Key facts
- Derrick Callella pleaded guilty to harassment charges for sending fake ransom notes related to Nancy Guthrie's disappearance.
- Nancy Guthrie, 84, mother of 'Today' show co-host Savannah Guthrie, has been missing since January 31.
- The FBI is treating the case as a kidnapping for ransom, despite deeming some notes not credible.
- Callella admitted his actions were meant to harass the family by seeking information about the investigation.
- Guthrie left behind essential items like her wallet, cellphone, hearing aid, and medication.
A man from the Los Angeles area has pleaded guilty to federal harassment charges for sending fake ransom notes while posing as a kidnapper of Nancy Guthrie, the elderly mother of 'Today' show co-host Savannah Guthrie. Derrick Callella, 42, admitted to calling and texting Guthrie's family on February 4, inquiring about a bitcoin transfer and acknowledging that he knew an earlier ransom demand had been made.
Callella's plea to two counts of harassment by telecommunications device, entered in U.S. District Court in Tucson, Arizona, is the only criminal conviction to date stemming from the disappearance of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie. She was last seen at her home on January 31 and vanished, leaving behind essential items like her wallet, cellphone, hearing aid, and medication. Blood found on her front porch was confirmed by DNA tests to be hers.
The FBI continues to investigate the disappearance as a kidnapping for ransom case. The agency has stated that while several ransom notes have been received, some were deemed extortion attempts without legitimacy, while others are still being treated as potentially genuine. The plea agreement calls for Callella to serve five years on probation, with sentencing set for September 10. The fate of Nancy Guthrie remains unknown.