Sometimes following the thread is the only way to find the needle, even if it costs you $72,000. More than two months after Nancy Guthrie, 84, disappeared from her Tucson, Arizona, home, one retired FBI agent is now advising the Guthrie family to make that calculated wager.
Nancy Guthrie, mother of NBC News Today co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, was reported missing from her home in Tucson’s Catalina Foothills area on February 1, 2026, and her case has since drawn national attention. Bloodstains discovered at the scene were identified as hers, and Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said he believed she had been taken.
After over 10 weeks, no arrests have been made, and it appears that the kidnappers are still playing games.
NEVER!
in history of law enforcement do police start a presser w/“Talking points” from family..
What if the Nancy Guthrie family are the PERPS?
They would be shilling for the perps?
“I’m going thru some talking points for the family”
📌Credit: The Interview Room #NancyGuthrie pic.twitter.com/m3Adtgf7Lj
— Madeleine Case Tweets🌐 (@McCannCaseTweet) April 10, 2026
This week, TMZ received two fresh ransom notes that demanded one bitcoin, which is presently worth around $72,000, in exchange for information regarding Nancy’s whereabouts. The sender also promised to deliver the kidnappers on a “silver platter.” The most recent note was the first to mention a specific place, stating that Nancy was spotted in Sonora, Mexico. It was also the first to suggest that Nancy might have passed away.
Former FBI Special Agent Jennifer Coffindaffer suggested an alternative approach instead of simply rejecting the demand.
“Tickling the wire in this case would be putting half a bitcoin and seeing what happens to it,” Coffindaffer told Newsweek.
“Bitcoin is highly traceable,” Coffindaffer explained. “Yes, the money would be gone, but to convert to USD, the blockchain would provide clues.” She added, “Do they take it? Do they convert it to pesos? It’s internationally tracked. How does it come out into currency? Do they just leave it there? Once it’s gone, it’s going to be gone. But I would want that last bread crumb.”
It’s a long shot, but in a case that has gone cold on practically every other front, Coffindaffer suggested it could be the only move worth pursuing. “Whether they were involved with the abduction or not, why not get the perpetrators caught who are reveling in the media as they torture the Guthries? Just because Bitcoin is pseudonymous, that doesn’t mean the FBI couldn’t determine who is behind the account. Is it worth $34K? I think it is,” she said.
Nancy Guthrie
Breaking
Below is what Harvey Levin had to say about the new ransom note.
Make no mistake, the fact this note was sent on the day Savannah returned to work shows you what a sick creature the sender is, whether they know where Nancy is buried or they don’t.… pic.twitter.com/n119IRysFx
— Jennifer Coffindaffer (@CoffindafferFBI) April 6, 2026
The most recent ransom note was sent at an extremely painful time. On Monday, April 6, Savannah Guthrie made her first appearance at the Today show anchor desk in more than two months, just hours before the fresh notes arrived at TMZ‘s door. On her podcast, Break The Case with Jennifer Coffindaffer, Coffindaffer described it as a “sucker punch”, adding: “Make no mistake, the fact that there is a new ransom demand coming in now, after she appeared, is a complete gut punch”.
Meanwhile, investigators made some progress. The FBI has upped its prize to $100,000 for information leading to Nancy’s recovery and received more than 13,000 leads. The family offered a private $1 million prize.
Sheriff Chris Nanos told NBC News that investigators think they understand the kidnapping’s motivation and view it as a targeted crime; nevertheless, he has declined to provide details in order to preserve the integrity of the investigation.
Nancy Guthrie is still missing after more than two months. As of now, a former FBI agent thinks that one bitcoin might be the one that ultimately goes somewhere. Every digital breadcrumb matters.
Anyone with information is urged to call 1-800-CALL-FBI.
