A man pleaded guilty on Thursday in a federal courtroom in Tucson, Arizona, for harassing the family of missing 84‑year‑old Nancy Guthrie with a fabricated ransom demand.
Nancy Guthrie, the mother of a national television co‑host, vanished from her home in the Catalina Foothills neighborhood early on February 1. The following day, ransom demands were transmitted to local media, prompting a criminal investigation.
Authorities quickly identified the messages as a hoax and arrested 42‑year‑old Derrick Anthony Callella of Hawthorne, California, charging him with online harassment.
Prosecutors said Callella used a spoofed phone number to contact Guthrie’s daughter Annie and son‑in‑law Tommaso, inquiring about a Bitcoin payment and then placing a brief follow‑up call.
Court documents reveal investigators linked the spoofed number to a Google email account registered to Callella, but found no connection to the earlier ransom note delivered on February 2.
After being read his rights, Callella admitted sending two messages, stating he obtained the family’s contact information online and had been following news coverage of the disappearance.
He was released on a $20,000 bond pending sentencing, with a projected sentence of five years of federal probation.
The investigation continues to treat the case as a kidnapping for ransom, with multiple ransom notes received. Some have been dismissed as extortion attempts, while others remain under review.
Federal agents and the Pima County Sheriff’s Office remain the lead investigative bodies, urging anyone with information to contact authorities.
The sheriff’s department declined further comment on the plea, and federal officials have not responded to inquiries.
