Key Points
Savannah Guthrie’s family appears not to have paid a multimillion-dollar ransom demanded by a person or persons claiming to be responsible for the kidnapping of her mother, Nancy Guthrie.
A ransom note sent to two Arizona TV stations specified a $4 million sum to be paid into a Bitcoin account by Feb. 5, which would increase to $6 million if unpaid.
The deadline for the latter sum passed Monday at 5 p.m. local time in Arizona, with no public indication the ransom had been paid.
The deadline for an apparent ransom note seemingly tied to the disappearance of Savannah Guthrie‘s elderly mother, Nancy Guthrie, has passed, with no public indication that the Guthrie family had paid the multimillion-dollar sum demanded.
Nancy, 84, was last seen the evening of Jan. 31 outside her home in Tucson, Ariz., and she was reported missing the following day after she failed to show up to church. An alleged ransom note sent to a pair of Arizona TV stations, KOLD and KGUN, demanded $4 million in Bitcoin by Feb. 5. If that sum remained unpaid, however, the price would hike to $6 million, with a deadline of 5 p.m. local time on Monday. That time has now passed.
Ninety minutes before the deadline, a source close to the matter confirmed to PEOPLE that no payments had been made to the account specified in the note.
Earlier Monday, in the second week of the search for the Today anchor’s mom, Savannah sent out a plea for help from fans, describing the situation as “desperate.”
Last week FBI Phoenix Special Agent in Charge Heith Janke gave a press conference in which he confirmed that the bureau had reviewed at least one ransom note, amid reports of several that had been shared with media. Janke kept details scant but did add that the note included references to an Apple Watch and a floodlight.
Savannah and her siblings, Annie and Camron Guthrie, addressed “reports about a ransom letter in the media” in an emotional social media video the day before. They then cautioned vigilance around easily faked documents and demands, as the FBI has already arrested one individual accused of impersonating Nancy’s captors.
The Guthrie siblings ended their joint video by directly addressing their mother’s captors, imploring them, “We need to know, without a doubt, that she is alive and that you have her.”
Savannah Guthrie/Instagram
The declaration of Nancy’s disappearance on Feb. 1 kicked off a large-scale local search, but authorities haven’t announced any suspects in the case and are being careful to avoid disclosing any leads.
In her video Monday, Savannah thanked fans and followers for their prayers. She said the family still possesses hope that Nancy is alive, and requested that those invested in the case — even those living outside the Tucson area — report anything they see or hear to law enforcement. “We are at an hour of desperation,” she urged, “and we need your help.”
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The FBI and the Pima County Sheriff’s Department are asking anyone with tips to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI. The bureau has set a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to Nancy’s recovery or the arrest of anyone involved in her disappearance.
Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly
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