Bitcoin payments continue to play a role in the quest for clues about the whereabouts of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old whose mysterious abduction earlier this month has captivated the nation. In the latest development, a Tucson native has created a GoFundMe account with the goal of buying Bitcoin to get information about what happened to the mother of Today show anchor Savannah Guthrie.
The GoFundMe campaign has not gained much traction, having raised just about $1,500 out of its $65,000 goal. Shawn Breeden of Tucson, where Guthrie disappeared, organized the campaign and wrote on the page, “Every bit of support helps bring this tragic event closer to an end.” Breeden did not immediately respond to a request for an interview.
The grassroots fundraising effort comes as TMZ reported on Monday that it has received four letters from the same person demanding a payment in Bitcoin in exchange for information about Guthrie’s whereabouts. In the most recent note, the person is asking for $50,000 in Bitcoin, and in a previous note, the person asked for one Bitcoin, equivalent to about $67,000.
TMZ did not respond to a request for a copy of the letters. In a note to Fortune, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department declined to share any further information about the case or about the letters.
This is not the first time Bitcoin payments have played a part in the search for Nancy Guthrie. Last week, a local Arizona TV station, KGUN 9, reported receiving a note from Guthrie’s alleged kidnappers, which demanded $6 million in Bitcoin in exchange for her release. Savannah Guthrie released a video on Instagram, in which she said “we will pay,” but there is no evidence to suggest that the family has made any ransom payment.
The people writing notes demanding Bitcoin payments have not given proof that Nancy Guthrie is alive, and authorities have not said that these ransom letters are from her actual captors.
Criminals would seek payments in Bitcoin in part because the transactions are instantaneous. If the Guthrie family were to make a ransom payment, they would likely have to use a crypto exchange to turn their cash into Bitcoin. Then they would have to send that Bitcoin to the address that the alleged captors listed in the ransom letter.
Bitcoin transactions also come with risks for bad actors. The payments are public on the blockchain and could be tracked down by law enforcement. Crypto exchanges could potentially freeze a payment if they suspect criminal activity.
Two and a half weeks have passed since Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance, and authorities still do not have a suspect. The Pima County Sheriff’s Department said in an X post that members of the Guthrie family have been cleared as possible suspects. The FBI found a glove that appears to match those worn by a masked person caught on surveillance video in front of Guthrie’s house the night that she disappeared. The glove has been sent for DNA testing.
Savannah Guthrie pleaded in a video posted to Instagram on Monday to anyone who knows about her mother’s whereabouts. She said, “It’s never too late to do the right thing.”
