Nancy Guthrie’s alleged kidnapper may be exposed by ransom note, crypto expert reveals

Authorities confirmed that US anchor Savannah Guthrie's 84-year-old mother was forced from her Tucson-area home

Nancy Guthrie’s alleged abductor may have revealed a crucial weakness by including a real bitcoin address in the ransom note, according to a cryptocurrency expert familiar with blockchain forensics.

Bezalel Eithan Raviv, the chief executive and founder of crypto recovery firm Lionsgate Network, told Page Six, the demand for $6 million in bitcoin could provide investigators with valuable data if the transaction is handled correctly. “He showed his Achilles to everyone who understands blockchain forensics,” Raviv said while discussing the case.

The ransom note reportedly instructed that the bitcoin payment be sent to a specific wallet address in exchange for Guthrie’s release. Raviv explained that providing such an address can significantly increase the chances of tracing a criminal network. “Whenever cyber criminals offer their wallet address is where they basically reveal themselves in many ways,” he said.

Raviv noted that a common investigative technique involves sending a small amount of cryptocurrency to the wallet to observe where it moves next. “This is a very simple tactic among many that we utilize when we want to be able to intercept criminal network crypto assets,” he said, adding that similar methods have proven effective in past cases.

He also challenged the widespread belief that cryptocurrency transactions cannot be tracked. “Most people still, in 2026, do not believe you can trace crypto. And a lot of people in 2026 still believe you cannot recover crypto,” Raviv said. “And these are all nonsense ideas because we have shifted so much.”

According to Raviv, even a single transaction can yield data useful to investigators, as blockchain forensics focuses on tracing the digital trail created with every transfer. He suggested that criminals often rely on gaps in law enforcement expertise, saying better training in blockchain analysis is needed.

Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of Savannah Guthrie, was last seen on the evening of January 31 and was reported missing the following day. Authorities have confirmed she was forced from her Tucson-area home, which is being treated as a crime scene, and a DNA test identified blood found outside the property as hers.

Raviv said he remains hopeful for her safe return, stating, “I do hope that she will be able to come back to her family and loved ones and this nightmare should be over with.”