The message landed like a threat, brief and chilling — and for a family already living in fear, it felt like the worst possible confirmation. According to court documents, a California man has now been charged after allegedly sending ransom-style texts to relatives of missing 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, whose disappearance has shaken Tucson and drawn national attention due to her daughter, journalist Savannah Guthrie.

What investigators uncovered was not an organized ransom scheme — but something, in its own way, just as disturbing.

The Text That Stopped the Family Cold

Federal prosecutors say Derrick Callella, a man in his mid-40s from California, allegedly sent a message referencing bitcoin to members of the Guthrie family shortly after they made a public plea for help. The message reportedly read:

“Did you get the bitcoin were [sic] waiting on our end for the transaction.”
Minutes later, authorities say he placed a nine-second phone call to another family member.

The timing intensified the panic. At that point, the family had already addressed reports of a ransom note and had publicly pleaded for proof of life.

The texts were immediately reported to law enforcement. Investigators traced the number to Callella’s California residence. He reportedly told officers he located the family’s contact information online and sent the message to “see if the family would respond.”

Prosecutors say he has been charged with two federal counts related to transmitting ransom-style communications under federal statutes.

Investigators have also made an important distinction: his alleged messages are not connected to the separate ransom note reportedly sent to an Arizona news outlet demanding millions in bitcoin for Nancy’s return.