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Crypto payments are playing a growing role in the rapid disappearance case of Nancy Guthrie, the mother of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie. On Tuesday, there was activity on the Bitcoin account listed in a recent ransom note, TMZ reported. TMZ and two other local Arizona media outlets, KGUN 9 and KOLD, previously reported receiving a ransom note in which the alleged kidnappers demanded Bitcoin in exchange for Nancy Guthrie.
On Wednesday, another letter was sent to TMZ, demanding payment in Bitcoin in exchange for information on the kidnapper. This new note asked for 1 Bitcoin, equivalent to approximately $70,000, and cited a legitimate Bitcoin address.
TMZ and the Pima County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The FBI declined to share new details about the case, in a memo to Fortune.
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The media has not shared the Bitcoin address in question. These addresses consist of a long string of numbers and characters and can be viewed on the public Bitcoin blockchain using so-called mining tools like this. Any payment made to the alleged kidnapper’s address would be visible to everyone, as would the sender’s address.
A Bitcoin address alone doesn’t reveal who controls it, but blockchain forensics companies are usually able to find clues to the owner’s location. In many cases, the Bitcoin wallet lists transactions linked to a third party, who may have data on the identity of the owner.
As of yet, there is no official confirmation that the Bitcoin wallet in the Guthrie case is linked to the kidnappers, nor if the TMZ correspondence is authentic.
Authorities still do not have a suspect in this case. They arrested a 36-year-old man on Tuesday, only to release him the next day. The Arizona resident, who identified himself only by his first name Carlos, said after his release that he did not know who Nancy Guthrie was and hoped the real suspect could be found.
Surveillance video shows someone at Nancy Guthrie’s home the night she disappeared. The images, released by the FBI, show the suspect’s face is covered except for his eyes and mouth, and the person is wearing a backpack.
The search for Nancy Guthrie now enters its eleventh day. On February 1, his family discovered his disappearance and called the police. All signs point to her being taken from her home against her will. A doorbell camera was tampered with and Guthrie’s blood was splattered around the house.
A few days after his disappearance, several media outlets reported receiving ransom letters demanding Bitcoin. TV presenter Savannah Guthrie said “we will pay” in a video posted to Instagram, where she appeared with her siblings.