Who Wrote Nancy Guthrie’s Ransom Notes?

Nearly five months after Nancy Guthrie was allegedly abducted from her Arizona home, she still hasn’t been found. However, there appears to be a major breakthrough in the case.

On Thursday, July 2, a California man, identified as Derrick Callella, pleaded guilty to writing a fake ransom note to the Guthrie family. Arizona’s KOLD 13 News reported that Callella was charged with “transmitting a demand for ransom in interstate commerce and utilizing a telecommunications device with intent to abuse, threaten, or harass a person.”

Callella’s sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 10, 2026, and he will receive 10 years’ probation. He was also required to enter a residential addiction treatment facility on Thursday.

Related: Nancy Guthrie Suspect Likely Used Reservation as Getaway Route Amid Report Her ‘Remains’ Are ‘Buried’ in Mexico

According to the FBI, Callella allegedly called one of Guthrie’s relatives and sent texts to Guthrie’s eldest daughter, Annie, and Annie’s husband, Tommaso Cioni, on Feb. 4, 2026. Court records obtained by KOLD 13 News reveal that Callella used a VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) phone line and sent a text that read, “Did you get the bitcoin were (sic) waiting on our end for the transaction.”

Investigators said the text messages were sent shortly after the Guthrie family posted their first video message addressed to the alleged kidnappers, requesting proof of life.

Callella’s guilty plea follows reports of additional fake ransom notes. In late June 2026, multiple outlets reported that three ransom notes were sent just days after Guthrie went missing, one of which claimed the 84-year-old woman died shortly after she was kidnapped.

However, an FBI official revealed to Reuters in a June 30 report that all three notes are considered “fake communications” by federal investigators. “None of the ransom notes are believed to be genuine,” the FBI official said. A second source with direct knowledge of Guthrie’s case confirmed the FBI’s review of the ransom notes, adding that they are not authentic.

Angelica Carrillo, a spokesperson for the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, told Reuters, “We don’t have any updates, other than this is still an active investigation.” She added that the DNA samples and video evidence collected in the case “remain under forensic analysis.”