The investigation of missing 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie continues to unfold, as court documents obtained by Us Weekly revealed that Savannah Guthrie’s brother-in-law, Tommaso Cioni, and his wife, Annie Guthrie, were the ones who received imposter ransom texts demanding money for the return of Nancy.
“Did you get the bitcoin were [sic] waiting on our end for the translation,” read one of the text messages, Us Weekly reported.
1 Arrest Made in Nancy Guthrie’s Disappearance
During a live press conference on Thursday, Feb. 5, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos and FBI Phoenix Special Agent in Charge Heith Janke revealed there had been an imposter who was arrested in the case of Nancy’s disappearance.
It was later shared that same day by the Arizona District Attorney’s Office that Derrick Callella, 42, from Hawthorne, Calif., was arrested after his attempt to profit from Savannah’s devastating online plea to her mom’s captor the night before he was taken into custody.
During the Instagram video statement from Savannah, her brother, Camron Guthrie, and their sister, Annie, the “TODAY” host explained how their family would do “everything that we can” to bring their mom back home.
“Her health, her heart, is fragile. She lives in constant pain. She is without any medicine. She needs it to survive. She needs it not to suffer,” Savannah said, adding, “We are ready to talk. However, we live in a world where voices and images are easily manipulated. We need to know without a doubt that she is alive and that you have her.”
Once arrested, Callella was charged with transmitting a demand for ransom in interstate commerce without disclosing his identity and utilizing a telecommunications device with the intent to abuse, threaten, or harass a person, per the Arizona District Attorney’s Office.
Suspicion of Savannah Guthrie’s Brother-in-Law
Although Sheriff Nanos confirmed during the Feb. 5 press conference that there has not been a prime suspect identified, he did, however, admit that Savannah’s brother-in-law has not been ruled out as a suspect in the case.
“Everybody is still a suspect in our eyes,” Sheriff Nanos responded after a reporter asked him about Tommaso’s possible involvement. “It would be irresponsible if we did not talk to everybody.”
Tommaso’s name was incriminated by former NewsNation reporter Ashleigh Banfield after she revealed that a law enforcement source told her he could be behind Nancy’s disappearance.
Banfield shared details of Tommaso being a person of interest during her “Drop Dead Serious” podcast episode on Feb. 4, also noting that Annie’s vehicle had been seized and towed into evidence.
Before Nancy was reported missing on Feb. 1, Tommaso was the last person to see her after dropping her off at her home in Catalina Foothills following dinner and board games at his and Annie’s house, the NYP reported.
As the search continues, police have reason to believe that Nancy may not be far from her home. TMZ reported that based on two deadlines given in the ransom note sent to their office — separate from the texts from an imposter — that whoever abducted Nancy would likely have transported her by car rather than plane after she left her government ID behind when she was taken.
The public is encouraged to call the FBI with any leads at 1-800-CALL-FBI or the Pima County Sheriff’s Department at 520-351-4900. Anonymous tips can also be submitted online at 88crime.org.
