As the search for TODAY anchor Savannah Guthrie’s missing mother enters its sixth day, false reports have muddied an already devastating investigation
The disappearance of Nancy Guthrie has captured national attention not only because her daughter is a beloved television personality, but because the circumstances surrounding her vanishing contain the chilling hallmarks of a carefully planned abduction. Yet amid the legitimate fear and frantic search efforts, a dangerous undercurrent of misinformation has emerged—one that threatens to derail the investigation and unfairly implicate innocent family members.
What Actually Happened
On the evening of January 31, 2025, 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie enjoyed what should have been an ordinary Saturday night. She had dinner with her daughter Annie Guthrie and son-in-law Tommaso Cioni at their Tucson home, where they shared a meal and played board games. Around 9:30-9:45 PM, family members dropped Nancy off at her Catalina Foothills residence, a peaceful neighborhood where she had lived for years.
“We have a start point,” Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos explained during a press conference. “The family took her home from dinner at about 9:30 to 9:45 [p.m.] on Saturday, January 31.”
Nancy was expected at church the following morning. When she didn’t arrive, concerned family members went to check on her at approximately 11:56 AM on Sunday, February 1. They discovered her missing and called 911 at 12:03 PM. Deputies arrived within ten minutes.
What they found painted an ominous picture.
The Crime Scene
Investigators quickly determined that Nancy’s home was a crime scene. Sheriff Nanos was unequivocal in his assessment: “We believe now, after we’ve processed that crime scene, that we do in fact have a crime scene, that we do in fact have a crime. She did not leave on her own.”
The timeline pieced together by authorities reveals a methodical intrusion:

1:47 AM Sunday: Nancy’s doorbell camera was disconnected
2:12 AM: Software in the home detected a person on camera, but no video is available
2:28 AM: Nancy’s pacemaker disconnected from her personal device

Blood matching Nancy’s DNA was found on the porch outside her home. Personal items including her cellphone, wallet, and necessary medications were left behind—critical details suggesting forced removal. For an 84-year-old woman with mobility issues who requires daily medication for survival, every hour away from her prescriptions increases the danger.
The Family’s Anguish
Savannah Guthrie, joined by her siblings Annie and brother Lt. Col. Camron Guthrie (a retired F-16 pilot), posted an emotional video plea on February 4. Their words captured the helplessness of children desperate to reach their mother.
“Our mom is our heart and our home,” Savannah said, her voice breaking. “She’s 84 years old. Her health, her heart is fragile. She lives in constant pain. She is without any medicine. She needs it to survive.”
Annie added: “Nancy is our mother, we are her children. She is our beacon. The light is missing from our lives. She chooses joy day after day, despite having already passed through great trials of pain and grief.”
The siblings addressed reports of ransom demands directly: “We too, have heard the reports about a ransom letter in the media. As a family, we are doing everything that we can. We are ready to talk. However, we live in a world where voices and images are easily manipulated. We need to know without a doubt that she is alive and that you have her.”
Ransom Confusion and an Imposter Arrest
The investigation took a bizarre turn when multiple ransom demands surfaced. On February 2, Tucson television station KOLD-TV received a ransom note demanding payment via Bitcoin to a specific wallet address. Then, separate text messages were sent to Annie Guthrie and Tommaso Cioni asking about Bitcoin payment.
On February 5, the FBI announced the arrest of Derrick Callella, 42, of Hawthorne, California, on federal charges of transmitting a demand for ransom in interstate commerce and using telecommunications to anonymously abuse, threaten, or harass. Court documents revealed Callella sent texts reading: “Did you get the bitcoin were [sic] waiting on our end for the transaction.”
After being read his Miranda rights, Callella allegedly confessed to sending the messages, stating he found the family’s contact information online and had been following news coverage. He even called the family afterward.
Critically, Callella is accused only of sending an imposter ransom demand—attempting to exploit the family’s tragedy for financial gain. He has not been charged with any direct involvement in Nancy’s disappearance or kidnapping.
FBI Phoenix Special Agent in Charge Heith Janke clarified at a press conference that they are investigating a different ransom demand as potentially coming from Nancy’s actual abductor.
Adding to Callella’s troubling background, he was previously charged in October 2025 as one of 13 Los Angeles County employees accused of stealing $430,000 in unemployment benefits between 2020 and 2023.
Debunking False Reports
As national attention intensified, so did speculation. Former NewsNation reporter Ashleigh Banfield reported on her “Drop Dead Serious” podcast that her “law enforcement source” indicated Annie Guthrie’s car had been seized and that Tommaso Cioni was a “prime suspect.”
Sheriff Nanos responded forcefully at a February 6 press conference, calling such reporting “reckless.”
“We don’t have anybody here listed as a suspect,” Nanos stated firmly. “Nobody’s eliminated, but we just really don’t have enough to say, ‘This is our suspect, this is our guy, we know — or our gal.’ We don’t know that.”
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department issued an official statement to TMZ: “We have not identified a suspect or person of interest in this case. Detectives continue to speak with anyone who may have had contact with Mrs. Guthrie. We are also awaiting additional forensic results. We are not confirming the car being seized, we are unsure where that reporter is getting that information.”
The department added: “The sharing of unverified accusations or false information is irresponsible and does not assist the investigation.”
Sheriff Nanos did acknowledge that a car present at Nancy’s home was processed as “standard investigative practices” under search warrant procedures, but he declined to specify whose vehicle it was—a far cry from the dramatic “seizure” narrative being circulated online.
Even more egregiously, completely fabricated articles have appeared online falsely claiming Annie Guthrie was arrested, complete with invented details about her age, manufactured financial transactions, and fictional characters presented as real people.
The Real Annie Guthrie
Annie Guthrie, 56, is a published poet, jeweler, and creative writing professor at the University of Arizona Poetry Center. She earned her M.F.A. from Warren Wilson College and has received the Academy of American Poets Prize and Arizona Commission on the Arts Fellowship in Poetry. Her 2015 poetry collection “The Good Dark” chronicles an immersive search in three acts.
She is married to Tommaso Cioni, an AP Biology teacher at BASIS Ed Arizona who is originally from Italy. The couple has appeared on TODAY alongside Savannah when the show visited Tucson in November 2024 to feature Savannah’s hometown.
Annie and Savannah share an exceptionally close bond, forged in tragedy when their father Charles Guthrie died of a heart attack when they were young. “My sister and I are like the sun and the moon,” Annie has said. “Her sorrows are my sorrows. And her successes are my successes.”
Savannah has described Annie as “by far the most wise, intelligent, thoughtful, creative, generous and profoundly original person I know. She is my forever partner in life.”
This is the woman now being subjected to unfounded speculation and false accusations while enduring the nightmare of her mother’s disappearance.
The Investigation Continues
Sheriff Nanos emphasized that authorities are pursuing all leads without tunnel vision. “Nobody’s eliminated,” he acknowledged, “but we cover all angles. We’re not going to dismiss something until we actually know for a fact that it’s one way or the other.”
FBI agents were observed conducting searches near Nancy’s property and visiting Annie’s home, where Savannah is believed to be staying. These are standard investigative procedures in missing persons cases, not indications of guilt.
The FBI has posted a $50,000 reward for information leading to Nancy’s recovery and the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in her disappearance. Anyone with information is urged to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or submit tips at tips.fbi.gov.
Why False Reports Harm Real Investigations
In the age of social media, speculation moves faster than facts. While public interest can aid investigations through increased vigilance and tip generation, false accusations create multiple problems:
They distract law enforcement from pursuing legitimate leads by forcing them to issue corrections and clarifications.
They traumatize innocent family members who are already suffering, compounding their grief with public suspicion.
They can prejudice potential witnesses who may avoid coming forward if they believe conclusions have already been reached.
They undermine public trust in media reporting when false claims are eventually debunked.
Former FBI agent Gregory Vecchi, speaking to Newsweek, suggested authorities may have identified suspects they’re not yet ready to disclose publicly. “I’m not convinced officials don’t have potential suspects,” Vecchi stated, noting that controlled information release is a common investigative strategy.
A Mother, Not a Headline
Beyond the true crime fascination and media frenzy is a real woman beloved by her children and grandchildren. Nancy Guthrie, who lost her husband young and raised three successful children, worked in the Public Relations department at the University of Arizona. Friends describe her as choosing joy day after day, a woman of deep faith known for her volunteer work and legendary apple pies.
Her grandchildren—Savannah’s daughter Vale, 10, and son Charley, 8—”adore her and crowd around her and cover her with kisses,” according to Savannah.
In a resurfaced 2022 TODAY segment celebrating Nancy’s 80th birthday, Savannah called her mother “strong,” reflecting on how they “had some hard times” but always supported each other.
Now that strength is being tested in unimaginable ways.
What We Know For Certain
As of February 7, 2026, these are the verified facts:
✓ Nancy Guthrie has been missing since the early morning hours of February 1
✓ Evidence indicates she was forcibly removed from her home
✓ Her doorbell camera was disconnected, and her pacemaker lost connection at 2:28 AM
✓ Blood matching her DNA was found at the scene
✓ She requires daily medication for survival
✓ One person (Derrick Callella) has been arrested for sending fake ransom texts, but he is not charged with the kidnapping itself
✓ No suspects or persons of interest have been officially identified in the actual abduction
✓ Annie Guthrie has NOT been arrested
✓ The FBI is offering a $50,000 reward for information
The Guthrie family ended their video plea with a prayer: “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.”
For a family already navigating their worst nightmare, the proliferation of false information adds insult to injury. As the investigation continues, the focus must remain on finding Nancy Guthrie and bringing her home safely—not on speculation, rumor, or fabricated narratives that serve only to obscure the truth and harm innocent people.
If you have legitimate information about Nancy Guthrie’s whereabouts, contact the FBI immediately at 1-800-CALL-FBI or the Pima County Sheriff’s Department at 520-351-4900.