California man pleads guilty to faking Nancy Guthrie ransom notes
Callum Jones
Featured Image Credit: Don Arnold/WireImage
A Californian man is facing up to two years in prison after pleading guilty to sending Nancy Guthrie’s family ransom notes.
Derrick Callella, 42, pleaded guilty to two counts of harassment by telecommunications device on Thursday (July 2) and could be fined up to $250,000.
However, a plea agreement seems to indicate Callella will serve five years on probation, according to a US Attorney's Office spokesperson.
A formal sentencing hearing will take place on September 10.
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Callella admitted that he called and sent text messages to Nancy's family on February 4, which asked about a Bitcoin transfer.
The suspect also 'admitted that his actions were meant to harass the family by seeking information about the investigation into the missing person’s disappearance', as per a press release.
Callella obtained the numbers of Nancy’s daughter, Annie Guthrie, as well as her son-in-law, Tommaso Cioni, and sent the following message: "Did you get the bitcoin were waiting on our end for the transaction."
Police were able to find Callella by tracking an email address which was associated to a phone number sending the messages.
He was arrested on February 5, four days after Nancy was reported missing.
Savannah Guthrie's mother is believed to have been abducted from her home in Tucson, Arizona earlier this year and has not been heard from since.
Police have since released doorbell footage from Nancy's home, with authorities believing that a man described as between 5ft 9in and 5ft 10in tall, with an average build, may be involved in the alleged kidnapping after he was captured on the footage.
More recently, the FBI has discounted a number of ransom notes as fake, though the agency said on Wednesday (July 1) that they are continuing investigating others that might be legitimate.
"This case continues to be investigated as a kidnapping for ransom case," the FBI said in a statement.
Nancy Guthrie took an Uber to her daughter Annie Guthrie’s house for dinner at around 5:32 pm.
She was dropped home by her family a few hours later.
Her garage door opened at approximately 9:48pm and closed at 9:50pm, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said.
“It is that time we assume that Nancy’s home and probably going to bed,” he added.
Nancy’s doorbell camera is disconnected at 1:47am and the software detected movement around 25 minutes later.
At 2:28am, the 84-year-old’s pacemaker app is disconnected from her cellphone.
After Nancy’s friend notified her family that she missed church, they checked on her home at 11:56am and discovered she was missing.
They notified 911 at 12:03pm, and police arrived at 12:15pm.
Sheriff Nanos told CBS News he believed Guthrie was ‘abducted’ in the middle of the night.
“She didn't walk from there. She didn't go willingly,” he added.
Several media outlets reported receiving ‘ransom notes’ which allegedly demanded a large sum of Bitcoin to be sent for Nancy’s release.
Nanos said they were looking into the ‘possible ransom note(s)’ and confirmed the blood found on the porch of Nancy's property was also hers.
Savannah Guthrie and her siblings, Annie and Camron, shared an emotional video on Instagram, pleading for their mother’s return.
“We are ready to talk,” Savannah said. “However, we live in a world where voices and images are easily manipulated. We need to know, without a doubt, that she is alive, and that you have her.”
The FBI announced a $50,000 reward ‘for information leading to the recovery’ of Nancy.
Camron Guthrie posted another video, saying: “Whoever is out there holding our mother, we want to hear from you.”
Authorities said they were ‘aware of a new message’ which was sent to CBS News' Tucson affiliate KOLD.
The sheriff's department said investigators were ‘conducting follow-up’ at Nancy’s home and ‘surrounding areas’.
Nancy’s children posted a video to social media in which Savannah appeared to address the alleged abductor.
“We received your message, and we understand. We beg you now to return our mother to us so that we can celebrate with her,” she said, before adding: “This is very valuable to us, and we will pay.”
Authorities were seen leaving Annie’s home with a bag after 10:30 pm. As per PEOPLE, one official was reportedly seen wearing blue gloves.
According to FBI Director Kash Patel, they show ‘an armed individual appearing to have tampered with the camera at Nancy Guthrie’s front door the morning of her disappearance’.
Sharing the images on Instagram, Savannah wrote: “We believe she is still alive. Bring her home.”
Authorities announced that they had detained a man for questioning ‘during a traffic stop’; however, he was released the following day.
The FBI said: “The suspect is described as a male, approximately 5’9” - 5’10” tall, with an average build. In the video, he is wearing a black, 25-liter ‘Ozark Trail Hiker Pack’ backpack.”
It also increased the reward to $100,000.
A glove discovered near Nancy’s property appeared to match those worn by the suspect seen on the doorbell camera, the FBI said. It was one of ‘approximately’ 16 collected by authorities.
However, later tests found that it did not have any matches in the national DNA database.
“To be clear … the Guthrie family - to include all siblings and spouses - has been cleared as possible suspects in this case,” Nanos said. “The family has been nothing but cooperative and gracious and are victims in this case.”
In addition to the FBI’s reward, the family announced a personal reward of up to $1 million.
“Somebody knows. We are begging you to please come forward now,” Savannah said.
“Federal prosecutors traditionally work with all levels of law enforcement and have done so throughout this investigation,” said Timothy Courchaine, US Attorney for the District of Arizona.
According to the Associated Press, the Today host was seen placing flowers at the property with her family.
“We feel the love and prayers from our neighbors, from the Tucson community and from around the country,” she penned on Instagram.
"It is unbearable, and to think of what she went through. I wake up every night, in the middle of the night, every night, and in the darkness, I imagine her terror, and it is unthinkable, but those thoughts demand to be thought, and I will not hide my face, but she needs to come home now," Savannah told Today in a preview of the interview ahead of it airing in full.
"We are in agony. It is unbearable. And to think of what she went through.”
Appearing emotional while speaking of her return to the show, Savannah thanked her colleagues for their support and asked for 'everybody’s prayers'.
According to NBC News, a second note was sent to several news outlets days after her disappearance and claimed she died. It reportedly did not give details about the alleged death, nor did it request a payment for the return of her body.
Tearing up while on Today, she said: "I want to just take the opportunity to ask people, to really to beg people to come forward.
"Somebody knows something, and this is a new story today that is on your radar, but this is the life that my sister lives, that I live, that my brother lives, that our extended families live, that our children live, every day. And we are in agony. We cannot be at peace."