TMZ did not respond to a request for a copy of the letters. In a note to Fortune, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department declined to share any further information about the case or about the letters.
The people writing notes demanding Bitcoin payments have not given proof that Nancy Guthrie is alive, and authorities have not said that these ransom letters are from her actual captors.
Criminals would seek payments in Bitcoin in part because the transactions are instantaneous. If the Guthrie family were to make a ransom payment, they would likely have to use a crypto exchange to turn their cash into Bitcoin. Then they would have to send that Bitcoin to the address that the alleged captors listed in the ransom letter.
Bitcoin transactions also come with risks for bad actors. The payments are public on the blockchain and could be tracked down by law enforcement. Crypto exchanges could potentially freeze a payment if they suspect criminal activity.
