FBI investigating legitimacy of Nancy Guthrie ransom notes

Key Points:

• Investigators remain uncertain about the identity behind ransom notes linked to Nancy Guthrie's kidnapping five months after the incident, with the FBI and local authorities still actively investigating the case as a kidnapping for ransom.
• Two ransom notes sent within the first week of Guthrie's disappearance are considered likely legitimate, containing specific details about her home, including the placement of her Apple Watch and a broken floodlight, and demanding millions in bitcoin.
• Numerous other ransom notes have been received, many deemed extortion attempts without legitimacy, including one from a California man, Derrick Callella, who was federally charged for sending a fake ransom note and has pleaded not guilty.
• TMZ founder Harvey Levin received multiple ransom-related messages and shared them with the FBI, who reportedly believe the sender might be female; however, the FBI has asked TMZ not to pursue a documentary plan to trace bitcoin payments as they are close to identifying the sender.
• The FBI continues to assist the Pima County Sheriff's Department with digital forensic work on the ransom notes, but no confirmed contact or resolution has yet been announced regarding Nancy Guthrie's whereabouts or the ransom demands.