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Who is Derrick Callella, suspect arrested in Nancy Guthrie ransom note case?
Nancy Guthrie case: A criminal complaint filed in Arizona accuses a man, identified as Derrick Callella, of sending harassing text messages to Guthrie family
Nancy Guthrie case: A federal criminal complaint filed in Arizona accuses a man, identified as Derrick Callella, of sending harassing text messages to ‘Today’ host Savannah Guthrie shortly after an alleged ransom video was released. This comes days after the television anchor's mother was kidnapped.
In a press conference on Thursday, Pima County officials revealed that the FBI has arrested an imposter who submitted a fake ransom note to law enforcement because ‘they wanted to profit from the situation’. It is unclear if Callella was the same person.
Complaint surfaces
According to the complaint, on or about February 4, the daughter and son-in-law of the kidnapping victim each 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."
"The messages were received while A.C. and T.C. were in Arizona." Here AC is Annie and Tommaso Cioni.
IP address linked to California address
Law enforcement traced the 0552 Number to a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) application that allows users to obtain secondary phone numbers. An emergency disclosure request revealed the number was registered to the email address derrickcallella@gmail.com, the complaint states.
Records further showed the number was accessed from IP address 70.93.243.103 at approximately 6:02 p.m. on February 4, 2026. That IP address was linked to Callella’s residence in California.
Derrick Callella admits
After receiving Miranda warnings, Callella admitted to sending the two text messages and using the VoIP account. He told investigators he obtained family information from a "cyber website" and had been "following along and watching TV." He claimed he sent the messages "to see if the family would respond." Data also showed that approximately three minutes after the texts, Callella placed a 9-second call to a family member of Nancy Guthrie.
The complaint notes that the two text messages have not been linked to the original ransom demand made on February 2, 2026. Callella faces charges related to the unauthorized transmission of the messages. The investigation remains ongoing.
