This week on Legally UsRachael Bennett, licensed household regulation specialist and senior legal professional for Sullivan Legislation & Associatesbreaks down the authorized repercussions that can face Derrick Callella, the Los Angeles man who was charged with sending the faux ransom notice to authorities relating to the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie.
Los Angeles Journal reported on February 5 that the previous L.A. County worker had new federal costs leveled towards him after he initially despatched a textual content message to Savannah Guthrie’s sister, Annie Guthrieand Annie’s husband, Tommaso Cioni.
The textual content learn, “Did you get the bitcoin had been (sic) ready on our finish for the transaction.” Callella then allegedly made a cellphone name to an unidentified member of the family of Nancy, 84, which lasted 9 seconds.
“It’s unlawful to transmit a ransom demand or extortion risk throughout state strains, which mainly means by cellphone, electronic mail, textual content, social media, any of the above,” Bennett tells Us Weekly. “If somebody sends a message saying, ‘Pay me or the one you love goes to be harmed,’ even once they know that that’s not true, that may nonetheless qualify as extortion or interstate threatening communications, and that may carry important jail time. The underside line on that is exploiting a household’s worry throughout a disaster like this isn’t simply merciless, it’s a critical legal offense, even when it was only a ruse.”
Los Angeles Journal reported that Callella admitted to sending the ransom calls for. The outlet famous that he informed the FBI “that he pulled household data from a cyber web site, and that he had been following alongside and watching TV.” He informed authorities his textual content messages had been an try to “see if the household would reply.”
“The (Guthrie) household would completely have a civil case right here, separate from no matter the federal government decides to prosecute,” Bennett tells Us. “There’s additionally a powerful argument for intentional infliction of emotional misery. Exploiting a household in a state of affairs like that is the precise form of excessive and outrageous conduct that courts search for in circumstances like that. I’d say the important thing distinction right here is that legal courtroom’s at all times about punishment, civil courtroom is about compensation. Even when this defendant faces jail time, the household may nonetheless pursue their very own lawsuit within the civil courtroom.”
UPDATE 2/12/26, 2:30 p.m. ET: A second electronic mail has been acquired claiming to have data on who took Nancy Guthrie, based on TMZ. The outlet reported {that a} message was despatched simply after 8 a.m. PT on Thursday, February 12, with the thriller individual claiming, “I’m not being taken critically.” TMZ didn’t disclose (…)
Nancy was final seen in Arizona on January 31 and reported lacking the next day.
On Tuesday, February 10, FBI launched the primary surveillance pictures and video footage of a topic exterior of Nancy’s Tuscon, Arizona, residence. The individual wore a masks and gloves and tried to cowl the Nest digicam with a department. In a single picture, the person gave the impression to be armed with a gun.
Savannah Guthrie’s mother, Nancy Guthrie, has been reported lacking in Arizona. “That is very regarding to us. We don’t sometimes get the sheriff out at a scene like this. Nevertheless it’s very regarding what we’re studying from the home,” Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos stated in a press convention on Sunday, February 1. “And so (…)
A person named Carlos Palazuelos was later detained and questioned by police that very same day for his doable connection to the investigation. He was subsequently launched and denied having any involvement in Nancy’s disappearance.
Amid their mother’s disappearance, Savannah and her siblings have shared a number of pleas for assist. In an emotional video posted by way of Instagram on Saturday, February 7, Savannah spoke on to the doable kidnapper.
She stated, “We beg you now to return our mom to us in order that we will have a good time together with her. That is the one method we can have peace. That is very precious to us and we can pay.”
For a full Legally Us recap, watch the video above.