The Pima County Sheriff's Department has responded to claims that Nancy Guthrie’s kidnapping may have been a wrench attack. Multiple experts have come up with the wrench attack theory as the search for Savannah Guthrie’s missing mother continues.
A "wrench attack" (also known as a $5 wrench attack or rubber-hose cryptanalysis) is a physical assault or kidnapping where the suspects use violence or coercion to force cryptocurrency holders to disclose their private keys, passwords, or seed phrases.
In a statement cited by Fox News, a Pima County Sheriff's Department spokesperson said, “The Pima County Sheriff's Department has not received any reports referencing "wrench attacks" in our community. The investigation into Nancy Guthrie's disappearance remains active and ongoing. When there is a significant update, it will be shared publicly.”
The wrench attack theory
Former FBI agent Jennifer Coffindaffer wondered in a social media post if a “Wrench Ring” is connected to Nancy’s case.
Coffindaffer said, “Did you know 2 teens from California committed a similar crime in Scottdale on 1/31/26? They wanted crypto, didn't know each other before the crime, and purportedly were directed by "Red" and "8" as to their target and provided the seed money. No, these teens aren't related to Nancy’s crime, but is a Wrench Ring connected? This is what makes sense. Remember, LE knew early on this was a kidnapping for ransom. They have said this and so has Savannah.”
{{/usCountry}}Coffindaffer said, “Did you know 2 teens from California committed a similar crime in Scottdale on 1/31/26? They wanted crypto, didn't know each other before the crime, and purportedly were directed by "Red" and "8" as to their target and provided the seed money. No, these teens aren't related to Nancy’s crime, but is a Wrench Ring connected? This is what makes sense. Remember, LE knew early on this was a kidnapping for ransom. They have said this and so has Savannah.”
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A similar theory was also suggested by Lisa J Miller, a former law enforcement executive at the Colorado Attorney General's Office and a graduate of the FBI National Academy. She told Fox News Digital that the kidnapping bears hallmarks of a wrench attack.
Miller also noted, however, that Nancy’s case is not a “typical wrench attack.”
“In the beginning of this Nancy Guthrie case, we're all taking a look at it, and we're seeing things that just didn't seem to fit,” she said. “What we're seeing with Nancy Guthrie is not a typical wrench attack.”
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Miller went on to say that the man who was caught on surveillance camera, now widely known as the Porch Guy, exhibited the behavior of a street-level operative rather than a sophisticated planner.
"The street level thug theory fits with what we’re seeing in the Guthrie case, because when the FBI released the pictures of this Porch Guy, and I’ve 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… yet there’s some very sophisticated elements to this case that again falls in line with what we see in a traditional wrench attack.”
Miller believes that the Porch Guy’s visible clumsiness on camera is consistent with a hired local thug. She said it appears as though someone far more technically capable orchestrated the crime, and may be operating from a country with no extradition treaty with the US.
No suspects have been identified in Nancy’s disappearance.