepts the payment, moves the cryptocurrency, or converts it into another form such as cash or foreign currency. Because bitcoin transactions can be tracked internationally, she said following the digital trail might provide investigators with valuable information.
Coffindaffer acknowledged the money might ultimately be lost but said the potential investigative lead could make it worthwhile. In her view, the payment could act as a final clue that might help authorities follow the trail left by whoever sent the messages.
Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie, disappeared from her home in Tucson, Arizona, on Feb. 1. Since then, investigators have not publicly identified any suspects or announced significant breakthroughs in the case.
In the weeks after her disappearance, several messages claiming to be ransom notes were sent to TMZ. The newest ones appear to come from the same anonymous individual who previously demanded one bitcoin roughly two months ago.
One of the recent messages claimed that the grandmother had died but repeated the earlier promise to reveal the kidnappers and “deliver them on a silver platter.” Authorities have not confirmed the credibility of the messages, and the investigation into Guthrie’s disappearance remains ongoing.
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