Nancy Guthrie’s suspected abductors are demanding $6 million, weekend revelations disclosed as police searched a septic tank on her property with a Monday 5pm cash delivery deadline looming. Reporter JJ McKinney, whose Arizona outlet KGUN9 received one of three purported ransom notes sent to media organisations, stated: “Multiple ransom notes have been sent out to the media, including one that was sent to us.”
McKinney said Sunday: “In the letter, the potential kidnappers demanded that the Guthries pay them $6 million before this Monday.” This marked the first disclosure of the enormous sum demanded for the 84-year-old’s return since her ransom note emerged days following her January 31 disappearance from her Tucson residence.
The alleged ransomers demanded Bitcoin payment and established two deadlines in their communication – one warning they required $4 million by 5pm local time last Thursday, with another stating that missing that deadline would necessitate $6 million by the same Monday time. The note indicated the elderly grandmother’s life would face danger if funds failed to arrive by Monday’s deadline, KGUN9 reported.
Law enforcement has yet to verify the note’s authenticity, with no proof Nancy remains alive or that the authors possess her, though details from inside her residence were included in the communication. Authorities stated that because they possess minimal alternative leads, they have been forced to treat it as seriously as if genuine.
This prompted Nancy’s children – celebrity “Today” show television host Savannah Guthrie and siblings Annie and Camron – to finally capitulate and release a Saturday video statement declaring readiness to pay. A despondent Savannah stated in the footage: “We received your message, and we understand. We beg you now to return our mother to us so that we can celebrate with her. This is the only way we will have peace. This is very valuable to us, and we will pay.”
According to the New York Post, some experts remain suspicious of the ransom note, which specified payment in US dollar equivalent – a detail some suggested could indicate the sender operates outside America and might be attempting to defraud the Guthries of millions during their mother’s search. Former FBI agent Michael Harrigan told The Post: “If you’re domestic, why would you ever put ‘USD?’ You put six million. Why would you use that if you’re a domestic person? That points to somebody who might be potentially outside the country.” Harrigan, who supervised the FBI National Academy during his extensive career, stated the minor detail “lends the potential for this being a scam.”
No additional communications from the supposed kidnappers have surfaced beyond those notes, with investigators advancing into the eighth search day as the deadline neared. Police were observed at Nancy’s residence Sunday afternoon examining a septic tank behind the house, with two officers probing the buried tank using a long pole before ultimately departing empty-handed. What they sought or whether that tank had undergone previous searches remains unclear.
The previous night saw police photographing inside the Tucson residence of Nancy’s daughter and son-in-law Annie Tommaso Cioni. The couple numbered among the final people to see Nancy alive, with Cioni dropping her at her home on January 31 around 9:45pm following an evening dinner together.
Cioni was identified as a suspect in certain unconfirmed news reports last week, though this was subsequently disputed by others. Police declined to eliminate Cioni when directly questioned about him at last week’s press conference, with Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos maintaining everybody in Nancy’s orbit faces examination. Nanos stated: “We’re actively looking at everybody we come across in this case, we would be irresponsible if we didn’t talk to everybody. Everybody’s still a suspect in our eyes. The family’s been very cooperative; they’ve done everything we’ve asked of them.”
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.the-express.com ’
