California man pleads guilty to fake ransom notes in Nancy Guthrie kidnapping

Nancy Guthrie, 84, the mother of NBC’s Savannah Guthrie, vanished from her Tucson home on Jan. 31. The FBI continues to treat the disappearance as a kidnapping‑for‑ransom case, despite deeming several ransom‑note messages received after her disappearance as extortion attempts without legitimacy.

Derrick Callella, a 42‑year‑old resident of Hawthorne, California, pleaded guilty in federal court to two counts of harassment by a telecommunications device for sending fake ransom notes that impersonated the kidnapper. In his plea, Callella admitted contacting Savannah Guthrie’s family on Feb. 4 to inquire about a Bitcoin transfer and acknowledged that he knew an earlier ransom demand had been made. The plea agreement calls for five years of probation, with sentencing set for Sept. 10, and represents the only criminal conviction in the case to date.

The FBI reiterated that the investigation remains active, noting that while some ransom notes have been identified as fraudulent, other demands could still be legitimate and are being pursued. Authorities continue to seek information to locate Nancy Guthrie.