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FBI Says Ransom Messages in Nancy Guthrie Case Were Fake

The FBI has judged three media‑received ransom communications to be inauthentic, prompting investigators to rely on forensic testing to move the inquiry forward.

Overview

  • Nancy Guthrie, 84, was last seen at her Tucson home on January 31 and was reported missing the next day after surveillance showed a masked person tampering with her doorbell camera.
  • Federal agents told Reuters that all three alleged kidnapping messages turned over by media outlets are not believed to be genuine, a finding that undercuts the earlier public narrative of a ransom plot.
  • As part of its review the FBI made a controlled cryptocurrency deposit to the wallet named in an early demand and the funds were never claimed, a detail investigators cite in judging the notes fake.
  • Authorities continue to pursue physical and digital evidence, including DNA from a glove that produced no CODIS match, surveillance video, pacemaker connection records and blockchain tracing, with no arrests announced.
  • The family and FBI are offering rewards for information and law enforcement says the probe remains active as investigators focus on forensics rather than media‑sent tips.