More than eight months after Nancy Guthrie disappeared from her Tucson-area home, ransom messages keep surfacing, and investigators say not all of them are what they seem. None of the most recent messages has been shown to come from whoever took her, and the investigation remains active.
The early notes (Feb. 2 and Feb. 6): Two notes sent to a Tucson television station days after she vanished demanded bitcoin, and the second claimed Nancy had died. In July, the FBI's Phoenix office said some notes were deemed extortion attempts without legitimacy, while other demands may be legitimate and are still being investigated.
A proven fake: A California man pleaded guilty in July to harassment for sending bitcoin-related messages to Guthrie family members on Feb. 4, according to federal prosecutors.
The September text: On Sept. 28, the Pima County Sheriff's Department and FBI task force said they were reviewing a possible new ransom text. The next day, they said it was not credible and warned that scammers may try to exploit the case.
The four emails: Retired FBI agent Jennifer Coffindaffer told Newsweek she received four bitcoin ransom emails in April, gave them to the FBI, and believes they were scams. She is not saying they came from the people responsible for Nancy's disappearance.
What to do if you get one: Authorities ask anyone who receives a message tied to the case to report it to law enforcement, and not to send money or personal information.
Nancy, 84, was last seen Jan. 31 and was reported missing after missing a church livestream she never skipped.
The Guthrie family continues to lean on faith and asks for prayers, praying for her safe return.
Related Articles:
- Nancy Guthrie Update: What We Know About the Possible New Ransom Note
- Nancy Guthrie Update: Retired FBI Profiler Points to New Clues in Ransom Notes
- Nancy Guthrie Update: Forensic Linguist Flags "Strange" Grammar in Ransom Notes
