Savannah Guthrie’s 84-year-old mother may have been targeted in a chilling kidnapping plot tied to organized border-crossing criminals and Mexican cartels, according to a new report.
Nancy Guthrie vanished from her home outside Tucson, Arizona, on Feb. 1, and investigators have been chasing a terrifying theory ever since: that the Today host’s frail mother was snatched as part of a ruthless extortion scheme aimed at wealthy American families.
According to RadarOnline, the case may fit the pattern of a so-called “wrench attack,” a brutal crime tactic in which kidnappers use threats, violence or abduction to force victims or their families to hand over cryptocurrency.
Private investigator Jason Jensen told the outlet that Nancy’s kidnapping may have been carried out by cross-border criminals with cartel backing.
“Cross-border kidnapping has been increasing in Texas, Arizona and New Mexico. It’s a modern version of border raids,” Jensen said. “Savannah Guthrie’s mom lived very close to the border, and everybody knew that Savannah’s mother lived [near] Tucson.”
He added, “It’s likely someone from the cartel thought it would be a great idea to kidnap Savannah’s mother.”
The ransom demands were as cold as they were brazen.
After Nancy disappeared, chilling notes were reportedly sent to several media outlets demanding $4 million in Bitcoin by Feb. 5. When that deadline passed, the demand allegedly jumped to $6 million, with a menacing “or else” warning attached.
Investigators attempted to outsmart the kidnappers by sending $152 to the specified Bitcoin wallet in a maneuver known as “tickling the wire,” hoping the small payment would help them trace the crypto accounts. But the suspects did not take the bait.
The situation later took an even darker turn when the kidnappers allegedly sent an “apology” and demanded $4 million for the return of Nancy’s body.
In May, investigators acted on a tip that Nancy had been buried in a shallow grave. A Mexican volunteer group searched a remote area near Nogales, Mexico, about 70 miles south of Tucson, but no remains were found.
The disturbing case comes as experts warn that cryptocurrency-related abductions are on the rise.
A 2026 report from the crypto security firm CertiK said there has been a 41 percent increase in “wrench attacks.” The term comes from a comic that showed criminals using a wrench to beat a password out of a victim.
CertiK’s report identified Nancy Guthrie as a “proxy target,” meaning she may have been targeted because of her famous daughter and her family’s perceived wealth.
The report also stated that estimated losses across all demand types, including failed demands, ransom payments, frozen funds and recovered funds, reached about $101 million over four months.
For Savannah, the nightmare remains deeply personal.
The Today anchor recently made an emotional plea on-air, begging anyone with information to come forward after another note was reportedly sent to media outlets suggesting her mother had died.
“Somebody knows something,” Savannah said through tears.
Nancy Guthrie’s whereabouts remain unknown, and the case has left investigators, loved ones and viewers across the country asking the same haunting question: who took Savannah Guthrie’s mother, and why?
