An alleged ransom note demanding a Bitcoin payment has emerged in the ongoing investigation into the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, an 84-year-old woman and mother of Today show anchor Savannah Guthrie. Authorities are treating this case as a suspected abduction. The note, first reported by TMZ, reportedly demands “a large” sum in Bitcoin in exchange for Guthrie’s release, outlining a deadline and including an implied threat if the ransom is not met.
Harvey Levin, the founder and host of TMZ, shared during a segment of TMZ Live that the organization has contacted the sheriff’s department, providing them with the email containing the ransom demand. “We have called the sheriff’s department. We’ve made multiple calls and spoken with the detective unit. We have passed on this email. We don’t know whether this is legit or not,” he stated.
Nancy Guthrie was last seen on January 31 at her home in the Catalina Foothills area of Arizona. Initially classified as a missing vulnerable adult due to her age, authorities shifted the investigation on February 2 to a possible kidnapping after they uncovered what they characterized as “very concerning” evidence within her residence.
Levin noted that ransom demands like the one involving Guthrie are not uncommon in the media landscape and typically surface “from time to time,” but the law enforcement’s stance on whether the note is genuine or merely a hoax to extract Bitcoin remains unclear. The Pima County Sheriff’s Office, when contacted for additional information, pointed to a prior statement made via social media. They acknowledged the circulating reports regarding ransom notes and emphasized that they are taking all tips and leads seriously, channeling all information directly to detectives coordinating with the FBI.
In an additional update regarding the ransom note, TMZ executive producer and co-host Charles Latibeaudiere mentioned that the Bitcoin address included in the note had been verified as legitimate. He also revealed that the note contained specific details, including a description of what Guthrie was wearing when she was last seen and a damaged item found in her home.
While the authenticity of the ransom note is still under investigation, the incident highlights a disturbing trend involving cryptocurrencies in kidnapping and extortion cases. The tactic of demanding Bitcoin, which has a history spanning over a decade since the rise of ransomware, has increasingly appeared in physical abductions and extortion incidents.
Recent examples include a case in April 2024, where a Canadian family experienced torture at the hands of their captors who demanded access to their cryptocurrency assets. In November 2024, Dean Skurka, the CEO of WonderFi, was abducted in Toronto, with the release following the payment of a $720,000 ransom. Additionally, in January, Ledger co-founder David Balland was kidnapped in France under similar circumstances. In the U.S., two men were charged by New York prosecutors for the kidnapping and prolonged torture of an Italian national in an alleged attempt to coerce access to his Bitcoin holdings.
