Man pleads guilty to sending ransom note to Savannah Guthrie's family

Derrick Callella has pleaded guilty to sending a false ransom note to the family of NBC journalist Savannah Guthrie. The note was sent after Guthrie's mother, Nancy Guthrie, disappeared from her home in Tucson, Arizona, in February.

Callella appeared in federal court in Tucson and admitted to charges of intending to harass, threaten, or intimidate a person. The charge of harassment using a telecommunications device carries a maximum penalty of two years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both, followed by a year of supervised release. Sentencing is scheduled for September 10, and the judge has ordered Callella to enter an addiction treatment center.

Callella is the only person arrested and prosecuted so far in connection with the disappearance of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie. The case has garnered national attention due to its unusual circumstances. Since her disappearance, various media outlets and the Guthrie family have received notes demanding ransom or claiming to have information about her whereabouts.

According to court documents, Callella sent text messages on February 4 to two of Nancy Guthrie's relatives, Annie, her eldest daughter, and her son-in-law, Tommaso Cioni. He also called one of them. The messages, sent using an internet phone line, asked, "Did you receive the bitcoins? We are waiting for the transaction on our part." Investigators noted these messages were sent shortly after the Guthrie family released their first video message to the alleged kidnappers, requesting proof of life.

The FBI stated that they are still investigating Nancy Guthrie's disappearance as a kidnapping. This is despite a supposed note received last week that declared her dead and the more than 150 days that have passed since her search began in Arizona. Recently, the collective Madres Buscadoras de Sonora reported receiving calls claiming Guthrie's body is buried near the Arizona-Sonora border in Mexico, but no remains have been found despite searches.