The case of Nancy Guthrie has captured the attention of the nation in ways both good and bad.
Some people are sick and tired of hearing about it, while others are outraged that an elderly woman could be taken from her home in this manner.
Trump had already vowed to use every resource available, but now he is sending an ominous message to her captors and/or killers.
I am going to assume most of you know the early details of the case due to the media saturation of it, so I am going to fast-forward to some of the latest developments.
Police had been looking at several family members, some of them a bit harder than others.
This week, it was announced that all family members had been cleared by local authorities.
Authorities, in clearing the family, stated, "To suggest otherwise is not only wrong, it is cruel. The Guthrie family are victims plain and simple."
TMZ has been the magnet for ransom notes, and it just received another one, but this time from an alleged witness.
The sender wanted one bitcoin, currently worth more than $60,000, writing, “I know what I saw five days ago south of the border, and I was told to shut up, so I know who he is, and that was definitely Nancy with them.”
If the letter is verified, which it is not at this time, it would provide the first proof of life of Guthrie since she was taken.
TMZ responded to the letter that if the information was forwarded and if it led to the recovery of Guthrie, that person would be noted as the provider of the information, therefore, eligible to receive the reward offered by the government.
Trump has already offered all government resources, but now he is putting something else on the table for the kidnappers.
Trump said there will be “very, very severe — the most severe” consequences if Guthrie is found dead.
When Trump was asked to clarify if that meant the death penalty, he responded, “The most, yeah — that’s true.”
My contacts in the FBI have already told the media they don’t believe this started as a kidnapping for money, but it has evolved in that direction due to the media attention. When I asked them if they thought that Guthrie was still alive, while they are hopeful, they said the chances are unlikely, considering their original premise of the crime. If that is true, we are about to see a manhunt like nothing we have ever seen.
