New activity has been reported in a Bitcoin wallet tied to an alleged ransom demand in the high-profile disappearance of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, the mother of NBC Today co-anchor Savannah Guthrie.
Summary
- New Bitcoin activity has been detected in a wallet linked to an alleged ransom demand in the disappearance of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie.
- The transaction marks the first reported movement in the crypto account since ransom notes demanding millions in Bitcoin were sent to media outlets earlier this month.
- Authorities have not confirmed who initiated the transfer, as the FBI continues to investigate Guthrie’s disappearance as a likely abduction.
TMZ confirmed Tuesday that for the first time since the ransom note was received, there has been “activity” in the cryptocurrency account referenced in the initial ransom demand sent to multiple media outlets, including TMZ itself.
The details of the transaction, including the amount transferred and the sender, have not been disclosed publicly. Still, the development marks a significant update in an investigation that had seen no confirmed contact from the kidnappers since earlier deadlines for ransom payments passed.
Here’s what we know about the Nancy Guthrie abduction
Nancy Guthrie was last seen at her home in Catalina Foothills, Arizona in late January and was reported missing on February 1. Law enforcement has treated her disappearance as a likely abduction after finding evidence of a struggle and DNA-matched blood at the scene.
Shortly after her disappearance, at least one ransom note demanding payment in Bitcoin (BTC) was sent to two Tucson television stations and TMZ. The note reportedly set two deadlines and demanded millions in Bitcoin for Guthrie’s safe return.
According to TMZ founder Harvey Levin, the ransom wallet tied to the first letter showed activity late Tuesday, hours after the FBI released surveillance images of a person of interest. Levin said he observed the activity “about 12 minutes” after it happened, though he declined to elaborate on the nature of the transaction.
Surveillance footage and photos of a masked person seen near Guthrie’s home early the morning she vanished, and a person of interest was detained for questioning south of Tucson earlier this week.
At present, officials have not confirmed whether the Bitcoin transaction is connected to the alleged kidnappers, the Guthrie family, law enforcement, or another party, and investigations are ongoing.
The reported Bitcoin wallet activity in the Guthrie case comes amid a wider global surge in cryptocurrency-linked kidnappings. French authorities recently arrested six suspects in a case where a magistrate and her mother were held for a crypto ransom before being rescued.
In a separate cross-border operation last year, Spanish and Danish police dismantled a gang accused of abducting and killing a crypto holder in a violent attempt to seize access to digital wallets, underscoring the growing physical security risks faced by holders of digital assets.
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