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TMZ said it received a third ransom note in connection with the abduction of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of TODAY Show anchor Savannah Guthrie, which included a demand for one bitcoin on Wednesday (February 11).
The note said that the "name of the individual involved" would be revealed if the $67,000 payment was made. TMZ had previously obtained two notes since Nancy was reported missing on February 1.
“If they want the name of the individual involved, then I want 1 Bitcoin to the following wallet. Time is more than relevant,” the note states, according to TMZ. The Bitcoin account associated with Guthrie's previous ransom notes was reported to be showing activity on Tuesday (February 10), one day after a reported deadline for a payment to be made had passed, the New York Post reports.
About $152 worth of the cryptocurrency appeared in the account's publicly viewable logs, which are accessible after a single transaction is made, equal to a .0022 bitcoin deposit. It's unclear where the money came from as anyone who obtained a copy of the ransom note would be capable of wiring funds to it.
The transaction was reportedly made at around 4:00 p.m. PT, TMZ founder Harvey Levin told FOX News' Sean Hannity.
“There are reasons that I have been careful with my words and it obviously has to do with sourcing and I am just not at liberty to talk about amounts right now,” said Levin, who read the first ransom note sent by Guthrie's alleged kidnappers. “This is a complicated case and we gave our word on something and we’re gonna stick by that,” he said.
The individuals suspected of kidnapping Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of TODAY Show anchor Savannah Guthrie, had reportedly stopped contact with her family after a $6 million ransom deadline passed on Monday (February 9), the FBI announced via the New York Post. The ransom deadline expired at 5:00 p.m. local time on Monday and there's no sign its been paid nor proof that Guthrie is still alive as of Tuesday morning.
Savannah Guthrie made a "desperation" plea as the deadline for her family to pay the ransom neared on Monday.
“We believe our mom is still out there,” Guthrie said in a video shared on her Instagram account Monday afternoon. “She was taken, and we don’t know where.”
Savannah asked for anyone to across the country to report any suspicious activity they witness.
“I’m coming on just to ask you not just for your prayers, but no matter where you are — even if you’re far from Tucson — if you see anything, if you hear anything, if there’s anything at all that seems strange to you, that you report to law enforcement,” she said.
“We need your help,” she added.
Savannah and her siblings had previously agreed to pay in a video shared on Saturday (February 7).
“We received your message and we understand,” Savannah said, while holding hands with her brother, Camron, and sister, Annie in the video shared to her Instagram account. “We beg you now to return our mother to us so that we can celebrate with her. This is the only way we will have peace.”
“This is very valuable to us, and we will pay,” she concluded.
An Arizona DoorDash and parcel delivery service driver was mistakenly detained in connection with the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie on Tuesday (February 10), CBS News' Andres Gutierrez reports. Carlos Palazuelos, 36, identified himself to reporters outside his home after he was freed from custody, expressing both frustration and confusion.
“They held me against my will,” Palazuelos said via Guitierrez. “They didn’t even read me my rights until two hours later.”
The delivery driver, who said he'd never heard of Nancy or Savannah Guthrie, claims the incident left his wrists swollen from the handcuffs as he cried out his innocence.
“What the f–k am I doing here? I didn’t do anything, to be honest, I’m innocent,” he recalled of the ordeal.
Palazuelos said he was riding in a car with his wife when he noticed authorities following their vehicle, at which point they pulled over and he exited the car. The 36-year-old confirmed he worked for GLS, parcel delivery service, but couldn't recall encountering Nancy Guthrie, who was reported missing on February 1.
“I told them, I work in Tucson for GLS, I might have delivered a package to her house but I never kidnapped anybody,” he said via ABC 15. “They hold me from 4 p.m. ’til now.”
“I hope they get the suspect, because I’m not it. And they better do their job and find the suspect that did it so they can clear my name, I’m done,” Palazuelos added, claiming he wasn't given a reason why authorities sought him prior to being released without charges filed.
FBI Director Kash Patel had confirmed to FOX News that investigators were interviewing "persons of interest" amid reports that a man had been detained.
“Without polluting the investigation, I will say we have made substantial progress in these last 36-48 hours, thanks to the technical capabilities of the FBI and our partnerships and I do believe we are looking at people who, as we say, are persons of interest,” Patel said.
The detainment was reported hours after a surveillance video and photos showing a potential subject in connection with Guthrie's disappearance. Officials were referring to the person in the photo as a potential subject, but that didn't confirm that they are a subject in the ongoing investigation, two law enforcement sources confirmed to CBS News.