The reward for information on Nancy Guthrie has increased to $202,500. Matt Finn of Fox News reported that an ‘anonymous’ donation had added $100,000 to the existing FBI reward of $100,000, citing the Pima County Sheriff’s Office.
A person noted below that the anonymous donor was actually Michael Hupy, president of Crime Stoppers Milwaukee.
Hupy was also interviewed about his donation and remarked “I was just kind of appalled that they never enlisted Crime Stoppers help at the beginning or much sooner, and I finally decided if no one else is going to do it, I better do it. They’re sent to a location where they’re paid and no one ever knows their name, and if somebody has a phony tip, they’re not going to get a reward in advance because there has to be an arrest.”
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Hupy is paying this amount out of his own pocket and the award allows people to remain anonymous. Thus, a valid tipster can get the money anonymously. The action has drawn a lot of social media attention towards Michael Hupy.
“It really does take a village!,” one person remarked. Another added “What amazing generosity.”
A later update noted the reward is now reported to be $300,000 as per Michael Ruiz of Fox News. 88-Crime, a Pima County Attorney’s Office program, had reportedly upped their reward to $102,500.
Who is Michael Hupy?
Michael F Hupy is the senior partner in Hupy and Abraham, S.C., which describes itself as a billion dollar law firm. During his career, Hupy has achieved multi-million dollar results for clients including a $22 million award for an injured child.
Through his leadership the firm has donated over $1 million to numerous worthwhile causes, the official page notes.
Hupy was awarded the Certificate of Commendation in 2008 by the governor of Wisconsin for making the ‘community a better place to live’. He has also been AV Preeminent Rated by Martindale-Hubbell for over 20 years, which is the ‘gold standard of lawyer ratings’ as per his firm’s page.
Milwaukee Crime Stoppers, the group Hupy presides over, operates a fully anonymous tip platform which is designed to remove fear and barriers that can often prevent witnesses from coming forward. Historically, anonymous tips have often been critical in cracking cases, and Hupy’s hope is the same with the Guthrie case.
Nancy Guthrie case update
Guthrie was first reported missing on February 1. Authorities believe she was taken from her Catalina Foothills home near Tucson, Arizona, the night before.
While investigations continue, authorities are yet to name any suspects in the case. Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has thus far cleared the Guthrie family members, saying they are not suspects. Guthrie has three children, TODAY show host, Savannah Guthrie and siblings Camron and Annie.
Guthrie had had dinner with Annie the night she disappeared and her son-in-law Tommaso Cioni had reportedly dropped her home, thus becoming the last person to see her before she was taken.