Nancy Guthrie Update: Man Who Sent Fake Ransom Notes After Disappearance Ordered Inpatient Treatment
A federal judge has ordered the California man who admitted sending fake ransom messages to the family of missing Arizona woman Nancy Guthrie into inpatient substance abuse treatment while he awaits sentencing, marking the latest legal development in a case that remains one of the country’s highest-profile missing persons investigations.
The order applies to Derrick Anthony Callella, 42, of Hawthorne, California, who pleaded guilty earlier this month to two felony counts of harassment by telecommunications device after admitting he posed as one of Guthrie’s kidnappers and sent fraudulent ransom communications to her family.
His sentencing remains scheduled for Sept. 10, when the court will determine his final punishment.
Hoax messages became the first criminal case tied to the disappearance
While Callella’s guilty plea resulted in the first criminal conviction connected to the investigation, authorities stress that it does not solve Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance.
The 84-year-old Tucson woman, mother of NBC Today co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, vanished from her home in late January, and investigators continue to treat the case as an active kidnapping investigation.
Blood belonging to Guthrie was found at her residence, and surveillance footage previously released by investigators showed a masked individual near her home before she disappeared.
No suspect has been arrested in connection with the disappearance itself.
According to federal court records, the judge ordered Callella to complete inpatient substance abuse treatment before sentencing after reviewing his circumstances.
The treatment order does not alter his guilty plea or the pending sentencing date.
Fake ransom messages diverted investigators
Federal prosecutors said Callella falsely contacted members of the Guthrie family while pretending to be involved in Nancy Guthrie’s kidnapping.
The communications referenced existing ransom demands and sought information about the investigation, creating additional distress for a family already searching for answers.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office previously said Callella’s plea agreement recommends five years of probation, although the sentencing judge is not required to follow that recommendation.
The charges carry a statutory maximum penalty of two years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
FBI says investigation remains active
The case has also been complicated by multiple ransom communications sent to media outlets and investigators.
After earlier reports suggested every ransom note had been ruled fake, the FBI clarified that some messages have been identified as illegitimate extortion attempts, while others are still being investigated as potentially legitimate.
Officials emphasized that the disappearance continues to be investigated as a kidnapping-for-ransom case.
“The FBI and its task force partners have received several ransom notes over the course of this investigation,” the bureau said in a statement. “Some have been deemed to be extortion attempts without legitimacy. Other ransom demands may potentially be legitimate and are still being investigated as such. This case continues to be investigated as a kidnapping for ransom case.”
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has likewise urged the public not to assume every widely reported ransom message is authentic or fraudulent, saying investigators continue to evaluate each lead alongside the FBI.
Despite Callella’s conviction, investigators have not identified who is responsible for Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance, and authorities continue to ask anyone with credible information to come forward.
The Guthrie family has also offered a $1 million reward for information leading to her safe return or helping resolve the case.
