Evidence Evidence - Ransom Notes

[Ghostwheel]

Thread for discussion of the Ransom notes. Are they really connected, something non related and tacked on by an opportunist, possible contents ( within reason)

• Note 1 - Feb 2 5:00 PM Monday $4 million in bitcoin due Thursday, Feb. 5 if not then$6 million by Monday, Feb. 9 Ransom Note 1
• Note 2 - Feb 6 11:45 a.m. Friday Message. No new demands .Note 2
• Note 3 - Feb. 11, demanding 1 Bitcoin (About $66,000 at the time) for the name of the kidnapper 1 Bitcoin Note
• Note 4 - Feb. 16, claiming Nancy Guthrie was in Mexico, similar to the $6 million ransom demand, graphically describing the consequences if the ransom isn't paid NG in Mexico

 

[Jenesaisquoi]

Wasn’t there supposed to have been 300 USD paid to the ransom note 1 account at some point?

 

[Eli9]

Wasn’t there supposed to have been 300 USD paid to the ransom note 1 account at some point?

Yes, a deposit was made "less than" 300$. As I understood it at the time it was to make sure the account from, IMO, fake ransomer was open and could accept a deposit.

Bitcoin transferred into account associated with Nancy Guthrie ransom

The bitcoin account associated with Nancy Guthrie’s expired ransom began showing activity Tuesday evening.

nypost.com

About $152 worth of bitcoin appeared in the account’s publicly viewable logs — with the funds arriving after a single transaction was made.

That cash value came from .0022 bitcoin deposited in the account.

 

[justtrish]

Wasn’t there supposed to have been 300 USD paid to the ransom note 1 account at some point?

Yes! The same day that deposit was made, we saw the first activity with the search warrant on the first man about an hour from Tucson.

https://people.com/activity-observed-in-bitcoin-account-connected-to-nancy-guthrie-ransom-note-11904191

 

[missy1974]

Wasn’t there supposed to have been 300 USD paid to the ransom note 1 account at some point?

It was for $151.70 and it was made on Feb 10th around 7pm EST

The note also referenced two specific details inside the Guthrie home: a white smartwatch at the foot of a bed and a white backyard floodlight that the sender claimed was destroyed.

I cannot link the article, but if you google the above, you should find it.

I think they (FBI or family) put the money in, just to see if whoever owns the accounts bites and tries to move it. Hoping for an error and they can track them down.

 

[Ghostwheel]

I can't find whatever article @missy1974 references, but this one says approx $152 worth of bitcoin.
"That cash value came from .0022 bitcoin deposited in the account"

Bitcoin transferred into account associated with Nancy Guthrie ransom

The bitcoin account associated with Nancy Guthrie’s expired ransom began showing activity Tuesday evening.

nypost.com

 

[Vaderman]

I'm still fairly confident that the ransom letters were likely from highly skilled, unconnected, gross opportunists. Probably outside of the U.S. JMO

 

[missy1974]

I'm still fairly confident that the ransom letters were likely from highly skilled, unconnected, gross opportunists. Probably outside of the U.S. JMO

how do you think they knew about the watch and floodlight then?

There must have been something about those ransom notes (the 1st/2nd ones), that made the FBI and family believe they could be real. No way would the family have made those videos if they didn't.

 

[Vaderman]

how do you think they knew about the watch and floodlight then?

There must have been something about those ransom notes (the 1st/2nd ones), that made the FBI and family believe they could be real. No way would the family have made those videos if they didn't.

I could be remembering wrong, but at the very least, I swear I remember them talking about the Apple Watch almost immediately after the news broke.

The press conference that included the FBI agent made me feel as though they didn't believe the ransom letters were legitimate.

The family may have believed the letters were real, to be sure.

 

[missy1974]

I could be remembering wrong, but at the very least, I swear I remember them talking about the Apple Watch almost immediately after the news broke.

The press conference that included the FBI agent made me feel as though they didn't believe the ransom letters were legitimate.

The family may have believed the letters were real, to be sure.

The watch may have been mentioned, but not the specific location of where it would be found (which we actually don't know if that is where they found it though)

Plus... we actually don't know if anyone else got the note before the new stations.

The media really didn't start covering heavily until the Tuesday.

Here is the link to TMZ talking about it on Feb 3rd.

Alleged Ransom Note for Nancy Guthrie Kidnapping Demands Millions in Bitcoin

Another scary twist in the disappearance of "TODAY" host Savannah Guthrie's kidnapped mother ... TMZ has received an alleged ransom note demanding payment for the release of Nancy Guthrie.

www.tmz.com

 

[Ghostwheel]

Speaking of the watch, might the Ransom notes have stated something along the lines that "the watch is not in its normal location"? If there was an apparent struggle (which iirc was announced before the Ransom notes), what are the chances an apple watch would be where anyone thought it should be? The Ransom note writers might have taken a guess and had a 70 % chance of being right in that case. (Watch not on her wrist, watch not on the nightstand , watch not on the charger, all fit under not a normal location). For me, any altercation near my bed would 90% result in my phone not being in its normal place. (I have no Apple watch, so if one turned up, THAT would be weird)

I'm just wondering if it might have been broad (ex: not in its normal place) as opposed to specific (ex: at the end if the bed in a green basket with some folded clothes )

There are so many other people that could be ransomed for bitcoin, whatever, why an 84 year old? I am also of the mind opportunists at this time.

 

[rebel123]

Sending a ransom note to TMZ, let me think.............................., still thinking....................., no. I suppose they passed them to law enforcement quietly, without comment.

 

[TexLil]

Thread for discussion of the Ransom notes. Are they really connected, something non related and tacked on by an opportunist, possible contents ( within reason)

• Note 1 - Feb 2 5:00 PM Monday $4 million in bitcoin due Thursday, Feb. 5 if not then$6 million by Monday, Feb. 9 Ransom Note 1
• Note 2 - Feb 6 11:45 a.m. Friday Message. No new demands .Note 2
• Note 3 - Feb. 11, demanding 1 Bitcoin (About $66,000 at the time) for the name of the kidnapper 1 Bitcoin Note
• Note 4 - Feb. 16, claiming Nancy Guthrie was in Mexico, similar to the $6 million ransom demand, graphically describing the consequences if the ransom isn't paid NG in Mexico

I'm thinking, given the number of days that have passed since the last note (compared to previous frequency), that there won't be any further notes. I suppose it's possible there is private communications going on, but I'm doubtful. I pray those behind all aspects of this horrendous crime are identified, caught and brought to justice. MOO

 

[wibbleflea]

Speaking of the watch, might the Ransom notes have stated something along the lines that "the watch is not in its normal location"? If there was an apparent struggle (which iirc was announced before the Ransom notes), what are the chances an apple watch would be where anyone thought it should be? The Ransom note writers might have taken a guess and had a 70 % chance of being right in that case. (Watch not on her wrist, watch not on the nightstand , watch not on the charger, all fit under not a normal location). For me, any altercation near my bed would 90% result in my phone not being in its normal place. (I have no Apple watch, so if one turned up, THAT would be weird)

I'm just wondering if it might have been broad (ex: not in its normal place) as opposed to specific (ex: at the end if the bed in a green basket with some folded clothes )

There are so many other people that could be ransomed for bitcoin, whatever, why an 84 year old? I am also of the mind opportunists at this time.

Levin (who read the note) was clear that it mentioned a specific, non-obvious location for the watch, which Levin didn’t reveal. And it mentioned that the rear floodlights were “destroyed”. It’s possible that both details were leaked, but it’s those two details (and specifically the named location of the watch) that Levin says interested the FBI.

Interview of Levin by Chris Cuomo. Worth watching.

The network that later revealed the specific location of the watch given in the ransom note is Newsmax. (I posted the article in the main thread but it was deleted – not an approved source – so I won’t link to it here.) I heard about the article because Mike King mentioned it directly in one of his YouTube analyses of the case. King writes for Newsmax (which I’d never heard of before he mentioned it) and appeared on a Websleuths video with Tricia last week.