Celebrity news outlet TMZ reported Wednesday that it has received a new ransom note related to the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, describing it as a “highly sophisticated demand” for payment in a cryptocurrency other than Bitcoin.
The email seeks an amount similar to the $6 million demanded in a prior message sent to the outlet days after the alleged kidnapping.
“The email demands a dollar amount similar to the $6 million ransom demand in the previous email we received, days after the kidnapping. This email graphically describes the consequences if the ransom isn’t paid,” TMZ stated in its report.
The message included a different crypto account number from the original and has been forwarded to the FBI, according to the outlet, which declined to share further details.
Nancy Guthrie, 84, mother of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie, was reported missing on February 1 from her Arizona home, with investigators believing she was abducted, as previously reported on by The Dallas Express.
In an update on February 17, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department said DNA from gloves found about 2 miles from her residence belonged to an unknown male and appeared to match those worn by a person in security footage outside the home. However, the sample did not match any CODIS records and did not match DNA evidence from the property, where further analysis is underway.
“The DNA that was submitted to CODIS was from the set of gloves found 2 miles away. It did not trigger a match in the national CODIS database and did not match DNA found at the property. The DNA found at the property is being analyzed, and further testing needs to be done as part of the investigation,” the department stated, Fox 4 KDFW reported.
Sheriff Chris Nanos said the sheriff’s office and the FBI have handled 40,000 to 50,000 leads, up from about 30,000 previously reported. He also ruled out family involvement.
“I’m not going to sit in silence when others are attacking the innocent,” Nanos told NBC News, adding that relatives have been cooperative.
President Donald Trump told the New York Post he would push the Justice Department to seek the death penalty if Guthrie is found dead, though it’s unclear if charges would be federal.
An earlier note to TMZ this week claimed knowledge of the abductor’s identity, demanding 1 Bitcoin upfront and another after an arrest, while asserting Guthrie had been taken to Mexico. TMZ reported law enforcement has reached out to Mexican officials.
No proof of life has been provided in any notes, and their legitimacy remains unverified.
The disclosure came less than a day after TMZ founder Harvey Levin told Fox News’ Sean Hannity he would no longer publicize such communications.
