Sheriff Flags Report Linking Nancy Guthrie Case to 34 Crypto 'Wrench Attacks'

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jun 16

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said he flagged a Certik report on crypto-linked "wrench attacks" to investigators in the still-open disappearance of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie.
The report documented 34 such attacks in the first four months of 2026, up 41% from a year earlier, and cited Guthrie's case as possible "proxy target selection" with an early $6 million crypto ransom demand.
Law enforcement has not publicly classified the Feb. 1 suspected abduction in Arizona as a wrench attack, and the sheriff's office said in May it had received no such reports in the community.
Experts say these crimes often involve overseas planners using social media and other open-source data to identify wealthy targets or more accessible relatives, then hiring local abductors to apply violent pressure.