In recent days, the case of the disappearance of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, the mother of NBC Today co-host Savannah Guthrie, at her home in Tucson, Arizona has garnered nationwide attention in the United States. A man from California is allegedly involved in sending ransom text messages and has been arrested, demanding bitcoin as ransom in exchange for the return of Nancy Guthrie.
According to the criminal complaint, 42-year-old Derrick Callella from Hawthorne, California, is charged with sending ransom demands related to kidnapping and engaging in anonymous interstate communication to harass or threaten others.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) stated that the ransom texts were sent to Nancy Guthrie’s daughter and son-in-law on February 4, demanding a significant amount of bitcoin to be transferred to a designated wallet by 5 p.m. local time on Thursday, February 5. However, the FBI mentioned that the family has not received any further contact from the kidnapper to date.
On February 2, after receiving a ransom letter from a news outlet, Nancy Guthrie’s family released an emotionally charged video pleading with the kidnapper to reach out to them, hoping for direct communication.
The FBI has not directly linked Callella’s texts to the ransom demand on February 2.
Currently, law enforcement is offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to the location of Nancy Guthrie or the arrest and conviction of individuals involved in the case.
According to the FBI report, through emergency data requests, law enforcement traced the phone number used to send the texts to Callella’s residence in California. He allegedly admitted using an account to send the relevant texts.
Special Agent in Charge Heith Janke of the FBI’s Phoenix Field Office stated in a release, “For those attempting to profit from this event through extortion, we will investigate and ensure you are held accountable for your actions.”
Callella has a criminal record in Los Angeles County. He previously worked for the county health service and was indicted in 2025 for allegedly embezzling nearly $10,000 in unemployment benefits.
After two days of Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance, the deadline set in the ransom letter received by TMZ and other news outlets has passed, and Callella’s texts are just one of the three letters currently under FBI scrutiny.
Federal agents, analysts, and other personnel are fully engaged in the investigation of Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance, including the FBI Critical Incident Response Group from Quantico, Virginia, a specialized unit dealing with high-risk hostage and crisis situations.
Nancy’s son, Cameron Guthrie, released a video on Thursday, February 5, urging the kidnapper to contact the family.
“Whoever has taken our mother, we need to hear your voice,” he said. “We have not received any direct messages yet. We need you to reach out to us, and we need a way to communicate. We want to talk to you and are waiting for your response.”
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos stated on February 5 that authorities have not confirmed any suspects or persons of interest yet, but “we are working tirelessly on the investigation.” He expressed belief that Nancy Guthrie “is still alive,” saying, “We just want her to come home… We want to get to the bottom of this.”
Janke pointed out that FBI Director Kash Patel receives briefings multiple times a day on the case. Patel had originally scheduled a visit to Tucson before the kidnapping incident occurred.