The search for missing 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie has entered a new phase, with authorities now questioning the legitimacy of earlier ransom demands. A critical deadline set by individuals claiming responsibility for her disappearance passed on Monday without any proof of life or further communication, leading investigators to suspect the threats may have been a fabrication.
The alleged abductors had demanded a payment of $6 million in cryptocurrency by a specified hour, according to earlier reports. The silence following that deadline has shifted the focus of the investigation. Experts now suggest the ransom notes could have been an opportunistic hoax, possibly orchestrated by parties with no actual connection to Guthrie’s whereabouts.
The family, including her daughter, television journalist Savannah Guthrie, had made public appeals for information and expressed a willingness to meet the financial demands. Analysts note that such visible desperation may have been exploited by bad actors seeking to capitalize on the high-profile case.
Law enforcement sources indicate the lack of direct contact with the claimants and the unusual public nature of the incident have raised significant doubts. One former FBI agent pointed out that traditional kidnappings for ransom are typically conducted in secrecy, making the extensive media attention in this case atypical. He suggested the possibility of an initial crime that escalated unpredictably, with ransom demands added later by unrelated individuals.
As the investigation continues to prioritize finding Guthrie, who has been missing since late January, officials are reassessing all leads. The release of an image purporting to show a masked suspect is being analyzed, but the overriding theory now is that the ransom path was a false trail, diverting resources from more viable avenues in the search.