Nancy Guthrie is still missing.
But her alleged kidnapper may have slipped up in the ransom note.
$6 million in bitcoin
US news anchor Savannah Guthrie is holding onto hope that her 84-year-old mother, Nancy Guthrie, is still alive. The Today co-host posted a video to her Instagram on Monday saying, ”We believe our mom is still out there.”
Police say Nancy was taken from her home in the early morning hours of February 1 in what they describe as a “possible kidnapping or abduction.”
A ransom note reportedly sent to the media on February 5 included demands for payments due that day, and another set for February 9.
Authorities have not released any official information regarding potential ransom demands, but Tucson’s ABC affiliate KGUN9 reported the kidnappers demanded the Guthrie family pay $6 million in bitcoin by Monday, Feb. 9 at 5 p.m. MT.
Experts say the ransom note suggests the suspect knows exactly what they’re doing. Former CIA operative and FBI special agent Tracy Walder told Page Six:
“This person definitely knows what they’re doing. This person probably practiced and thought it out. I don’t think someone woke up and was like, ‘This is what I’m going to do.’”
A critical clue
But a critical clue may have been revealed in the note itself: a real bitcoin address.
Bezalel Eithan Raviv, CEO of Lionsgate Network, a crypto recovery and blockchain forensics firm, explained how the criminal could be traced with the right tools.
“He showed his Achilles to everyone who understands blockchain forensics,” Raviv told Page Six on Monday.
Raviv explained that when cybercriminals include a real wallet address, they can often be traced. By sending even a small amount to the address, investigators can track where the funds end up.
“This is a very simple tactic among many that we utilize when we want to be able to intercept criminal network crypto assets,” he said, adding, “That’s from our perspective based on previous cases that have been incredibly successful.”
Raviv also stressed that there’s a misconception that cryptocurrency is untraceable:
“A lot of people in 2026 still believe you cannot recover crypto. And these are all nonsense ideas because we have shifted so much.”
He also explained how cryptocurrency can ultimately expose criminals when they try to cash out:
“This is the beauty about crypto. Bigger picture, when you send crypto, you send a code. You don’t send a suitcase with cash that you can pay for gas, bills, clothes, food, right? You send a code to someone from one wallet to another wallet. You send a code, and you cannot eat off of code. You cannot buy things out of a code … If you want to cash them out, it has to be met with a crypto exchange.”
FBI update
Raviv also noted that the $6 million bitcoin ransom demand falls within a predictable range. Based on historical cases, he explained that criminals typically request between $5 million and $10 million, making the figure unsurprising.
In an update on February 9, the FBI said they have no knowledge of ongoing communication between the suspected kidnappers and the Guthrie family.
“For more than a week, FBI agents, analysts, and professional staff have worked around the clock to reunite Nancy Guthrie with her family. The FBI is not aware of any continued communication between the Guthrie family and suspected kidnappers, nor have we identified a suspect or person of interest in this case at this time,” an FBI official said.
The statement added that additional personnel from FBI field offices nationwide have been deployed to Tucson, where a 24-hour command post is operating with crisis management experts, analytic support, and investigative teams.
“But we still need the public’s help.”
On the evening of Saturday, Jan. 31, Nancy Guthrie seemed to have a normal night. The 84-year-old grandmother, who lives alone in the Catalina Foothills area north of Tucson, went out for dinner, played games with relatives, and returned home around 9:50 p.m., according to local authorities.
The next morning, Guthrie didn’t show up for church. Concerned, her family tried to check on her and eventually called 911, triggering a large-scale search that is still ongoing with full force.
The sheriff’s office and the FBI are still asking anyone with information to contact them at 1-800-CALL-FBI.
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