As the search for Nancy Guthrie reached day 258, a former FBI agent came forward with a troubling revelation.
Jennifer Coffindaffer revealed in an October 12 interview with NewsNation that she received four ransom notes in April, months after Guthrie disappeared.
The former FBI agent believes the notes were sent by scammers hoping to exploit the widespread public interest in the case.
Coffindaffer said she never responded to the notes and instead reported them to the FBI. According to the former agent, the FBI confirmed that the Bitcoin address did not match the one found in notes believed to be legitimate.
Nancy Guthrie Update: Former FBI Agent Reveals Details of 4 Ransom Notes
Coffindaffer revealed that she decided to come forward after learning that Guthrie’s neighbor, Lauren Sherpa, also received a similar note.
“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,” she added.
Coffindaffer said she received four emails at her personal email address. One demanded Bitcoin in exchange for Guthrie’s release, while another included an AI-generated image of Guthrie designed to “pull on people’s heartstrings.” The messages also contained Bible verses.
The former FBI agent suspects the people behind the notes may be part of an organized group. She pointed to personal information included in the emails that she said was not publicly available online as a reason for her suspicion.
“They found my personal email address. I have five emails, and I use all of them for business except one,” she explained. “And that one no one knows, and they found that email address. I put my sleuths on it looking, and they couldn’t find my email address.”
PCSD Confirms Last Ransom Note Not Credible
Last month, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department confirmed in a statement that investigators were looking into what could be a third ransom note.
“The PCSD/FBI Guthrie Task Force was recently made aware of a new possible ransom note related to the Nancy Guthrie investigation,” a statement issued on Monday, September 29, said. “Investigators are also aware of social media comments regarding the note and are looking further into the information to determine its credibility.”
However, upon further review, the PCSD determined that the note was “not credible.”
“Anyone who receives a text message or other communication related to Nancy Guthrie is encouraged to report it to law enforcement,” the statement read. “We also encourage the public to remain vigilant, as scammers may attempt to take advantage of the situation. Do not send money or provide personal information in response to unsolicited messages.”
The statement continued, “Investigators will continue to review reported messages for credibility and investigate any potential attempts at extortion. The Nancy Guthrie investigation remains active and ongoing.”
Comments
Nancy Guthrie Update: Former FBI Agent Shares Troubling Revelation as Search Continues