Ex-FBI Agent Advises Savannah Guthrie to Pay Bitcoin Ransom in Mother's Kidnapping

Former investigator says tracing the cryptocurrency could provide clues in the mysterious disappearance of Nancy Guthrie.

Apr. 10, 2026 at 9:52pm

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An extreme close-up photograph of a crumpled, bloodstained piece of paper with handwritten text, conveying the gritty, investigative nature of this crime.A ransom note from the kidnappers of Nancy Guthrie exposes the harsh realities of this high-profile abduction case.Tucson Today

Savannah Guthrie, the daughter of missing 78-year-old Nancy Guthrie, has been urged by a former FBI agent to consider paying a bitcoin ransom in an effort to trace clues in her mother's disappearance. Nancy Guthrie vanished from her Tucson, Arizona home at the end of January, and authorities believe she was abducted. The case has garnered national attention, in part because Savannah Guthrie is a well-known TV news anchor. Ex-federal investigator Jennifer Coffindaffer told Newsweek that she would 'tickle the wire' by transferring part of the demanded cryptocurrency to see if it could help track down the kidnappers.

Why it matters

The disappearance of Nancy Guthrie has become a high-profile case due to her daughter's celebrity status, and the potential use of cryptocurrency in the ransom demands adds a new technological wrinkle. The ex-FBI agent's advice to pay part of the ransom highlights the complex ethical and investigative considerations in dealing with kidnapping cases involving digital currencies.

The details

Police concluded early on that Nancy Guthrie was taken against her will, pointing to a trail of blood and a masked figure captured on her doorbell camera as evidence of what investigators described as a 'targeted kidnapping.' Since then, the case has become a fixture on American television, not only because of its brutality but because Nancy's daughter is one of the most recognizable TV news presenters in the US. Coffindaffer said she would be prepared to pay at least part of the ransom now being demanded in Nancy Guthrie's name, not in the expectation of an immediate rescue but to create a digital trail that could help investigators track the money's movements across the blockchain.

  • On Saturday, January 31, Nancy Guthrie disappeared from outside her home in Tucson, Arizona.
  • On Monday, April 6, two alleged ransom emails were sent to the TMZ entertainment news outlet.

The players

Nancy Guthrie

A 78-year-old woman who was allegedly abducted from outside her home in Tucson, Arizona on January 31.

Savannah Guthrie

The daughter of Nancy Guthrie and a well-known TV news anchor who has been advocating for her mother's safe return.

Jennifer Coffindaffer

A former FBI special agent who has advised Savannah Guthrie to consider paying part of the bitcoin ransom to help investigators track the money's movements.

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What they’re saying

“Tickling the wire in this case would be putting half a bitcoin and seeing what happens to it. Do they take it? Do they convert it to pesos? It's internationally tracked. How does it come out into currency? Do they just leave it there?”

— Jennifer Coffindaffer, Former FBI Special Agent

“I think it would be worth it to me.”

— Jennifer Coffindaffer, Former FBI Special Agent

“There are a lot of different notes, I think, that came. And I think most of them, it's my understanding, are not real. And I didn't see them.”

— Savannah Guthrie

What’s next

Law enforcement agencies continue to investigate the ransom demands and pursue leads in the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie. Savannah Guthrie has raised the reward for information leading to her mother's return to $1 million.

The takeaway

This high-profile kidnapping case highlights the complex challenges posed by cryptocurrency-based ransom demands, as well as the emotional toll on families dealing with such traumatic situations. The ex-FBI agent's advice to pay part of the ransom underscores the difficult ethical and investigative decisions that must be made when confronting these types of crimes.