California Man Pleads Guilty to Sending Fake Ransom Notes in Nancy Guthrie Case
The investigation into the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie — the 84-year-old mother of TODAY host Savannah Guthrie — took a new turn this week as a California man pleaded guilty to sending fraudulent ransom demands to her family while she was missing.
Derrick Callella, 42, of Hawthorne, California, pleaded guilty Thursday to two counts of harassment using a telecommunication device. Federal prosecutors said Callella admitted to calling and texting Nancy Guthrie's family on February 4, demanding a bitcoin transfer — and knowing at the time that an earlier ransom demand had already been made in the case.
"Callella also admitted that his actions were meant to harass the family by seeking information about the investigation into the missing person's disappearance," the US Attorney's Office for the District of Arizona said in a statement.
He faces up to two years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both, plus one year of supervised release. Sentencing is scheduled for September 10.
Where the Investigation Actually Stands
Nancy Guthrie was abducted from her Tucson, Arizona home in the early morning hours of February 1. She was last seen at approximately 9:30 p.m. the night before and reported missing the next day after she failed to appear for a virtual church service. Five months later, no official suspects have been identified in her disappearance.
The FBI's Phoenix office addressed the ransom note situation directly this week, confirming there have been "several ransom notes" throughout the investigation. Some have been ruled out as extortion attempts with no legitimacy. Others, the FBI said, "may potentially be legitimate and are still being investigated as such."
That distinction matters. Callella's guilty plea accounts for the two notes sent on February 4 — which investigators determined came from the same sender. The first of those was sent to a celebrity news outlet demanding millions in cryptocurrency. The second claimed Nancy had died shortly after being abducted. Both have now been definitively connected to Callella and ruled out as legitimate leads.
But the FBI's statement makes clear that not every ransom communication in this case has been dismissed. A more recent note claiming to know the identities of Nancy's kidnappers is still being evaluated, and the case continues to be investigated as a kidnapping for ransom.
Five Months and No Answers
The timeline of Nancy Guthrie's disappearance remains deeply troubling for the family and investigators alike. In May, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said investigators were waiting on potential breakthroughs from DNA testing while continuing to analyze digital evidence in hopes of generating new leads. That update suggested the investigation was still active but slow-moving, relying on forensic evidence rather than witness accounts or surveillance footage that might provide faster resolution.
Savannah Guthrie has remained largely private about the ongoing investigation, continuing to anchor TODAY while her mother's case remains unsolved. The guilty plea from Callella closes one thread — the fraudulent ransom demands — but the central question of who abducted Nancy Guthrie and where she is remains completely unanswered.
The FBI is asking anyone with information to contact the Phoenix field office. The case remains open.
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