On Wednesday, the FBI refuted claims that it has dismissed all ransom notes related to Nancy Guthrie’s case, though it admitted that many have led to dead ends.
“The FBI and its task force partners have received several ransom notes throughout this investigation. Some have been identified as illegitimate extortion attempts,” stated the FBI’s Phoenix field office.
“Other ransom demands may still be legitimate and are being investigated as such.”
Reuters reported on Tuesday that emails demanding money for the body of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie, were deemed illegitimate.
The Reuters article referenced an unfinished internal document, and some messages’ legitimacy remains under investigation, law enforcement sources confirmed to The Post on Wednesday.
Following Nancy’s disappearance on January 31, numerous ransom notes were sent to TV stations, TMZ, and the Guthrie family. Most were quickly dismissed, though two or three that included specific details about her attire and home were considered potentially credible.
The initial ransom note demanded $4 million in Bitcoin for her safe return, while a subsequent one claimed Guthrie had died, suggesting the family could pay for her remains.
A third, more recent email purported to know the kidnappers’ identities.
Despite questions regarding the letters’ authenticity over several months, a definitive conclusion about their legitimacy has not been reached, according to a source from The Post.
FBI director Kash Patel declined to comment on the issue during a Wednesday press conference.
“I’m not going to comment on that. We are continuing to assist that investigation. We’ve always been in an assist role. It’s a state matter being led by the state authorities,” Patel told reporters.
The ransom letters, among more than a dozen sent to law enforcement and media after the kidnapping, gained attention for detailing information not publicly disclosed, such as a broken security light at Guthrie’s residence and the Apple Watch she wore.
Investigators tested the credibility of the sender’s Bitcoin wallet with a small transaction.
However, the wallet showed no further activity, and the letter-writers did not acknowledge receipt, which raised doubts about whether they truly had Guthrie and were willing to negotiate.
Moreover, a suspect was seen on Guthrie’s doorbell camera attempting to disable it the morning she disappeared. The suspect’s clumsy efforts suggested a lack of sophistication in orchestrating a complex crypto ransom scheme, unless assisted by others.
Attorney Todd Spodek, specializing in cybercrime, noted, “An actual, sophisticated operation wouldn’t have gotten involved in a kidnapping conspiracy-turned-homicide. That alone says it’s rookie s–t.” Spodek represents alleged $16 million fraudster Ronald Spektor, he told The Post.
Meanwhile, the task force continues to trace the ransom notes’ authors using the chain of proxy servers employed by the sender or senders to obscure their identities.
Authorities have also detained and released several persons of interest, canvassed Tucson-area gun stores, and analyzed potential DNA evidence, all without success as the investigation enters its fifth month.
