A 42-year-old California resident has pleaded guilty to harassing the family of a television personality with fake ransom demands related to the disappearance of her 84-year-old mother. The resident, Derrick Callella, admitted to targeting the family with phony demands, which were tied to the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, the mother of NBC "Today" show co-host Savannah Guthrie. Callella faces up to two years in prison and a $250,000 fine when sentenced. He pleaded guilty to two counts of harassment using a telecommunications device.
Callella's actions began on February 4, 2026, when he called and sent text messages to members of the Guthrie family, shortly after Nancy Guthrie vanished from her Tucson-area home. He obtained the phone numbers of Annie Guthrie and Tommaso Cioni and used them to make the harassing contacts. The messages referenced an earlier ransom demand and pressed for information about a Bitcoin transaction. One text message read: "Did you get the bitcoin were waiting on our end for the transaction."
Callella admitted that he knew a prior ransom demand had already been made, and his actions were intended to harass the family and gather information about the ongoing investigation into Nancy's disappearance. However, investigators have since determined that multiple ransom communications in the case were fake or extortion attempts by individuals seeking to exploit the family. Callella's hoax is one example of these attempts.
Nancy Guthrie disappeared from her Arizona home on January 31, and despite months of investigation, she has not been found. Investigators have recovered blood at the residence and surveillance footage allegedly showed a masked individual near the home shortly before she vanished. The guilty plea comes as investigators continue to evaluate other extortion-related communications as part of their ongoing investigation.
The FBI has indicated that several widely publicized ransom communications connected to the case have been deemed fraudulent. All three kidnapping-related messages that have surfaced in the case have been deemed inauthentic by federal investigators. This raises doubts about investigators' fundamental premise that Nancy Guthrie was abducted for ransom to begin with. The family continues to suffer as Nancy Guthrie remains missing after more than five months, and the real perpetrators remain at large.
The investigation into Nancy Guthrie's disappearance is ongoing, and the FBI is continuing to evaluate other extortion-related communications. The guilty plea of Derrick Callella is a significant development in the case, but it does not bring closure to the family. The family and investigators are still seeking answers about what happened to Nancy Guthrie and are working to bring those responsible to justice.
