The search for missing 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie has entered a new phase after a critical ransom deadline passed without any sign of the woman or further communication from those who demanded payment.
Authorities are now heavily scrutinizing the legitimacy of the initial ransom demand, which called for $6 million in cryptocurrency by a set hour on Monday. The lack of any follow-through or proof that Guthrie is alive has led investigators and external experts to question whether the claim was a cruel hoax designed to exploit a family’s public distress.
The case, which began with Guthrie’s disappearance on January 31, attracted intense media attention, particularly after her daughter, a well-known television journalist, made emotional public appeals for her mother’s safe return. In one statement, the family indicated a willingness to pay. Analysts suggest this visible desperation may have attracted opportunists with no actual connection to the disappearance, muddying the investigative waters.
A former FBI agent consulted on the case noted that the public nature of the events and the handling of the ransom demand do not align with typical kidnapping-for-ransom patterns, where perpetrators usually strive to operate in secrecy. Instead, speculation is growing that the incident may have begun as a different type of crime that escalated or was misinterpreted.
As the probe continues down multiple paths, law enforcement released an image on Tuesday of a masked individual described as a person of interest. The focus has now shifted from negotiating a ransom to pursuing all other viable leads in what remains an active and urgent missing persons investigation.