Former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agent Jennifer Coffindaffer said she believes the most recent Nancy Guthrie case ransom note is not legitimate. Coffindaffer, who has often commented on the Guthrie case as well as other crimes, gave an hour-long analysis of the newest ransom note in the case during a YouTube live on Tuesday morning. In her newest video, she broke down the components of the note and resulting exchange with a woman named Lauren Serpa, who received the note.
Serpa and the person who sent the note spoke electronically for hours. The Pima County Sheriff's Department (PCSD) has also been made aware of the potential development in the case. "The PCSD/FBI Guthrie task force was recently made aware of a new possible ransom note in the Nancy Guthrie investigation.
Investigators are also aware of social media comments being made regarding this note and are looking further into this and working to determine credibility," a public information officer for the PCSD told Newsweek. "We do not have any additional information to provide at this time." The note comes nearly eight months after Guthrie—the 84-year-old mother of Today show host Savannah Guthrie—disappeared after she was last seen on January 31 at her home in Tucson, Arizona. Serpa, who claims to have known Guthrie, said in a Facebook post that she had received a ransom demand on Sunday night.
She said the message claimed that Guthrie was alive in Mexico and directed Serpa to send bitcoin to a wallet for Guthrie’s release. Serpa said in the post that she had reported the note to the sheriff. Serpa stressed in May that she was not a "close friend of Nancy's." She said Guthrie showed her kindness at a farmer's market almost 12 years ago after her husband died from a brain aneurysm.
The note, according to Serpa, said that for Guthrie to be returned to the U.S., Serpa was told to send six bitcoins, which is equivalent to around $500,000, to a QR code for a crypto wallet. Serpa texted the person back and an hours-long conversation ensued, according to her post on Facebook. Serpa contacted police and provided them with the information.
At one point, Serpa asked the person who sent the ransom note to share a video to prove Guthrie was alive. A video was sent, but Serpa said it was clearly created using artificial intelligence (AI). The person who sent the note also said the Mafia was involved.
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