Nancy Guthrie 'Proof Of Life': Who is Derrick Callella? California Man Arrested For Fake Ransom Messages

The disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of TODAY show co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, has gripped the nation. Despite extensive search efforts, Nancy remains missing after vanishing from her home in Tucson, Arizona.

Nancy was last seen on Saturday, 31 January 2026, at her residence in the Catalina Foothills, but by Sunday, 1 February, Nancy was reported missing after her family was alerted by a church member that their mother did not attend her usual Sunday service.

What began as a missing person case has now escalated into a criminal investigation, with authorities treating her home as a potential crime scene, and have confirmed that Nancy was likely abducted in the middle of the night.

On Tuesday, 3 February, reports emerged of a ransom note demanding millions of dollars in Bitcoin for the safe release of Nancy. Now, the case has taken another turn: a California man was arrested by the FBI over fake ransom messages sent to Nancy's family — echoing the same demands. Who is Derrick Callella, and what drove him to do it?

FBI Arrests California Man: Who is Derrick Callella?

The FBI confirmed the arrest of Derick Callella, a 42-year-old from Hawthorne, California in connection with fraudulent ransom demands tied to Nancy's disappearance. A federal criminal complaint filed in Arizona alleges that Callella sent fake ransom and harassing text messages to Savannah Guthrie shortly after an alleged ransom video was released.

According to the US Department of Justice: 'Callella has been charged via a criminal complaint filed in federal court for transmitting a demand for ransom in interstate commerce, and without disclosing his identity, utilizing a telecommunications device with the intent to abuse, threaten, or harass a person.'

FBI Phoenix Special Agent in Charge Heith Janke added, 'To those impostors who are trying to take advantage and profit from this situation – we will investigate and ensure you are held accountable for your actions.'

How the Fake Ransom Messages Were Sent

According to the complaint, Savannah and her husband received a text message from the phone number 760-209-0552 stating: 'Did you get the bitcoin were [sic] waiting on our end for the transaction.'

Authorities traced the number to a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) application that allows users to obtain secondary phone numbers. The application was registered under derrickcallella@gmail.com, accessed from an IP address linked to Callella's residence in California.

Callella later confessed to sending two text messages and using a VoIP account. He said he got the family's information from a 'cyber website' and had been 'following along and watching TV.' He admitted his motive was to 'see if the family would respond.' Investigators also confirmed he placed a 9-second call to a Guthrie family member.

Importantly, the FBI noted that Callella's messages were not connected to the original ransom demand emailed to TMZ. Callella is facing charges related to the unauthorised transmission of the messages. The investigation remains ongoing.

Taken from Her Bed in the Middle of the Night

Investigators have ruled out the possibility that Nancy wandered off, citing her limited mobility. Family members told investigators that she 'couldn't walk 50 yards' and stressed that she is of 'sound mind' with no dementia diagnosis.

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said, 'And so we know she couldn't get far from that home unless she was removed from that home.' He added that investigators found 'suspicious circumstances' at the property, including a blood trail from the front door to the driveway.

The Evening Before Her Disappearance

On 31 January, Nancy had dinner at her daughter's home, about 4.5 miles away from her own house. She was later dropped off at her residence at around 9:48 pm.

Hours later, Nancy's doorbell camera was disabled at 1:47 am, but her home security software reported that it detected motion a few minutes later. Shortly afterwards, her pacemaker device lost connection with her phone, suggesting a time when she may have been forced out of the house.

Police were not able to recover video footage from her home security system despite multiple cameras installed. The family emphasised that Nancy is in need of life-saving medication, heightening the urgency of the search.