The man who police say texted Savannah Guthrie’s family a ransom message amid the search for her missing mother, Nancy Guthrie, has made his first court appearance and is facing the judge’s orders.
Derrick Callella, a 42-year-old man from Hawthorne, California, appeared in the U.S. District Court in Santa Ana on Friday afternoon, according to TMZ.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Karen E. Scott ordered that Callella be released from federal custody on $20,000 bond, according to the outlet. He’s also not allowed any contact with the alleged victims or witnesses, TMZ reported.
While it’s unclear when Callella will be or has been released, his next court appearance will be Thursday, February 12, for his arraignment.
Callella Is ‘Facing Federal Charges’: Report
Although it’s not believed that Callella has anything to do with Nancy’s actual disappearance or the related ransom letters, per TMZ, he is “facing federal charges for allegedly texting Nancy Guthrie’s family about [a] bitcoin ransom payment. Federal prosecutors are saying that Callella texted Nancy’s daughter Annie and her son-in-law Tommaso Cioni…”
In the text, prosecutors say Callella wrote, “Did you get the bitcoin were [sic] waiting on our end for the transaction,” according to TMZ.
TMZ also notes that the “alleged texts were sent Wednesday,” after Savannah “posted a video acknowledging the ransom letters that were sent to TMZ and two local outlets in Tucson, AZ.”
Savannah Sent a Message to Her Mom
“On behalf of our family, we want to thank all of you for the prayers for our beloved mom, Nancy. We feel them, and we continue to believe that she feels them, too,” Savannah said in a video posted on Instagram on Wednesday, February 4. “Our mom is a kind, faithful, loyal, fiercely loving woman of goodness and light. She’s funny, spunky and clever. She has grandchildren that adore her and crowd around her and cover her with kisses. She loves fun and adventure. She is a devoted friend. She is full of kindness and knowledge. Talk to her and you’ll see.”
She went on to say, “Mommy, if you are hearing this, you are a strong woman. You are God’s precious daughter, Nancy. We believe and know that even in this valley, He is with you. Everyone is looking for you, mommy, everywhere. We will not rest. Your children will not rest until we are together again. We speak to you every moment and we pray without ceasing and we rejoice in advance for the day that we hold you in our arms again. We love you, mom.”
A spokesperson for the Guthrie family told the New York Post in a statement, “We can confirm this is a missing persons case, and the family is working closely with local law enforcement. If anyone has any information, please contact the Pima County Sheriff’s Department at 520-351-4900. The family is grateful for the outreach, thoughts and prayers.”
