In the days following the investigation into Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance, the mother of US journalist Savannah Guthrie, authorities concluded that a ransom note stating she had died was sent by those responsible for her abduction.
TMZ has since obtained a new email that points to additional developments in the case.
Sender claims having video of kidnapping
A person claiming to have direct knowledge of Nancy Guthrie’s abduction is now also alleging that they possess video evidence and that two kidnappers were directly involved in the incident, according to TMZ founder Harvey Levin, who received the message.
The outlet added that it verified the authenticity of the latest email as coming from the same individual who sent earlier communications, as it referenced the same Bitcoin address and used the same alias previously used in prior messages.
Sender consistently in touch
Levin revealed that the latest email is part of a broader series of messages he says he has been receiving since the early stages of the case from an individual who claims to know what happened to 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, the mother of US journalist Savannah Guthrie.
The TMZ reporter also mentioned that he has received nearly a dozen emails from the same individual.
Also read: Nancy Guthrie update: Annie, Tommaso Cioni’s works in focus as ransom note claims Savannah’s mom ‘buried with nature’
“We’ve been in constant touch with the FBI over this person, and we know they are trying to find out who it is. So it’s not like they’re dismissing this person out of hand. But at the same time, they’re not paying the Bitcoin,” he said.
Reporter challenges the sender
After receiving the message earlier on Friday, Levin publicly challenged the anonymous individual behind it.
“If you’ve got something, send it,” he said in a video posted online, demanding that the sender prove they were not attempting a hoax.
A few hours later, Levin said he received a response. “He responded a couple hours later,” Levin told Cain. “He had seen the post. He said, ‘I’m not gonna do it, because the metadata is gonna lead authorities to me.”
The emails further suggest that the sender is familiar with the kidnappers, and investigators also believe the individual may be the same person repeatedly sending notes to TMZ.
Investigators suspect ransom demands
Authorities have not publicly verified the authenticity of the first two notes that have been considered potentially genuine, nor the emails obtained by TMZ, with sources close to the investigation reportedly divided on the matter.
According to Fox News, some investigators suspect that the ransom demands may be entirely fabricated, while others are reluctant to draw that conclusion given that Guthrie’s whereabouts are still unknown.
Also read: Nancy Guthrie update: What does new ransom note say? FBI notified after new email
“Either the author of those emails is a complete fool or it’s completely fake. Why would you offer up exactly what the Guthrie family has been looking for and offered a $1 million reward for an exchange for one Bitcoin when if you actually give them the information that they need and that you say you have, you can get $1 million instead? In Bitcoin if you want it,” said Jim Clemente, a retired FBI supervisory agent. “
The sender has reportedly demanded different payments for the information, initially asking for amounts as high as $100,000, according to Levin.
More recently, the request has shifted to a single Bitcoin, valued at roughly $60,000 as of Friday afternoon.
