Nancy Guthrie updates: No DNA match from gloves found near scene; family cleared as suspects
The desperate search for the 84-year-old continues with investigators hoping for a break in a baffling case.
A new photo released by the FBI of a person taken from Nancy Guthrie’s doorbell camera. Savannah Guthrie and Nancy Guthrie on the Today show set in 2015.
(Photo illustration: Yahoo News; photos: FBI via AP, Don Arnold/WireImage via Getty Images)
The desperate search for Nancy Guthrie has entered its third week, with investigators hoping for a break in a baffling case that they appear no closer to solving.
The FBI said in a statement on Sunday that gloves found about two miles from Guthrie’s home appeared to match the ones worn by the suspect in doorbell camera footage taken from Guthrie’s home on the morning she went missing. DNA recovered from the gloves was submitted for analysis, but no match was found in the bureau’s national DNA database, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department announced on Tuesday.
On Monday, the sheriff’s department said all members of the Guthrie family, including the missing 84-year-old’s adult children and their spouses, have been cleared as suspects.
“To suggest otherwise is not only wrong, it is cruel,” Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said in a statement. “The Guthrie family are victims plain and simple.”
Savannah Guthrie posted another video to Instagram late Sunday, pleading with her mother’s apparent abductor. “It is never too late to do the right thing,” she said.
Authorities — including SWAT and forensics teams — swarmed a home on the edge of the Catalina Foothills neighborhood north of Tucson, Ariz., near Guthrie’s home on Friday night as they carried out a federal court-ordered search warrant. Additionally, a person was questioned during a traffic stop. No arrests were made.
Nancy Guthrie was last seen at around 9:45 p.m. on Jan. 31, when she was dropped off at her home by family members following dinner, police said. She was reported missing around noon the next day after she did not show up at a friend’s house to watch an online church service.
Officials say they have received tens of thousands of tips since the investigation began. Anyone with information is encouraged to reach out to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department tip line at 520-351-4900 or the FBI tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI.
Live74 updates
Mike Bebernes
Investigators turning to genealogy, partial DNA from Guthrie home after gloves return zero matches, sheriff says
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos told NBC News on Tuesday afternoon that the failure to find a match for DNA found on gloves discovered near Nancy Guthrie’s house is “not the end” of their attempts to use genetic material to find the person responsible for her disappearance.
“Now we start with genealogy and some of the partial DNA we have at the home,” he told the network.
He added that he believes that some of the DNA collected at the home may belong to the suspect, but that investigators won’t know for sure until it’s been cross-referenced against available DNA databases.
Dylan Stableford
Investigators are still processing evidence from last week’s search warrants, police say
In an aerial view, FBI and SWAT units execute a search warrant approximately two miles from Nancy Guthrie’s residence on Feb. 13.
(Brandon Bell via Getty Images)
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department said Tuesday that investigators are still processing evidence from two search warrants executed last week. Authorities searched a home near the edge of Nancy Guthrie’s Catalina Foothills neighborhood outside of Tucson, Ariz., on Friday night, and a residence in Rio Rico, Ariz., earlier in the week.
“The individuals who were questioned have been released, and no arrests have been made,” the sheriff’s department said. “As this investigation continues, you can expect to see similar activity.”
The department added that it “has not confirmed the number of leads investigators are actively pursuing.”
Dylan Stableford
Focus turns to Nancy Guthrie’s pacemaker and suspect’s backpack
As the search for Nancy Guthie entered its 17th day on Tuesday, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department said in a statement that it is working with the manufacturer of the 84-year-old Guthrie’s pacemaker in an effort to “locate the device.” Police had said that Guthrie’s pacemaker stopped syncing with her Apple devices at approximately 2 a.m. the morning she was reported missing.
Separately, investigators are working with Walmart management to “identify and isolate” the individual who purchased the backpack seen in the doorbell camera footage released by the FBI, the sheriff’s department said. The FBI had identified the backpack as a black, 25-liter “Ozark Trail Hiker Pack,” which is sold exclusively by the retailer.
The sheriff’s department also said that investigators are “canvassing businesses and showing the doorbell video released by the FBI to determine whether the suspect appears familiar.”
Mike Bebernes
No match found for DNA from gloves discovered near Guthrie house, sheriff’s department says
Genetic material gathered from gloves that were found roughly two miles away from Nancy Guthrie’s house did not match anything in the FBI’s DNA database, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department said Tuesday.
Other sources of DNA material are still being processed, the department said.
Mike Bebernes
Milwaukee attorney offers up $100,000 as an alternative to the FBI’s reward
Michael Hupy, an attorney and the president of the Milwaukee chapter of the nonprofit Crime Stoppers, has offered up a $100,000 reward for information leading to Nancy Guthrie’s location.
In an interview with a local news station, Hupy argued that the FBI’s system for providing tips surrounding the case — which requires people to submit personal information like their name, email address and phone number — could be preventing someone from sharing crucial details with law enforcement.
“This woman has been missing for two or three weeks. And no leads have amounted to anything,” he told Fox 6 in Milwaukee. “So if the person who knows who the perpetrator is doesn’t want his name exposed, wants a reward and has information that will lead to an arrest — Crime Stoppers is the perfect place to do it.”
Crime Stoppers is a community program that allows people to anonymously report information about criminal activity without potentially putting themselves at risk of punishment. Hupy said that the $100,000 reward would be paid out through the Tucson Crime Stoppers chapter.
Dylan Stableford
What happened in the investigation over the long weekend
A Pima County officer is seen outside of Nancy Guthrie‘s home on Saturday, Feb. 14.
(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
There were a few developments in the search for Nancy Guthrie over Presidents’ Day weekend. Here’s a quick recap:
Friday night: Authorities swarmed a home on the edge of Nancy Guthrie’s Catalina Foothills neighborhood north of Tucson, Ariz., as they carried out a search warrant. Additionally, a person was questioned during a traffic stop. No arrests were made.
Sunday: The FBI said in a statement that gloves found about two miles from Guthrie’s home appeared to match the ones worn by the suspect in the doorbell camera footage. The DNA from an unknown male was lifted from one of the recovered gloves, the statement said, and will be entered into the bureau’s national database.
Sunday night: Savannah Guthrie posted another video to Instagram, pleading with her mother’s apparent abductor. “It is never too late to do the right thing,” she said.
Monday: Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos released a statement saying that all members of the Guthrie family, including the missing 84-year-old’s adult children and their spouses, have been cleared as suspects. “To suggest otherwise is not only wrong, it is cruel,” Nanos said. “The Guthrie family are victims plain and simple.” The statement came amid ongoing speculation about Nancy Guthrie’s daughter, Annie Guthrie, and her son-in-law, who police said had dinner with her the night before she was reported missing.
Dylan Stableford
Sheriff explains why he released statement clearing Guthrie family as suspects
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos was asked by NBC News why he decided to release a statement on Monday clearing Nancy Guthrie’s family, including her children and their spouses, as suspects in the case.
“Because sometimes we forget we’re human and we hurt, and kindness matters,” Nanos said. “It is every cop’s duty to stand up and be that voice for our victims. I’m not going to sit in silence when others are attacking the innocent. Isn’t that what the badge represents?”
Mike Bebernes
All members of the Guthrie family have been cleared as suspects, sheriff’s department says
No one in Nancy Guthrie’s family is being considered a potential suspect in her disappearance, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department wrote in a statement Monday afternoon.
“The family has been nothing but cooperative and gracious and are victims in this case,” the department wrote.
In the days following Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance, there had been ample online speculation surrounding her immediate family, with specific rumors centering around her son-in-law. Monday’s statement makes clear that he and all other members of the family are not suspected of being involved.
Dylan Stableford
Trump threatens death penalty in Nancy Guthrie case if she isn’t returned alive
President Trump said that he would direct the Department of Justice to seek the “most severe” federal punishment against those responsible for Nancy Guthrie’s apparent abduction if she isn’t returned alive.
The president made the comments in a phone interview with the New York Post on Monday, more than two weeks after the 84-year-old mother of Today show cohost Savannah Guthrie was reported missing.
When asked if that meant the death penalty, Trump said, “The most, yeah — that’s true.”
Neia Balao
Savannah Guthrie posts new video: ‘It’s never too late to do the right thing.’
On Sunday, Savannah Guthrie posted a video on Instagram urging for her mother’s safe return.
“It’s been two weeks since our mom was taken, and I just wanted to come on and say that we still have hope and we still believe,” Guthrie said. “And I wanted to say to whoever has her or knows where she is that it’s never too late, and you’re not lost or alone. It’s never too late to do the right thing.”
Guthrie added, “We are here, and we believe. We believe in the essential goodness of every human being.”
Neia Balao
DNA of an unknown male found on glove near Nancy Guthrie’s home
The FBI confirmed to ABC News that the DNA of an unknown male was lifted from a glove that appeared to match the ones worn by the suspect in doorbell camera footage from Nancy Guthrie’s home, taken on the morning she went missing. It was reportedly found about 2 miles away from her house.
Kate Murphy
Glove found near Nancy Guthrie’s home appears to match those worn by suspect in doorbell camera video
A glove found near Nancy Guthrie’s home appears to match the gloves worn by the masked person seen in the FBI-released doorbell camera footage, according to multiple news outlets that cited the FBI.
The glove, which contained DNA, was one of several that investigators found while searching near her home. Most of the gloves belonged to searchers who had discarded them while working in the area, the FBI said.
“The one with the DNA profile recovered is different and appears to match the gloves of the subject in the surveillance video,” the FBI said in a statement, adding that it’s waiting on final test results from the glove, which could take about 24 hours.
Kate Murphy
Why Nancy Guthrie’s case has gripped the attention of the U.S.
Yellow flowers and signs remain at a vigil outside of Nancy Guthrie’s home on Saturday in Tucson, Ariz.
(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
As the cohost of Today, Savannah Guthrie’s fame has led to national attention in the disappearance of her 84-year-old mother, Nancy Guthrie, and significant resources have been dedicated to finding her. But it has also led to rampant speculation and false leads.
YouTuber Jimmy Williams told the BBC that the speculation only heightens the intrigue of the case. Since Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance, his YouTube channel has gained more than 8,000 new subscribers, he said.
Many who have kept up with the details of the case feel for the Guthrie family and believe that this could happen to anybody’s mother.
Kelly Himes, who told the BBC that she lives several miles from Nancy Guthrie’s home, felt compelled to visit the growing number of flowers at the end of Nancy’s driveway to offer a prayer.
“Nancy’s the same age as my mom, the same height as my mom, and she’s got the same hair,” Himes told the BBC. “She lives alone, just like my mom does. This is someone who could be anybody’s mother.”
Kate Murphy
No news conferences scheduled for Sunday, sheriff’s department says
There are currently no planned news conferences scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 15, a spokesperson for the Pima County Sheriff’s Department told Yahoo in an email on Sunday morning.
Kate Murphy
Authorities attempt to detect Nancy Guthrie’s pacemaker using ‘signal sniffer’
Nancy Guthrie’s pacemaker was disconnected from the accompanying app on her phone just before 2:30 a.m. on Feb. 1, the same day she was reported missing.
Authorities are now using a device called a “signal sniffer” mounted on a Pima County Sheriff’s Department helicopter to attempt to detect her pacemaker, NewsNation reported.
“The helicopter has to stay low and move slowly for it to work,” NewsNation reporter Brian Entin said in a Saturday post on X.
Former FBI special agent Maureen O’Connell also told NewsNation on Saturday, “With regards to this particular tool … I do know that the pacemaker sends off a very short-distance alert, or whatever, so they’re going to have to get really close.”
Kate Murphy
Arizona state rep blasts true crime content creators for doing ‘more harm than good’
Arizona state Rep. Alma Hernandez, who represents Pima County, blasted “random wannabe journalists and YouTubers” in an X post on Saturday for doing “more harm than good” in the investigation.
“Let law enforcement do their jobs. Stop following them during swat operations and playing detectives,” she said, adding that she is sick of the “constant LIES” and calling for them to “GO HOME.”
Kate Murphy
Search for Nancy Guthrie enters 3rd week
The search for Nancy Guthrie entered its third week on Sunday. The 84-year-old was last seen on Jan. 31 at her Tucson, Ariz., home and was reported missing by her family on Feb. 1. Here’s what we know so far about the investigation:
The FBI shared details about the masked person seen in the doorbell camera footage it released, describing them as 5 feet 9 inches tall with an average build. They were wearing dark clothing, black gloves and sneakers, and had a black 25-liter Ozark Trail Hiker Pack backpack.
DNA uncovered by forensics teams on Nancy Guthrie’s property that does not match her or anyone close to her is being analyzed at a laboratory, the Pima County sheriff said.
Additionally, multiple pieces of evidence collected by investigators, including several gloves, are undergoing forensic analysis. One of the gloves was discovered up to 10 miles from Nancy Guthrie’s home.
Authorities have not named a suspect or made any arrests as of Sunday morning.
On Feb. 10, law enforcement detained a man for questioning and searched his residence in Rio Rico, Ariz. He was released hours later.
No arrests were made on Friday following a law enforcement operation at a residence near Nancy Guthrie’s home.
Andrew Romano
Law enforcement swarmed two locations near Guthrie’s home last night
Pima County law enforcement block a road near Nancy Guthrie’s home in Tucson, Ariz., on Friday.
(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Late Friday, more than a dozen law enforcement vehicles — including SWAT and forensics teams — swarmed a residence on the edge of the Catalina Foothills neighborhood, a short drive from both Nancy Guthrie’s home and the home of her older daughter and son-in-law.
Multiple roads were closed for about four hours while officers conducted activity “related to the Guthrie case,” the Pima County Sheriff’s Department later confirmed on X.
But despite initially posting that “a written statement” about Friday’s activity would be “forthcoming,” the department ultimately left the scene without explaining why they were there.
“Because this is a joint investigation, at the request of the FBI — no additional information is currently available,” the department announced.
Local deputies and FBI investigators also converged on a second scene in the parking lot of a restaurant about five minutes away from the residential neighborhood they had sealed off.
They were seen investigating and photographing something in the trunk of gray Range Rover. A tow truck eventually hauled the SUV away. It is unclear whether this activity was connected to the Guthrie case.
Dylan Stableford
Sheriff says no gloves were found at Nancy Guthrie’s home
The home of Nancy Guthrie in Tucson, Ariz.
(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
In an interview with a Fox News reporter on Friday, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said that the gloves that were recovered by investigators were not found at Nancy Guthrie’s home.
“We never found a glove on that property,” Nanos said.
The department said in a statement on Thursday that investigators had “recovered several items of evidence, including gloves,” and that they were being submitted for analysis. It did not say where the items were recovered.
NBC News incorrectly reported that the gloves were found at Guthrie’s residence. On Friday morning, the network issued a correction, stating that it was not clear where they were found.
Dylan Stableford
No press briefing scheduled today
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department said it will not hold a press conference on the Nancy Guthrie case today, saying in a post on X that it would notify the media only “if any significant developments occur.”
The last official media briefing on the investigation was on Feb. 5.
