Tipster Demands Bitcoin For Nancy Guthrie Location
A person sent four bitcoin-demand messages claiming Nancy Guthrie was seen "south of the border"; the messages were forwarded to the FBI after the agency increased the reward to $100,000.
Overview
An entertainment news site said it received a fourth bitcoin demand from a person claiming to know Nancy Guthrie's whereabouts and saying he saw her "with them" five days ago south of the border.
The FBI increased the potential reward to $100,000 on Friday, and the sender modified demands to request $50,000 in bitcoin upfront and $50,000 after providing information.
The site's executive producer urged the sender to supply proof so the site can forward it to the FBI and create a public record tying the tipster to any reward.
Investigators matched a glove found two miles from Guthrie's home to the masked individual seen on her doorbell camera and described the suspect as 5'9" to 5'10" tall.
Investigators are combing Walmart records and surveillance while Guthrie's three children and their spouses have been cleared, and the search continues as she relies on daily medication.
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Sources (3)
FAQ
Investigators matched DNA from gloves found two miles from Guthrie's home to the masked individual seen on her doorbell camera footage. The suspect is described as a male approximately 5'9" to 5'10" tall with an average build, wearing a black 25-liter Ozark Trail Hiker Pack backpack. The FBI confirmed these identifying details after forensic analysis of the doorbell camera footage.
Sheriff Chris Nanos stated that evidence recovered from Guthrie's residence indicated a crime took place within the house. Because Guthrie has limited mobility and couldn't walk 50 yards by herself, combined with the discovery of bloodstains confirmed to be hers and her personal belongings remaining inside the home, investigators believe she was taken against her will from her residence, possibly in the middle of the night.
Multiple ransom notes demanding payment in cryptocurrency with specific deadlines were received, and the FBI set a $100,000 reward on February 13, 2026, after which the demands were modified to request $50,000 in bitcoin upfront and $50,000 after providing information. However, the origin of these messages remains undetermined, and authorities have cautioned that the tipster should provide proof of Nancy's whereabouts before any payment or reward consideration, with the goal of creating an official record.
As of February 15, 2026, no arrests have been made despite a massive federal law enforcement operation. Authorities detained two males and one of their mothers following a tip and executed a warrant, but these individuals were later released. A Range Rover was seized during the investigation, but no charges have been filed.
Nancy Guthrie relies on daily medication to manage her health, making the urgency of locating her critical. Additionally, her pacemaker disconnected from her phone app just before 2 a.m. on February 1, the date of her disappearance. Law enforcement used a Bluetooth signal detector from the air to attempt to track signals from her pacemaker as part of search efforts.
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