Nancy Guthrie, an 84-year-old vulnerable adult with a pacemaker and heart condition, vanished from her Catalina Foothills home in Arizona on January 31. She was reported missing the next day after failing to attend church, with her phone, wallet, hearing aids, and medication left behind. DNA-confirmed blood belonging to Nancy was found on her front porch, and doorbell camera footage showed an armed, masked man approaching and tampering with the camera, leading investigators to treat her disappearance as a kidnapping.
Investigators received two ransom notes, the first demanding $4 million in Bitcoin within three days, escalating to $6 million if missed. A second note claimed Nancy died shortly after being taken due to her health issues and was buried "in nature." The ransom notes contained distinctive linguistic patterns, which authorities hope someone familiar with the writer might recognize. Savannah Guthrie, Nancy's daughter and co-anchor of "Today," has publicly pleaded for information, asking if anyone has noticed changes in appearance, behavior, or routine in people they know.
Approximately $152 in cryptocurrency was deposited into the specified Bitcoin wallet on February 10, reportedly an attempt by investigators to track the funds. However, the money has remained untouched and no further transactions have occurred, preventing immediate tracing through an exchange. Despite the inactivity, blockchain investigators note the wallet's public and permanent transaction history could still provide clues as investigative databases expand. The FBI is offering a reward of up to $100,000 for information leading to Nancy's location or the arrest and conviction of those involved.
