Savannah Guthrie's beloved mother, Nancy Guthrie, has been missing since Sunday, February 1, yet as the case continues to raise urgent questions, one piece of the puzzle may finally give Savannah and her family some peace.
In the days after Nancy's disappearance on February 1, 2026, Savannah and her family received fake ransom notes, and a trial date has now been set for Derrick Callella, 42, who stands accused of sending the letters, as well as making a nine-second phone call to a family member.
ABC affiliate station KGUN 9 in Tucson reported that Derrick is scheduled for June 23, following his arrest. It will be held at the federal courthouse in Tucson. According to a grand jury indictment, he allegedly sent two text messages to two family members on February 4, 2026.
They read: "Did you get the 12 bitcoin? We’re waiting on our end for the transaction."
What was Derrick charged with in the case of Nancy Guthrie?
Derrick, who lives in California, was arrested the following day, and "charged with transmitting a ransom demand in interstate commerce without revealing his identity and using a telecommunications device with intent to abuse, threaten or harass an individual."
This ransom note was not the same one sent to TMZ on February 3, which is believed to still be under investigation.
"The Department of Justice will protect victims and families at all costs, and grief profiteers will be held accountable," U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine in a February news release.
What happened to Nancy Guthrie?
Nancy, the 84-year-old mother of Today show star Savannah, was believed to have been taken by force from her home in Tucson, Arizona, on the evening of January 31, 2026, after blood was found on the doorstep, and her personal effects were found inside the house.
She was last seen on the evening of January 31, 2026, when friends dropped her home after dinner. When she did not make an appearance at church the following morning, friends raised the alarm, and evidence indicated a forced kidnapping, with blood found at the scene, and her home security system disabled.
Retrieved videos from her doorbell camera captured a masked person arriving in the early hours of February 1, but no further images or video were discovered.
Nancy Guthrie reward
The family has offered a $1 million reward for information leading to her safe return, but the case remains unsolved.
In the early days of the case, ransom notes demanding millions in Bitcoin were received by TMZ, and other news publications. The FBI investigated them all but has not confirmed any as authentic, although several noted private details about an Apple Watch and a floodlight at the property.
The family responded to two letters that they believed might be real, but they have led to no movement on the case, which is now entering its third month.
Anyone with information about the case is advised to contact 1-800-CALL-FBI or 88-CRIME. The FBI is offering a $100,000 reward for information, 88-CRIME is offering a $102,500 reward and the Guthrie family is offering a $1,000,000 reward.
