A Bitcoin wallet linked to ransom notes in the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie recorded new activity this week, alongside a fresh demand for one Bitcoin in exchange for information, according to reports.
Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of NBC “Today” co-host Savannah Guthrie, vanished from her Tucson, Arizona home on January 31, and multiple notes have since demanded payment in Bitcoin tied to a specific wallet address.
TMZ reported that a small transaction worth less than a few hundred dollars was sent to the referenced wallet, while a third letter demanded one Bitcoin, currently valued at about $67,500, though authorities have not confirmed who initiated the transfer or whether it is connected to the case.
Surveillance footage released Tuesday shows a masked individual appearing to tamper with Guthrie’s Google Nest door camera on the morning she disappeared, prompting further scrutiny from investigators.
“Working with our partners, as of this morning, law enforcement has uncovered these previously inaccessible new images showing an armed individual appearing to have tampered with the camera at Nancy Guthrie's front door the morning of her disappearance,”
Said FBI Director, Kash Patel.
Ari Redbord, global head of policy at TRM Labs and a former federal prosecutor, said cryptocurrency tracing can assist investigations but cautioned it is not definitive, noting that law enforcement often relies on exchanges’ know-your-customer procedures when suspects attempt to cash out funds.
While a man identified as Carlos Palazuelos was detained and released without charge, and the U.S. Department of Justice has separately charged Derrick Callella with sending Bitcoin-related ransom texts, authorities have not confirmed any direct link to the original demands as the investigation continues.
At the time of reporting, Bitcoin price was $66,954.42.