{"id":132889,"date":"2026-05-21T13:49:52","date_gmt":"2026-05-21T17:49:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cablemanpro.com\/wallstreetpr\/nancy-guthrie-case-points-to-criminal-underworld-wrench-attack-theory-retired-detective-says-132889"},"modified":"2026-05-21T13:49:52","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T17:49:52","slug":"nancy-guthrie-case-points-to-criminal-underworld-wrench-attack-theory-retired-detective-says","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cablemanpro.com\/wallstreetpr\/nancy-guthrie-case-points-to-criminal-underworld-wrench-attack-theory-retired-detective-says-132889","title":{"rendered":"Nancy Guthrie case points to criminal underworld ‘wrench attack’ theory, retired detective says"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

The apparent abduction of “Today” co-host Savannah Guthrie<\/a>\u2019s mother is throwing a wrench into assumptions about the tools cybercriminals use, with one expert warning that “mastermind” hackers are swapping keyboards for guns and hired kidnappers.<\/p>\n

In a dangerous trend of “wrench attacks,” they squeeze kidnapping victims or their relatives for cash, said Lisa J. Miller, a retired detective and law enforcement executive at the Colorado Attorney General’s Office.<\/p>\n

The term originated in a 2009 web comic about a frustrated hacker who suggested using a $5 wrench to beat someone until they gave up their password, she said, since trying to crack it was too hard.<\/p>\n

SEND US A TIP HERE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

“In the beginning of this Nancy Guthrie<\/a> case, we\u2019re all taking a look at it, and we\u2019re seeing things that just didn\u2019t seem to fit,” Miller told Fox News Digital. “What we\u2019re seeing with Nancy Guthrie is not a typical wrench attack.”<\/p>\n

In traditional wrench attacks, sophisticated criminals behind computers<\/a> identify potential targets, then recruit local muscle to carry out the violence, she said. The “masterminds” plan out the logistics \u2014 and pay thugs a cut to do the dirty work, which in some European cases has included torturing victims until they give up their passwords, accounts or other targeted information, she said.<\/p>\n

NANCY GUTHRIE WAS ALIVE WHEN ABDUCTED, BLOOD EVIDENCE SHOWS ‘LAST STAND’ ON FRONT PORCH: RETIRED FBI AGENT<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

In Guthrie’s case, Miller said it’s less likely that all of those tactics were employed because the person whose money they were likely seeking was her daughter, “Today” co-host Savannah Guthrie.<\/p>\n

“The street level thug theory fits with what we\u2019re seeing in the Guthrie case, because when the FBI released the pictures<\/a> of this porch guy, and I\u2019ve referred to him from the beginning as ‘porch monster,’ I mean, the guy comes across as a bit of a doofus,” Miller said. “Look at his getup, look at how he carries his firearm\u2026 yet there\u2019s some very sophisticated elements to this case that again falls in line with what we see in a traditional wrench attack.”<\/p>\n

MULTIPLE SUSPECTS ARE POSSIBLE IN NANCY GUTHRIE’S ABDUCTION<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

For one, it’s been more than 100 days since purported ransom notes were sent<\/a> to TMZ and local media, Miller noted, and no one has been arrested in connection with those.<\/p>\n

The Pima County Sheriff’s Department, which is leading the investigation into Guthrie’s suspected kidnapping, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.<\/p>\n

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News outlets’ tip boxes are designed to help journalists get information from people like crime witnesses and whistleblowers without putting their identities at risk \u2014 which makes them useful tools for criminals, too, Miller said.<\/p>\n

At least some of the early demands could have potentially been legitimate, Miller said. For one, Savannah Guthrie said as much in an interview with her “Today” colleague Hoda Kotb in March.<\/p>\n

SAVANNAH GUTHRIE BELIEVES TWO RANSOM NOTES HER FAMILY RESPONDED TO WERE GENUINE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

“I don\u2019t think for a minute, and I\u2019ve said before from the early stages, that the FBI would have put Savannah Guthrie [and] her family through the trauma of recording those videos if they did not believe that there was something real behind these videos,” Miller said.<\/p>\n

At least one man, 42-year-old Derrick Callella of California<\/a>, is accused of making a hoax ransom demand to capitalize on the crime without being involved in Guthrie’s disappearance. He sent the demand using less sophisticated attempts to cover his tracks and was identified and arrested within days.<\/p>\n

LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? FIND MORE ON THE TRUE CRIME HUB<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

The typical mastermind in a wrench attack is operating from overseas, likely in a country without an extradition treaty or where the government would be hostile to cooperating with the FBI, Miller said.<\/p>\n

“They know where to go,” she told Fox News Digital. “They know how to hide their digital tracks<\/a>, and they know where to operate from.”<\/p>\n

FOLLOW THE FOX TRUE CRIME TEAM ON X<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

In some cases where they’ve been arrested, masterminds have been linked to more than one abduction, she said. They’re typically young and computer savvy.<\/p>\n

“Their working knowledge of computers and digital forensics<\/a> is off the charts,” she said.<\/p>\n

Nest doorbell camera video shows a masked man wearing gloves<\/a> on her front steps around the time of her abduction, as well as three weeks earlier, creeping up to the home again. Her back door was also propped open by the time police arrived hours later, prompting questions about whether more than one person was involved.<\/p>\n

There is a combined reward of more than $1.2 million<\/a> for cracking the case. The family is asking anyone with information to dial 1-800-CALL-FBI. Tipsters can remain anonymous by contacting the local Crime Stoppers affiliate, 88-Crime.<\/p>\n

“Hopefully someone will see something, say something and allow the family to get Nancy Guthrie home,” Miller said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Source – https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/us\/nancy-guthrie-case-points-criminal-underworld-wrench-attack-theory-retired-detective-says <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The apparent abduction of “Today” co-host Savannah Guthrie\u2019s mother is throwing a wrench into assumptions about the tools cybercriminals use, with one expert warning that […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"twitter_2902945987_2902945987":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[16563],"tags":[],"stock_ticker":[],"class_list":["post-132889","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-market-news","entry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nNancy Guthrie case points to criminal underworld 'wrench attack' theory, retired detective says - Wall Street PR<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/cablemanpro.com\/wallstreetpr\/nancy-guthrie-case-points-to-criminal-underworld-wrench-attack-theory-retired-detective-says-132889\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Nancy Guthrie case points to criminal underworld 'wrench attack' theory, retired detective says - 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