Deadline Passes in Nancy Guthrie Kidnapping Case

The 7 pm ET deadline on Monday has come and gone for Nancy Guthrie’s family, who were asked to pay $6 million to the alleged kidnappers they claim have held her captive. Savannah, Nancy’s daughter, made an urgent appeal for assistance just hours before the deadline.

In an emotional video shared on Instagram, Savannah described their situation as one of despair. This came mere hours before the alleged kidnapper was supposed to provide a ransom note, following Nancy’s disappearance from her Arizona home over a week ago.

With the deadline passing without any sign of a ransom payment and no indication that the 84-year-old grandmother is still alive, her fate remains uncertain. The Bitcoin account that the kidnapper provided showed neither balance nor transactions.

The kidnappers previously warned that Nancy’s safety was at risk unless the ransom was paid by their deadline. While the FBI and local law enforcement have not confirmed the authenticity of the ransom note, they are treating it seriously due to the lack of other leads.

Former FBI agents, however, have started to doubt the legitimacy of the demand, especially given specific references in the note to Nancy’s Apple Watch and a floodlight at her home. Chris Swecker, a former Assistant Director at the FBI, expressed skepticism about the situation during a segment on Fox News, suggesting it would be easy to provide proof of life if Nancy were truly kidnapped. He hinted that the case might not even be a kidnapping.

Savannah and her siblings, Annie and Camron, even indicated in a video on Saturday that they were ready to pay the ransom if necessary. Their recent video underscored their growing anxiety, as Nancy has now been missing for nine days.

“We believe our mother is still out there,” Savannah stated. “She was taken, but I’m not sure where she is.” In her video, she urged those who might have any information, no matter how small, to reach out to law enforcement.

Nancy’s last sighting was on January 31, when her son-in-law had dropped her off after a family dinner. She didn’t make it to church the following Sunday, leading to her being reported missing the next day. The police discovered signs of a struggle in her home and escalated their search into a criminal investigation.

On Monday and Tuesday, ransom notes appeared in three different news outlets, with deadlines set for various amounts. One demand involved paying $4 million in Bitcoin by the previous Thursday, while the other requested $6 million by the Monday deadline.

The ransom note did not offer any proof of Nancy’s well-being or photographs, though it did describe certain details of her home, possibly in an attempt to lend credibility to the threat.

If the deadline passed without payment, the note warned that Nancy’s life would be in jeopardy. Following silence from the alleged kidnappers, another message purportedly surfaced on Friday. The contents of that communication remain unclear, but it suggested that Nancy could be in danger if ransom wasn’t paid by the deadline.

Experts have indicated that law enforcement agencies likely spent the hours leading up to the deadline diligently going over past leads to find clues that could help locate Nancy. They routinely re-examine evidence, re-interview witnesses, and review surveillance footage to ensure all possible avenues are explored.

Bob Krygiel, who is involved in the investigation, assured that they are pursuing every lead diligently.