Christa Pike + Nancy Guthrie + Lindsay Clancy: What Went Wrong

SPEAKER_1 (0:02)

This is Hidden Killers Live with Tony Brueski and Robin Drake.

Tony Brueski (0:09)

The kidnapping of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie has taken another terrifying turn. For months, we followed the search, but now the people investigating and commenting on this case are also apparently being targeted by extortionists. Do they have anything to do with Nancy? Probably not, but they're out there and they know things. They probably shouldn't. We've heard about Nancy's friend Lauren Serpa receiving a ransom demand. We've heard about the ransom demands to TMZ, to K-Gun and other channels, but the chilling reality is the psychological terrorism is starting to hit much closer to home. Today, Jennifer Coffindaffer, or I'm Jennifer Coffindaffer, personally targeted by one of those fine ransom notes. We're going to walk through exactly what happened with her note, the disturbing details, the scammers knew it. How it changes the psychological landscape of this investigation.

Jen, let's talk. It's going all the way back to April. We talked about this off the air back then, but you're talking about it now. So fill us in.

How did this come about? What was your first interaction with something or someone that seemed to be claiming that they had something about Nancy Guthrie that they wanted to give you, if you gave them a little something?

Jennifer Coffindaffer (1:35)

Yeah, you know, I'll never forget this happening. And it was really bothersome. I was actually out of town and I started getting an email or I got an email to my personal email address that basically no one knows. Other than personal, you know, people I know personally. So that was odd. I opened it up and it addressed me by my full name, which I also haven't used for 30 years.

Tony Brueski (2:01)

Yeah.

Jennifer Coffindaffer (2:02)

So that was kind of odd. And it starts out with biblical verses and so on and so forth, essentially saying, we have Nancy, you can help and asking for Bitcoin and then giving a photograph.

And so, you know, as an investigator, my first thing was to look at that photograph.

Tony Brueski (2:25)

What was the photograph of?

Jennifer Coffindaffer (2:27)

It was a AI version of a shaved, dirty, obviously hurt Nancy.

Tony Brueski (2:37)

Okay.

Jennifer Coffindaffer (2:39)

And so when that came through, it was apparently clear to me that it was AI, I believed.

But I wanted to see where else I could find it. I thought, have they been doing this to anyone else? Where is this floating around? I couldn't find it anywhere. So I knew it was an original. And of course, you know, the first thing I did was contact the Bureau, and I could receive several messages, not just one, emails. And I forwarded all of those to the Bureau. Of course, I spoke with an agent.

And they're investigating it, you know, as an extortion, you know, specifically these scammers that are likely out of the country and that are trying to get somebody to pay them a big money. And I believe the reason, and then I also spoke with people in the media, both mainstream media and some in social media, off air, I didn't want anybody to know about it because I didn't, these things are not about the individuals, especially if you know they're being investigated, right? And I was afraid if I came out then, it would blow up as it has blown up.

But it's important for it to blow up now because now a civilian, not in law enforcement ever, has just been targeted, SERPA.

And then you have to wonder, are they going to target anyone else? So now it's about, you have to get it out there. Because people need to know about this, that this is not legitimate because so many people care about this case. And they may care so deeply that they may want to believe it and believe it and think they're doing something good. So it was important to come out at this point. When I saw the picture she posted on Facebook, it was exactly the pictures that I had been sent. And so I knew it was the same person at that point, contacted her. We compared Bitcoin address, same Bitcoin address. So same scammer targeting somebody who, she's been very involved in the case, you know, living over there, you know. And then me, I remember I was pushing hard for Pickle the Wire.

Tony Brueski (5:07)

Yes.

Jennifer Coffindaffer (5:08)

And I think that that's why they thought, oh, maybe she'll tickle the wire this way.

Tony Brueski (5:12)

Yeah.

How did you know it was AI? Was it obviously AI like right away when you looked at the photo? I mean, I know you forwarded on to the FBI and I'm sure they looked at it as well. But like, can you tell us what was the tip off to you that you knew that this was bogus?