The case of lacking Nancy Guthrie has attracted important public curiosity. The 84-year-old lady, who’s the mom of In the present day’s host Savannah Guthrie, has been lacking since January 31, when she was final seen.
In response to reviews, Nancy and her daughter Anne had dinner collectively within the night of January 31, and Anne dropped her off at residence at round 9:30 p.m. Nonetheless, Nancy didn’t present up at church on Sunday morning, which raised issues as a result of she had by no means missed service earlier than.
By Sunday midday, she was formally reported lacking.
Inside hours of her disappearance, groups have been combing the world by land and air, with planes, helicopters, drones, and Border Patrol canine becoming a member of the trouble.
Police imagine Nancy Guthrie was taken from her residence towards her will, calling the case a attainable kidnapping or abduction. Investigators say her restricted mobility makes it unlikely she left on her personal, they usually have dominated out cognitive impairment.
“This isn’t dementia-related. She’s as sharp as a tack,” Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos mentioned in a press convention.
Authorities haven’t revealed what first raised issues of a criminal offense, however in response to the Los Angeles Instances, blood was found on the entrance porch of her Tucson residence. Police sources mentioned investigators haven’t put ahead any idea about why she might have been taken. The blood was reportedly discovered alongside indicators of compelled entry at her Catalina Hills, Arizona, residence, although officers say its supply has not been recognized.
In the latest replace launched by authorities amid the continuing seek for Nancy Guthrie, federal officers revealed a troubling improvement related to the case, with the Federal Bureau of Investigation confirming that they made an arrest after figuring out the person had been posing because the captor of the lacking 84-year-old lady.
In response to investigators, the suspect despatched a fraudulent demand meant to look as if it got here from whoever was liable for Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance.
Officers emphasised that the message wasn’t actual and was merely an try to rip-off and make the most of the state of affairs. The one who was arrested is accused of preying on the worry and confusion surrounding the case by pretending to be the kidnapper and sending a pretend demand, which ended up deceptive the household and disrupted the continuing investigation.
“We imagine there is no such thing as a proof to attach this to Nancy’s case,” Heith Janke, the particular agent in control of the bureau’s Phoenix division mentioned at a Feb. 5 press convention after confirming the arrest, E Information! reported. “It was somebody that was making an attempt to revenue from it. A complete imposter.”
NEW: Picture of L.A. man arrested for sending texts to Guthrie household asking for bitcoin, in response to Feds. Derrick Callella. pic.twitter.com/rL8mq0kNyD
— Matt Finn (@MattFinnFNC) February 6, 2026
Authorities additionally made it clear that this arrest solely pertains to the bogus message and doesn’t imply the suspect had something to do with Nancy’s disappearance.
In response to Nationwide In the present day, the suspect in query is 42-year-old Hawthorne man named Derrick Callella.
He allegedly despatched the message to Nancy’s household shortly after her household shared an emotional plea video during which they requested whoever has taken their mom to return her residence safely.
The message in query allegedly mentioned, “Did you get the bitcoin [we are] ready on our finish for the transaction,” CBS reported.
The publication additionally famous that the FBI mentioned Callella used a program to disguise his telephone quantity when he despatched the message. Regardless of that, brokers have been capable of hint the textual content again to an IP tackle linked to his residence in California, in response to the legal criticism.
He was arrested on February 5 in Hawthorne, about 5 miles from LAX. The criticism says Callella admitted to sending the message after finding the household’s info on-line.Investigators additionally famous that he tried to name Nancy Guthrie’s household shortly after sending the texts.
In response to the FBI, “The 2 textual content messages haven’t been linked to the February 2, 2026, ransom demand.”
Derrick Callella, who used to work for Los Angeles County, has run into authorized bother earlier than. In 2025, he was one in all 13 county staff accused of accumulating practically $430,000 in unemployment advantages they weren’t entitled to in the course of the pandemic. He confronted each felony and misdemeanor theft prices in reference to the case.
Most lately, a brand new ransom be aware has been revealed by a neighborhood TV station, together with particulars of the content material.
JJ McKinney from Tucson ABC affiliate KGUN9 reported the station obtained a ransom be aware relating to Nancy’s lacking, saying, “A number of ransom notes have been despatched out to the media, together with one which was despatched to us.”
He added: “Within the letter, the potential kidnappers demanded that the Guthries pay them $6 million earlier than this Monday.”
In response to the outlet, the authors of the ransom be aware mentioned Nancy Guthrie would face severe hurt if their Monday 5 p.m. native deadline was not met.
Nancy’s kids pleaded for the return of her “worthwhile” mom in an emotional video they shared on the social media, providing to pay a ransom, New York Submit reported.
“We obtained your message and we perceive,” Savannah Guthrie mentioned on Instagram, alongside her brother Camron and sister Annie.
“We beg you now to return our mom to us, in order that we will have a good time together with her,” she added, later saying that her mom’s return is “very worthwhile to us” and “we pays.”
It stays unknown what message Savannah and her household referred to, whether or not it was one of many messages despatched to information stations, or a totally new one.
They mentioned they have been prepared to reply to the ransom notes, however first they wanted to make sure the notes have been real.
“We, too, have heard the reviews a couple of ransom letter within the media. As a household, we’re doing the whole lot that we will. We’re prepared to speak,” Savannah mentioned, including a plea for proof of life: “We have to know certainly that she is alive and that you’ve got her. We wish to hear from you, and we’re able to hear. Please. Attain out to us.”
Beforehand, TMZ reported to have obtained a ransom be aware relating to Nancy’s disappearance.
“So, we acquired one thing in our e-mail that appears like a, it’s written like a ransom be aware for Savannah Guthrie’s mom,” TMZ’s Harvey Levin mentioned.
He added that the be aware requests “a really particular” amount of cash.
“And, additionally, on the backside there are specific issues they’re saying about what she was carrying and injury to the home to say, ‘It’s us,’” Levin defined. “So, now we have contacted the sheriff’s division and we wish to get them this letter.”
The outlet reported that they couldn’t confirm if the e-mail was real, but it surely appeared to incorporate particulars that solely somebody near the state of affairs would know. “There’s a requirement for cash or else in there. We’ll maintain you up to date as this develops,” Levin mentioned.
Officers with the Pima County Sheriff’s Division confirmed that some “attainable random notes” have appeared in reference to the case, however they didn’t affirm whether or not any of them are actual. Police additionally wouldn’t say whether or not the be aware TMZ reported is genuine or simply the work of a hoaxer.
Within the wake of her mom’s disappearance, Savannah Guthrie has stepped again from her duties on the In the present day present and has appealed to the general public to maintain her mom of their prayers.
“We imagine in prayer. We imagine in voices raised in unison, in love, in hope. We imagine in goodness. We imagine in humanity. Above all, we imagine in Him,” Savannah wrote.
“Thanks for lifting your prayers with ours for our beloved mother, our dearest Nancy, a girl of deep conviction, a great and trustworthy servant. Increase your prayers with us and imagine with us that she will likely be lifted by them on this very second.”
She concluded, “We’d like you. He’ll maintain in good peace these whose hearts are steadfast, trusting within the Lord.” A verse from Isaiah, “all the time, for all of us. Convey her residence.”
The trouble to seek out Nancy Guthrie continues, with officers warning the general public to rely solely on confirmed reviews from regulation enforcement because the investigation strikes ahead.
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