Derrick Callella, a 42-year-old California man, has pleaded guilty to sending fake ransom-related messages to the family of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of Today co-host Savannah Guthrie. Callella admitted that he contacted the family on February 4, asking about a bitcoin payment while knowing that an earlier ransom demand had already been made. Prosecutors said his actions were intended to harass the family and obtain information about the investigation.

Callella pleaded guilty to two counts of harassment using a telecommunications device. Each charge carries a maximum penalty of two years in prison and a $250,000 fine, although his plea agreement calls for five years of probation. He is scheduled to be sentenced on September 10. Authorities were able to trace the messages back to him despite his use of a disguised phone number.

The guilty plea does not solve the mystery surrounding Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance. The FBI has said that several ransom communications have been received, with some determined to be illegitimate extortion attempts while others remain under investigation. Importantly, investigators have not linked Callella’s messages to the original ransom demand and continue to treat the disappearance as a kidnapping-for-ransom case.

Nancy Guthrie was last seen at her Tucson, Arizona, home on January 31. Investigators found her blood near the porch, along with evidence suggesting a possible struggle, and authorities have released surveillance images of an armed, masked individual near the residence. Despite extensive efforts to locate her, Guthrie remains missing. The investigation continues, and the guilty plea against Callella represents a separate case rather than a breakthrough in determining what happened to Nancy.