FBI Investigates Legitimate Ransom Notes as California Man Pleads Guilty in Guthrie Case
Article excerpt
Derrick Callella, a California man, pleaded guilty this week to sending a fake ransom note to the family of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of Today show host Savannah Guthrie, who vanished from her residence outside Tucson, Arizona on January 31. Callella contacted the family demanding a bitcoin transaction, and now faces up to two years in prison or a $250,000 fine. His guilty plea, however, did not close the case. The FBI confirmed that among the "several" ransom demands the agency has received, some have been dismissed as baseless extortion attempts, but others are still being actively investigated as potentially legitimate. The bureau declined to specify exactly how many notes it has received or what distinguishes the credible ones from the fraudulent ones. Guthrie was last seen at her home, where investigators found her cellphone, medication, and other personal essentials left behind, along with drops of her blood. More than two months after her disappearance, she has not been found. The combination of a confirmed faker now facing federal charges and an ongoing investigation into other ransom notes leaves the case in an unsettling middle state: one fraud resolved, the central mystery still open.
After months of silence, the FBI said Wednesday that some ransom notes sent during the Nancy Guthrie kidnapping investigation may “potentially” be legitimate, while others appear to be bogus.
“Some have been deemed to be extortion attempts without legitimacy. Other ransom demands may potentially be legitimate and are still being investigated as such,” the FBI posted on X. “This case continues to be investigated as a kidnapping for ransom case.”
Statement on Guthrie Investigation pic.twitter.com/zTUKcjPfsv
, FBI Phoenix (@FBIPhoenix) July 1, 2026
The statement appears to contradict a Reuters report citing an FBI official who said none of the ransom notes were believed to be genuine.
The FBI added that it continues to provide resources to assist in the investigation to find the mother of “Today” host Savannah Guthrie, but made it clear the probe is being led by local authorities in Pima County, Arizona.
This is the latest back-and-forth in the case of the missing 84-year-old who was abducted from her home on February 1.
During the first week of the search, multiple ransom notes were sent to several outlets demanding money in the form of bitcoin, while describing disturbing details about Guthrie’s condition.
Last month, NewsNation’s Brian Entin reported that sources told him the second ransom note alluded to Guthrie being dead.
The note indicated her death was unintentional and said that Guthrie was “buried with nature now,” per Entin.
Savannah Guthrie addressed the report last month on the “Today” show alongside co-anchor Craig Melvin and Carson Daly.
“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,” Savannah said. “And we are in agony. We cannot be at peace.”
Shortly after Savannah’s plea, TMZ reported that it had received another email containing a bombshell claim about the investigation.
The note contained a password to a phone in a “secure location” that had information on Guthrie’s disappearance. The sender of the note said they would provide the password in exchange for bitcoin, per TMZ.
TMZ has received numerous emails over the past several months, but the latest had the same bitcoin address as the sender who emailed the outlet in February.
The more than $1 million reward for information leading to the recovery of Guthrie is still available.
The number for tips is 1-800-CALL-FBI.