Derrick Kalella Update: Investigators revealed they are examining a new message that was directed to a Tucson news station during the ongoing search for Nancy Guthrie. The development coincided with the first court appearance Friday of a Southern California man accused of sending ransom notes to the Guthrie family.
Derrick Calella faces charges of threats and harassment, as investigators look into a new message sent to a Tucson news station. (X@TonyLaneNV)Nancy, the mother of Today show host Savannah Guthrie, is believed to have been abducted from her Arizona residence early Sunday morning. Authorities said no suspects or persons of interest have been identified in the case, ABC7 reported.
Also read: Missing Nancy Guthrie case: FBI, sheriff examine new leads after finding ‘new message’
Allegations against Derrick Kalella Derrick Calella, 42, faces charges of sending a fraudulent ransom letter to the Guthrie family. Initially, officials said Calella was from Torrance, but they later corrected it to confirm that he was actually from Hawthorne.
The FBI arrested Calella in Hawthorne on Thursday and he appeared in a federal courtroom in Santa Ana on Friday afternoon.
He is accused of sending a text to Guthrie’s daughter and son-in-law that read, “Did you get bitcoins? [sic] Awaiting our finalization of the transaction,” according to ABC7.
The messages were sent two days after a ransom demand was made to a local Tucson media outlet, which provided a Bitcoin wallet address for payment, as detailed in the complaint.
Also read: Who is Michael Feldman? Savannah Guthrie’s husband finally breaks his silence on missing mother-in-law Nancy
Derrick Calella is the chief admissions officerFurthermore, the messages were sent after Nancy’s children posted a video online pleading to contact their mother’s kidnappers, the complaint states.
Colella reportedly used an app to create a fake phone number to contact family, and the account was traced to an email linked to him, according to the complaint.
After being read his Miranda rights, he admitted to sending the text messages, the complaint states. “When he said he sent the text message, he was trying to see if the family would respond,” he said, according to ABC7.
Kalella is not associated with the Bitcoin ransom request, as the complaint states.
Calella is charged with sending a ransom demand and using a telecommunications device for the purpose of abusing, threatening or harassing a person.
On Friday, the judge ordered his release on $20,000 bond and ordered him to refrain from contacting the victim or witnesses.
