Nancy Guthrie Update: Ex-FBI Agent Reveals Disturbing Ransom Photo, Warns Scammers May Target Concerned Public

TUCSON, Ariz. — A retired FBI agent who has commented publicly on the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie says she received fake bitcoin ransom demands containing a disturbing image meant to look like the missing woman. She warned that scammers may be trying to exploit people following the case.

Jennifer Coffindaffer, a retired FBI special agent, told NewsNation that she received the emails in April but initially kept quiet and reported them only to the FBI. She said she decided to speak out after learning that Lauren Serpa, a neighbor of Guthrie's, had received a similar message.

"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 said.

Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of NBC "Today" co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, disappeared from her home in the Catalina Foothills area of Tucson more than eight months ago. Investigators believe she was abducted. No suspects have been named.

A disturbing image

Coffindaffer said the emails demanded payment in bitcoin and included an image that appeared to show Guthrie in distress.

"I am concerned that other people that are following the Nancy Guthrie case, concerned about her, could be lured to make a deposit," she said. "Because they send this picture, it showed a likeness of Nancy shaved with dirt on her face, looking very hurt and with a tear coming down her eye."

She said the senders were trying to play on people's emotions and convince them that Guthrie was alive and that paying could help her.

The FBI reportedly determined that the bitcoin address on the messages did not match the address in ransom notes that investigators believe may have come from Guthrie's actual abductors.

Serpa posted about the message she received on social media, and it contained an image nearly identical to the one sent to Coffindaffer.

'They found my personal email address'

Coffindaffer said she believes the senders are part of an organized group. She said the emails were sent to a private email address that she does not use publicly and included personal information about her that is not available online.

"They found my personal email address. 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," she said.

She said the messages also included Bible verses that appeared designed to appeal to her religious beliefs. Coffindaffer, who described herself as a devout Catholic, said the senders "certainly worked that angle."

The senders demanded a relatively small ransom of one or two bitcoins. That would have been worth roughly $60,000 per bitcoin in April and about $80,000 now.

Coffindaffer said she believes she may have been targeted because of her public commentary on the case, including advice she has offered to investigators.

Calls for a media blitz

Coffindaffer has previously urged authorities to launch a nationwide campaign to identify the masked man captured on surveillance video at Guthrie's front door around the time of her disappearance. She has called on the FBI and the Pima County Sheriff's Department to widely distribute images of the suspect across traditional and social media, including in Spanish-speaking communities.

New camera images

In another recent development, the FBI has recovered additional still images from motion-activated cameras at Guthrie's home, according to sources briefed on the investigation.

The thumbnail images, taken from backyard and side-yard cameras, show people in the yard before Guthrie disappeared and law enforcement officers afterward. However, they reportedly captured no footage from the overnight period when investigators believe she was taken, and no suspicious activity.

Earlier released images from the home's front-door camera showed a masked man wearing gloves and a backpack, with what appeared to be a holstered handgun.

Other developments

Investigators have followed numerous leads during the months-long search.

Human remains found in August about 15 miles from Guthrie's home were determined not to be connected to the case. A bone fragment believed to be human was found in early October in a wash in Oro Valley, about 10 miles from her home, according to reports, but officials have not established any connection to Guthrie.

A man who was detained and questioned as a person of interest in February was arrested on unrelated weapons and drug charges in late September. Authorities have not charged him in connection with Guthrie's disappearance.

Ransom notes have played a recurring role in the case. Some notes were deemed fraudulent, while others remain under investigation. One note sent to a Tucson television station claimed Guthrie had died, but authorities have not confirmed that claim and continue to treat the case as an active missing person investigation.

Warnings about scams

Authorities have repeatedly warned the public not to respond to unsolicited messages claiming to be connected to the case.

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has said the investigation remains active and that investigators continue to analyze digital and DNA evidence. He has said he believes an arrest will eventually be made.

Family's plea

Savannah Guthrie and her family have made repeated public appeals for information and have offered a reward of up to $1 million. The FBI has offered up to $100,000.

Earlier this year, Savannah Guthrie wrote that her family's "hearts are in ruins" and urged anyone with information to come forward, saying tips could be provided anonymously.

How to help

Anyone with information about Nancy Guthrie's disappearance is asked to contact the Pima County Sheriff's Department or the FBI. Tips can be submitted anonymously.