Savannah Guthrie has been advised to consider paying part of the ransom in bitcoin as investigators continue to search for her missing mother, Nancy Guthrie.
After several ransom emails emerged earlier this month, former FBI agent Jennifer Coffindaffer has said that sending some of the requested cryptocurrency could help track down those behind the messages.
“Tickling the wire in this case would be tantamount to putting in half a bitcoin and seeing what happens to it,” she said Newsweek. “Do they take it? Do they convert it to pesos? It’s tracked internationally. How does it end up in currency? Do they just leave it there?”
She added that while the money may be lost, the transaction could provide a realistic head start. “I think it would be worth it for me.”
Researchers are treating the messages with caution, as some experts believe they are a scam taking advantage of the situation.
The emails are also contradictory, as one person claimed Nancy was dead, while another claimed she had been seen alive in Mexico. None of the emails have been verified by authorities.
Savannah also resonated with the uncertainty, saying many of the reports may not be credible.
Nancy, 78, disappeared from her home in Tucson, Arizona, in late January. Authorities believe she was kidnapped and pointed to signs of a struggle and security footage showing a masked man near the property.
