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Media outlet TMZ has received a fourth demand for bitcoin in exchange for the name of Nancy Guthrie’s kidnapper, the entertainment news and gossip site said Monday.
“I know what I saw five days ago south of the border and I was told to shut up so I know who he is and that was definitely Nancy with them,” the alleged clue-holder’s message read in part, according to TMZ. Monday’s missive was the second to reference multiple kidnappers and a possible international component, TMZ noted.
The bitcoin account matched the one in the previous three notes TMZ has received, the outlet said, referring to the sender as “he.” The person has tweaked his demand since the FBI increased the potential reward to $100,000 on Friday and is now asking for $50,000 in bitcoin upfront, followed by $50,000 more after he supplies the information, TMZ said.
The outlet said it was passing all messages to the FBI and urged the person to send the information.
“We will immediately forward the information to the FBI. If it leads to finding Nancy and/or the kidnappers, you then have a public record that you are the one responsible, thus ensuring you will get the reward. The FBI is aware we are making this overture.”
The sender told TMZ that a 10-year-old burglary charge made him hesitant to come forward publicly. The would-be tipster first messaged TMZ last Wednesday asking for a single bitcoin — about $67,000 — for information on Nancy’s whereabouts. A second message was sent on Thursday and a third on Friday in which he promised to reveal “the name of the main individual” once the first payment had been deposited. It was the first indication that more than one person may be involved, TMZ said.
The search for 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, mother of “Today” co-host Savannah Guthrie, entered its third week on Sunday, exactly two weeks after she disappeared from her home. Savannah marked the sad moment with a short Instagram video exhorting whoever had taken Nancy to “do the right thing,” assuring them that “it’s never too late.”