Derrick Callella pleads guilty to fake Nancy Guthrie ransom

Derrick Callella, a Hawthorne, California man, pleaded guilty on July 2, 2026, to making a fake ransom demand in the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, mother of "Today" show host Savannah Guthrie. Federal prosecutors say he sent two text messages and a phone call to her family shortly after she vanished, pleading guilty to two counts of telephonic harassment. His plea deal calls for five years of probation on each count, served concurrently, with sentencing set for September. Nancy Guthrie's abduction remains unsolved five months later.

Key Takeaways

• Derrick Callella pleaded guilty to two counts of telephonic harassment for contacting the Guthrie family with a fake ransom demand.
• His plea deal calls for five years of probation on each count, served at the same time, with sentencing scheduled for September.
• Callella has been ordered into residential drug treatment while awaiting formal sentencing.
• The FBI says some ransom notes tied to the case are extortion attempts, while others may still be legitimate.
• Nancy Guthrie, 84, has been missing since Feb. 1 from her Tucson-area home; authorities have not solved her disappearance.

What did Derrick Callella plead guilty to?

Derrick Callella, a Los Angeles County resident from Hawthorne, entered his guilty plea in Tucson federal court on July 2, according to ABC7 Los Angeles. He faced two counts of telephonic harassment connected to a bogus ransom demand sent to Nancy Guthrie's relatives.

Federal prosecutors said Callella sent the Guthrie family two text messages and made a phone call shortly after Savannah Guthrie's mother disappeared. Prosecutors characterized the demand as fake.

Under his plea agreement, Callella faces five years of probation on each count, to be served concurrently. He is due back in court for sentencing in September and has been ordered into residential drug treatment in the meantime.

Why does the guilty plea matter for the Guthrie case?

Fake ransom contacts can derail a high-profile missing-person investigation by flooding investigators with bad leads and deepening a family's trauma. Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos told KOLD that every tip in the Nancy Guthrie case must be handled with great care, even as detectives sort credible evidence from noise.

Savannah Guthrie told KOLD that five months after her mother's disappearance, "there is not a moment that goes by that we aren't actively trying to find our mom." Prosecutors securing a guilty plea against Callella removes one known hoax from the pile, but it does not answer where Nancy Guthrie is or who took her.

For readers following other unresolved cases, our True Crime & Unsolved Mysteries coverage tracks similar developments as they break.

What is the status of Nancy Guthrie's disappearance?

Nancy Guthrie, 84, was reported missing from her Tucson-area home on Feb. 1. Authorities believe she was kidnapped, abducted, or otherwise taken against her will. Blood was found near the front doorstep of her home, and the FBI later released surveillance video showing a masked stranger on her porch that night.

Five months on, the investigation remains active. Sheriff Nanos told KOLD that leads are still coming in and evidence is still under review. Savannah Guthrie thanked the FBI and Pima County Sheriff's Office for their work and asked the Tucson community to keep holding her mother in their hearts.

Are other ransom notes in the case still being investigated?

Yes. The FBI said Wednesday that while some ransom notes sent after Nancy Guthrie's disappearance have been discounted as extortion attempts, the agency is still evaluating others that might be legitimate. The FBI did not specify how many notes have been received, other than saying "several."

Tucson TV station KOLD has said it received two notes, one demanding millions in Bitcoin in exchange for Guthrie's return and another indicating she had died. TMZ also received a note. The Pima County Sheriff's Department declined to comment on the notes but said it is taking every tip seriously.

"This case continues to be investigated as a kidnapping for ransom case," the FBI said in a statement. Local authorities remain the lead agency, with the FBI offering technical assistance. Five months after she vanished, Nancy Guthrie's disappearance remains unsolved.