Federal and local authorities have been investigating the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, who was last seen at her Arizona home on Jan. 31, 2026, around 9:45 p.m. Photo courtesy Pima County Sheriff's Department/UPI
July 3 (UPI) -- A California man has pleaded guilty to sending phony ransom requests to the family of Nancy Guthrie, the mother of Today host Savannah Guthrie, who has been missing for five months, federal prosecutors said.
Authorities have been investigating the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie as a kidnapping and ransom scheme since she was reported missing from her Arizona home on Feb. 1.
In his plea deal, announced Thursday, 42-year-old Derrick Callella of Hawthorne, Calif., admitted to calling and texting a demand for a bitcoin transfer to a member of Nancy Guthrie's family on Feb. 4, while acknowledging that he knew there had been an earlier ransom demand.
He also admitted that he meant to harass the family by seeking information about the 84-year-old woman and the investigation into her disappearance.
