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Some ransom notes sent in Nancy Guthrie case still being investigated as legitimate, FBI says
The FBI said some messages were fake, while others remain under review as investigators continue treating the disappearance as a kidnapping for ransom case.
- On Thursday, July 2, 2026, Derrick Callella, 42, of Hawthorne, California, pleaded guilty to harassment for sending fake ransom messages to Nancy Guthrie's family, while the FBI clarified that other ransom communications remain under active investigation as potentially legitimate.
- Since Nancy Guthrie vanished from her Tucson, Arizona, home on February 1, 2026, the kidnapping investigation has been complicated by multiple ransom demands; officials are evaluating these messages to distinguish genuine leads from fraudulent extortion attempts.
- Callella admitted to using a VOIP application to text and call the Guthrie family on February 4, 2026, inquiring about a bitcoin transfer; "he acknowledged that he knew an earlier ransom demand had been made," according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
- Scheduled for sentencing on September 10, Callella faces five years of probation under his plea agreement, while NBC 'Today' show host Savannah Guthrie continues making emotional pleas for her mother's safe return after five months of uncertainty.
- Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos and federal investigators continue processing tips and searching for the unidentified suspect captured on home security footage, as the probe echoes historical cases like the 1932 Lindbergh kidnapping.
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A California man has admitted to sending ransom messages to the family of missing Nancy Guthrie in exchange for information he did not have. He faces up to two years in prison and a large fine for the crime.
·Ljubljana, Slovenia
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Total News Sources151
Leaning Left36Leaning Right20Center75Last UpdatedBias Distribution57% Center
Bias Distribution
- 57% of the sources are Center
57% Center
L 28%
C 57%
15%
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