Hawthorne man charged with sending false ransom demand to Savannah Guthrie’s family.

A Hawthorne resident has been indicted on federal charges for allegedly sending a false ransom demand via text messages to relatives of Nancy Guthrie, an 84-year-old woman who has been missing since January 31. Nancy Guthrie is the mother of Savannah Guthrie, a prominent host on NBC’s “Today” show. The case has garnered considerable attention, leading to the involvement of federal authorities.

Derrick Callella, 42, reportedly utilized a voice over internet protocol (VoIP) application to transmit text messages to Nancy Guthrie’s daughter and son-in-law. The messages included a question about whether they had received bitcoin, implying a ransom negotiation. Court documents reveal that these messages were sent on Wednesday, February 5, just days after Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance.

Investigators succeeded in tracing the VoIP number back to Callella’s home through the IP address associated with the transmission, the criminal complaint states. Furthermore, Callella allegedly confessed to sending the text messages, claiming he had gathered family information from online sources and had been following the situation through media coverage. According to the complaint, he indicated that his intent was to gauge the family’s response. Notably, shortly after dispatching the text messages, Callella is said to have made a phone call to a family member.

These actions coincided with the public appeal made by Nancy Guthrie’s family, who had recently published a video urging her captors to reach out. In addition to the charges related to the ransom demand, Callella faces accusations of using telecommunications devices to disguise his identity for the purpose of harassment.

A United States Attorney’s Office representative has indicated that Callella is expected to make his initial court appearance in downtown Los Angeles. The charges against him include demands for ransom or reward for the release of a kidnapped individual and improper use of a telecommunications device.

This incident is distinct from a separate ransom demand submitted to a television station’s online tip portal on February 2, which requested payment via a bitcoin wallet. Arizona law enforcement officials have stated they are actively investigating this additional demand.

As the search for Nancy Guthrie continues, officials announced during a recent press conference that they have no conclusive evidence regarding her current status. She was last seen when family members dropped her off at her home in Tucson after a social evening together. Shortly thereafter, unusual activity was detected via the home’s doorbell camera and evidence indicated tampering with her pacemaker. Despite the lack of definitive leads, authorities expressed their hope for her safe return.