A California man pleads guilty to sending a fraudulent ransom note to Nancy Guthrie’s family in connection with her disappearance, federal authorities announce. Derrick Callella admitted that he contacted Guthrie’s family by phone and sent text messages demanding a bitcoin transaction. The case concerns Nancy Guthrie, an 84-year-old woman and mother of Today show host Savannah Guthrie, who was last seen on 31 January at her home outside Tucson, Arizona. Investigators say that when the search began, they observed her cellphone, medication and other basic items inside the residence, and they found drops of her blood near the porch. Multiple outlets report that prosecutors treat the messages as bogus ransom communications rather than evidence of any actual kidnapping. Callella’s plea is entered in federal court, with penalties described as up to two years in prison and a fine of $250,000. The reporting from the outlets focuses on his admission to the fake ransom scheme and the bitcoin demand included in the communications.