A chilling hoax has been laid bare as a California man pleaded guilty to sending a fake ransom note to the family of Nancy Guthrie, the elderly mother of American television host Savannah Guthrie. Derrick Callella's actions have left investigators baffled, but also grateful that his deceit did not lead to further distress for the family already reeling from her disappearance.
Nancy Guthrie was last seen on 31 January at her home outside Tucson, Arizona. A thorough search of the residence by investigators revealed that her mobile phone, medication, and other personal items were still inside, along with disturbing drops of blood near the porch, raising urgent concerns for her safety. The disappearance drew significant media attention in the United States, partly due to Savannah Guthrie's high public profile.
According to court documents, Callella, a resident of Hawthorne in the greater Los Angeles area, was monitoring the case on television after Nancy Guthrie went missing. Following the family's heartfelt plea for her abductors to contact them on 4 February, Callella obtained the phone numbers of Nancy's daughter, Annie Guthrie, and her son-in-law, Tommaso Cioni. He then sent them text messages inquiring, "Did you get the bitcoin were waiting on our end for the transaction."
Law enforcement officials successfully traced an email address registered under Callella's name to a phone number linked to the hoax texts. Federal authorities made it clear that Callella's actions were an attempt to gain information about the ongoing investigation into Nancy Guthrie's disappearance, and had no connection to a separate ransom demand received by Kold, a CBS affiliate in Tucson, which included a Bitcoin wallet address.
The FBI continues to investigate other potential extortion notes related to Nancy Guthrie's disappearance. Callella now faces a potential sentence of up to two years in prison or a fine of up to $250,000 (approximately GBP 196,000) following his guilty plea. His sentencing is scheduled for 10 September.