AZ Nancy Guthrie, 84, (mother of TODAY Show host Savannah Guthrie) missing - last seen in the Catalina foothills area on Jan 31, 2026

[Vegasgrl]

This thread was closed earlier after warnings to attach source and use initials when referring to people. If you just popped in I'm just letting you know what happened earlier

 

[SRWCF]

Well, I don’t know if she went in-person or not, but I imagine if she regularly did participate in the live-streaming chat thing, she would log in and say hello to her friends there. Especially if she was a long-time member, which I thought she was.
Just my opinion

If an 84 year old woman wants to interact with church friends, she will go to the service in person and talk to them. She is not 14 years old where the norm would be to "meet up" with your buddies online.

 

[stmichael]

It may be unrelated - but there are enough data points that they might be connected in some way. (e.g. texting both AG and TC but not SG and the verbiage of the text was not a ransom - the exact verbiage is in the court records. This individual is also in a band in the same genre of TC) So now the detectives are trying to put the pieces together - and the "fake ransom hoax" part is just a way of detectives not trying to show their cards - but it's part of the puzzle they are putting together. Again - all speculation at this point.

I have to admit that once I saw the exact quote of what he supposedly texted I was a bit surprised.

The phrase really reads as if he was asking and complicit rather than some wannabe hoaxer "testing the waters" An interesting facet to this, that potentially piles onto the AG/TC angle.

 

[truecrimel]

I don’t find the church caller odd if it’s true IMO. NG has lived in the area for decades and has likely attended the same church for many years. She would have friends who attend who may also have become family friends over the years (how they’d be able to call AG). Also, it was JUST Nancy’s birthday days prior to her going missing, this would’ve been the first church service since her birthday. Maybe a couple people brought gifts or were looking forward to wishing her a happy birthday, but then were surprised when she didn’t show up and wasn’t reachable.

 

[txsleuth70]

Here's your clarification:

"Callella is not linked to the Bitcoin ransom demand, according to the complaint."

SoCal man accused of sending hoax ransom letter to Guthrie family appears in court

The Hawthorne man is charged with transmitting a demand for ransom, among other charges. The judge ordered him released on a $20,000 bond.

abc7.com

And that's dated 2/7, right? Right

 

[ZZZZZZZZZZ]

Newsweek analysis of public records and reports linked Callella, 42, of Torrance, California, to a recent case in Los Angeles County involving 13 county employees, who were accused of stealing over $430,000 in unemployment benefits.

Callella allegedly stole $9,984 in unemployment benefits between May 6, 2020, and January 20, 2022, the Los Angeles County District Attorney said in a press release on October 15, 2025.Who is Derrick Callella? Suspect allegedly threatened Nancy Guthrie family

 

[sdmike1974]

If NG’s pacemaker app data shows it disconnected from her phone (found in her residence) at 2:28 a.m., presumably LE has checked for video camera footage of vehicles in a 5 mile radius at that odd hour of the night?

Anyone know?

 

[txsleuth70]

There is no one by that name in TC's band.

Early Black | Rock from Tucson, AZ

Rock | Tucson, AZ

www.reverbnation.com

No one said he is in TC's band.

 

[yurintroubl]

Interestingly enough, they aren't putting billboards up in Phoenix. Tucson news has covered NG extensively so people know her face in Tucson and perhaps that's the case in Phoenix, too.

Those billboards are digital and are probably too bright to use in Tucson.

 

[HoveringWombats]

e.g. texting both AG and TC but not SG

IMO, this is not suspicious. SG is a public figure whose cell phone number is likely harder to get than ordinary citizens AG and TC. I have not personally tried to track down any of their numbers, but it's usually not hard to find a normal person's phone number in various online databases. High profile people often do a better job of keeping their info out of those things (though not always).

 

[emigrate]

We have to be so careful on here. What might be a simple misunderstanding can really escalate into wild, unfounded accusations against innocent people!

I deleted the posts thank you for the heads up

 

[missy1974]

Since LE took this notification from a church member off their timeline, I believe LE determined this didn't happen. MO

The criminal complaint filed against fake ransom hoaxer was filed the same day as the press conference. I have highlighted it above. I REALLY REALLY REALLY hope this puts the whole church thing to rest for now. It happened and it said 'had not attended church that morning'. Seems pretty clear to me.

https://www.justice.gov/usao-az/media/1426976/dl?inline

 

[LRinCA]

Sororities did it all the time, kidnapping new members

I recently watched Gilmore Girls for the first time (25 years after it originally came out) and there was a kidnapping episode (pajamas/breakfast/busted at the school, etc.).

 

[emigrate]

No one said he is in TC's band.

I did accidentally because I got confused by the band thing, I deleted the posts, sorry

 

[SRWCF]

DBM

 

[MCB1151]

If the family is no longer asking for proof of life in the last video and says that they will pay, then what are they waiting for? There must be some strategy behind this. They aren’t asking for more communication. They’re not asking for anything in this latest video. They have the bitcoin account. Creating another video was redundant. Can anyone guess why they did it?

They know what the alleged kidnapper wants. They know where to send the money. They’re not asking for proof of life… so, what’s the point of the video message then? They already seem like they’ve accepted that she’s no longer alive. Is this a final plea before sending the money - that the “kidnapper(s) do return the body and not just disappear after they’re paid? Or is there some bigger strategy here?

This is where I think one has to consider the mindset of a person who would do this to a family - the level of absolute power and control one would feel watching a family do exactly what you say to do, how you say to do it, when you say do it, it's an obscene level of control. I have my own opinion on whether the ransom demands are actually related to NG's disappearance BUT IN GENERAL - I think you have to think more about the psychology of the situation vs. the strategy behind it.

 

[DS2021]

Just to emphasize. This chat is moving crazy fast, and there's 318 members online. Theres ten times as many non registered users browsing websleuths. Im assuming the majority are in this thread, as there hasnt been any other super active threads today.

that's possibly 4000 plus eyes on this thread. Im begging everyone to plz be mindful

 

[yurintroubl]

THERE IS NOTHING TO SUGGEST ARRESTED FAKE RANSOM GUY HAS ANY CONNECTION TO THE GUTHRIE FAMILY.

PLAYING THE SAME GENRE OF MUSIC IS NOT A "LINK" TO SOMETHING.

 

[osu]

They also pointed out that this guy who was attested for the fake ransom note is in a band. Anyone know what kind of music they play?

Re: Derrick Callella. Here’s some background about his music and band.

*This info is from Chat GPT, siting YouTube, Facebook and a Parade Magazine article.


Derrick Callella also has an online presence as a musician under the alias “Secret Mutilator,” producing provocative music and merchandise .

Derrick Callella performs under the alias “Secret Mutilator,” a solo musical project rather than a traditional band. His work is characterized by provocative themes and an experimental style, which he describes on Facebook as “SLASH ‘N BURN MODERN-SOUND TERRORISTS LUXED IN LAWLESSNESS & OUR CLOTHES ARE A MESS” . Callella has released at least 11 collections of music, including EPs and albums, available on platforms like Bandcamp. Additionally, he sells merchandise featuring imagery from Russian propaganda posters with anti-government motifs.

While “Secret Mutilator” is primarily a solo endeavor, Callella has participated in live performances. For instance, he was featured at a “Goth Prom Night” event alongside the band Velas Negras at The Stardust Club in November 2025 .

For a sample of his music, you can visit his YouTube playlist here: Secret Mutilator

 

[stmichael]

Derrick Callella is the one arrested. Lives in an entirely different state

Yes, the state right next to AZ, and within TMZ's "radius" they extrapolated where NG could be based off the ransom details, for what that's worth.