Former FBI agent was sent ransom notes asking for bitcoin in Nancy Guthrie case

A former FBI agent who has been covering the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of Today co-host Savannah Guthrie, said she received four ransom emails demanding payment in Bitcoin.

Jennifer Coffindaffer, a former FBI agent and law and justice contributor for NewsNation, said she received the emails in April but initially reported them only to the FBI and kept the messages private. She believes the messages were part of a scam targeting people following the case.

The FBI told her the Bitcoin address included in the messages did not match the address found in ransom notes investigators believe may be legitimate.

Coffindaffer decided to go public after learning that a Guthrie neighbor had received a similar note featuring nearly identical images and posted it on Facebook.

“That’s the reason I wanted to come forward because I was concerned that now other people might be contacted and might fall for the ploy,” Coffindaffer told NewsNation.

Coffindaffer said the messages appeared designed specifically to gain her trust. They were sent to a personal email address that she said is not publicly available and included personal information about her.

“They found my personal email address,” Coffindaffer said. “I have five emails, and I use all of them for business except one. And that one no one knows, and they found that email address.”

The messages also included Bible verses that Coffindaffer said appeared intended to appeal to her religious beliefs.

“I’m pretty religious, I’m a devout Catholic, and they certainly worked that angle in their ransom notes to me,” she said.

Coffindaffer said she believes the people behind the messages could be part of an organized group, though the FBI determined the Bitcoin address in the emails did not correspond with ransom notes believed to be connected to Guthrie’s abductors.

The Pima County Sheriff’s Office has previously warned the public about fake ransom notes and other scams related to the case.

“Anyone who receives a text message or other communication related to Nancy Guthrie is encouraged to report it to law enforcement,” the sheriff’s office said in September. “We also urge the public to remain vigilant, as scammers may attempt to take advantage of this situation. Do not send money or provide personal information in response to unsolicited messages.”

Pima County sheriff discredits ransom text in Nancy Guthrie disappearance

Authorities believe Guthrie was kidnapped or otherwise taken against her will from her home outside Tucson, Arizona, on Feb. 1. Investigators found blood near the front entrance of her home, while surveillance footage released by the FBI showed a masked person approaching the property and interfering with a security camera.

Guthrie’s family has offered a $1 million reward for information, while officials have not yet announced a suspect.

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[ H/T Washington Examiner ]