- The 84-year-old mother of TV host Savannah Guthrie was abducted from her Arizona home on February 1, with kidnappers demanding a $6 million ransom.
- Authorities are investigating two ransom notes sent to media outlets, which demanded payment in Bitcoin and set a 5:00pm deadline.
- The case highlights how cryptocurrency is increasingly being used in high-profile kidnapping and extortion schemes, introducing new demographics to this dark side of crypto.
Nancy Guthrie, the mother of Today show host Savannah Guthrie, was kidnapped from her Tuscon, Arizona home on February 1. The alleged kidnappers sent ransom demands to news organizations including TMZ, KOLD, and KGUN, demanding $6 million in bitcoin. However, investigators have reportedly found no leads after multiple searches of the crime scene.
The ransom notes included specific deadlines, with one reportedly containing an “element of ‘or else'” according to TMZ. Meanwhile, the family issued a public plea in a video, stating “We received your message and we understand… This is the only way that we will have peace.” Consequently, the case is drawing attention to cryptocurrency’s role in kidnapping, a problem previously more common in developing nations.
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