Ransom imposter in Nancy Guthrie case to face inpatient substance abuse treatment as sentencing awaits

Another update on the Nancy Guthrie case has been revealed: Derrick Anthony Callella, the California man who has been found guilty of sending fraudulent ransom notes, to enter an "inpatient substance abuse treatment" program. He is waiting for her next appearance in federal court and this new change will take place before that.

Callella was found guilty of two counts of harassment using a telecommunications device after admitting that he did send fake ransom notes after Nancy Guthrie went missing. The messages he sent were created in a way that it looked like Callella actually abducted the Arizona resident and was demanding money for her release.

But now, it has been confirmed that Derrick Anthony Callella has nothing to do with Guthrie's disappearance. Notably, authorities have also stated that he was not responsible for the separate ransom demand sent to local media shortly after she went missing. This means that the very first ransom note is still being investigated.

As for Callella, he must complete inpatient treatment and comply with the program's requirements before sentencing. He is scheduled to appear in court for sentencing on September 10, while investigators continue their separate quest to find out who kidnapped the 84-year-old woman.

More details below.

Nancy Guthrie case: Court tightens release conditions as Derrick Callella awaits sentencing

As explained earlier, it has been confirmed that a 43-year-old man named Derrick Callella from California is behind sending fake, phony ransom texts to Nancy Guthrie's family. As of July 8, a judge ordered him into inpatient substance abuse treatment pending sentencing (prosecutors had recommended probation in a plea deal).

The revised release conditions require him to remain in a residential treatment facility or an approved halfway house instead of staying under his previous arrangement. During this time, Callella must fulfill all the requirements set by the facility.

And if he fails to comply in this program, the U.S. Marshals Service has been authorized to remove him from the facility and place him in temporary custody until further court action. And if he completes this program successfully, the California man will be allowed to stay in a residence approved by the U.S. Pretrial Services Division while continuing to await sentencing.

Callella would be sentenced on September 10, and following the two harassment counts, he could receive up to two years in prison on each count and fines of as much as $250,000 per count. And since he is guilty of them, the 43-year-old might also end up with one year of supervised release following any prison term.

Is there any other update on the Nancy Guthrie abduction case?

Currently, Nancy Guthrie is still missing, with no recovery of her body or major breakthroughs publicly announced. Investigators are still working to find out who abducted her and whether she is alive or not.

An ex-FBI agent stressed the importance of keeping media attention on the case to encourage tips from anyone with information. There was an anonymous tip leading to searches by a Mexican volunteer group (Buscando Corazones Nogales) near Nogales for possible graves. They found about 25 unmarked graves, but none of them were related to Guthrie.

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Continue exploring SoapCentral for regular updates on more such cases.

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