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Two Ransom Notes Demand $4 M Bitcoin in Guthrie Case

8/3/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Pima County Sheriff’s Department released two ransom notes on Aug. 1-2 after Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance.
The first note, dated Feb. 2, demanded $4 million in bitcoin and set a deadline of Monday the 9th at 5 PM for payment.
The second note, dated Feb. 6, claimed Nancy perished and was “buried in nature.”
Gary Brucato said the notes likely came from two different authors with different motives.
Authorities have posted over $1.2 million in rewards.

History

Historical Context

Silk Road, a Tor-based darknet market launched in February 2011 by Ross Ulbricht, processed 9,519,664 bitcoins (about $1.2 billion) before the FBI seized its server and arrested Ulbricht in October 2013, confiscating 144,000 bitcoins. The 2024 Pima County Sheriff’s ransom notes demanding $4 million in bitcoin echo the same cryptocurrency-based extortion tactics, prompting agencies to expand digital-forensic cooperation.

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Story summary

Pima County Sheriff’s Department released two ransom notes on Aug. 1-2 after Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance.
The first note, dated Feb. 2, demanded $4 million in bitcoin and set a deadline of Monday the 9th at 5 PM for payment.
The second note, dated Feb. 6, claimed Nancy perished and was “buried in nature.”
Gary Brucato said the notes likely came from two different authors with different motives.
Authorities have posted over $1.2 million in rewards.

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