What To Know
- A man who pleaded guilty to sending fake ransom notes to Nancy Guthrie’s family has been ordered to complete treatment.
- A judge ordered him into an inpatient substance-use facility ahead of his September 10 sentencing.
- There still has not been a suspect arrested for Nancy’s disappearance.
A judge has ordered the man who pleaded guilty to sending fake ransom notes about Nancy Guthrie into inpatient substance abuse treatment, Fox News confirmed via federal court records.
Derrick Anthony Callella was arrested back in February after Guthrie’s disappearance. The FBI discovered that he had sent fake ransom messages to Nancy’s daughter Annie Guthrie and son-in-law Tommaso Cioni. He is currently awaiting sentencing for two counts of harassment using a telecommunications device.
Callella’s sentencing hearing isn’t until September 10, and in the meantime, he will have to reside at an inpatient substance-use treatment facility or halfway house, per Fox News. He also must comply with all of the requirements of the program he enters and contribute toward the cost of his treatment.
Should Callella not comply with these rules, the U.S. Marshals Service is authorized to remove him from the program and place him in temporary custody. When he completes treatment, he will be allowed to live at a home that is approved by the courts.
Callella is facing up to two years in prison for each count against him, as well as fines up to $250,000. It’s expected that he’ll have up to one year of supervised release after he completes his sentence.
Meanwhile, investigators have confirmed that Callella is not responsible for other ransom letters that have been sent to local media outlets. These demands remain under investigation and have not been officially determined to be legitimate at this time.
Guthrie was reported missing on February 1 and a suspect has yet to be arrested in her disappearance. While the circumstances are grim, her family is still seeking answers for closure.
“It is five months of agony and unending trauma for our family,” Savannah Guthrie recently said in a statement to KOLD of Tucson, Arizona. “There is not a moment that goes by that we aren’t actively trying to find our mom. We thank the people of Tucson for holding her in their hearts, as well as both the FBI and the Pima County Sheriff’s Office for their tireless work on behalf of our family. Bring her home.”