Derrick Calella, a 42-year-old from Hawthorne, California (sometimes spelled Callella), faces federal charges for a hoax unrelated to Nancy Guthrie’s kidnapping. Authorities arrested him on February 5, 2026, after he texted fake Bitcoin ransom demands to Guthrie family members Annie and Tommaso Cioni on February 4. He confessed to sending them simply to test their response after following online news.
Nancy Guthrie, 84, mother of NBC’s Savannah Guthrie, vanished from her Catalina Foothills, Arizona, home on January 31, 2026, post-drop-off by her son-in-law near 9:50 p.m. Investigators found blood traces indicating she was dragged out, a broken doorbell camera that went dark at 1:47 a.m., an unlocked back door, and her pacemaker signal dropping at 2:28 a.m. As of February 14, 2026, the FBI pursues leads with suspect sketches of a masked man (5’9″-5’10”, medium build) and boosted rewards, but she stays missing.
A Santa Ana judge freed Calella on $20,000 bail February 6 with victim no-contact rules, following his prior 2007 misdemeanor warrant for missing court. He attended Tucson federal arraignment on February 12. Charges include interstate ransom transmission and anonymous harassment via phone.
Prosecutors stress Calella’s stunt has no link to Guthrie’s abduction or media ransom notes. Active FBI efforts target DNA, video, and other evidence in the genuine investigation.
