Authorities have sent fresh DNA samples from Nancy Guthrie‘s Arizona home to the FBI for advanced testing. The 84-year-old mother of Today show co-host Savannah Guthrie has been missing since January 31. Investigators hope this new evidence could finally identify the person responsible for her disappearance.
The DNA material includes hair collected from inside Guthrie’s home in the Catalina Foothills neighborhood of Tucson. A private Florida laboratory that works with the Pima County Sheriff’s Department sent the sample to the FBI in recent days. The FBI is now using new forensic technology to analyze the evidence.
What the New DNA Evidence Includes
The DNA sample sent to the FBI contains hair recovered from Nancy Guthrie’s residence. Previous testing at the Florida lab produced mixed results because the DNA came from multiple people.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos told a neighborhood watch group that separating the mixed sample could take up to six months. Investigators need to isolate individual DNA strands before they can identify any possible suspects.
Genetic genealogist CeCe Moore told NewsNation that a hair sample is unlikely to be part of a mixed DNA profile after proper cleaning for contamination. This could make the analysis more straightforward than other types of evidence.
The sheriff’s department confirmed their ongoing work with federal authorities.
“PCSD has worked with the FBI since the beginning of the Guthrie investigation. This is not new information. The private lab we utilize in Florida continues to share information with the FBI lab and other partner labs across the country. DNA analysis remains ongoing.”
How Nancy Guthrie Went Missing
Nancy Guthrie was last seen at her home on January 31. Family members checked on her the next day after she missed a church service and reported her missing on February 1.
Authorities believe she was taken from her home during the early morning hours. Her pacemaker disconnected from her phone around 2:30 a.m., suggesting the device moved out of range.
Sheriff Nanos said at a February news conference that evidence at the crime scene indicated Guthrie “did not leave on her own.” She needs daily medication that could be fatal if missed for 24 hours.
The FBI released surveillance video showing a masked person tampering with a camera at Guthrie’s front door the morning she disappeared. The person appears to have a flashlight in their mouth while standing outside.
Other Evidence Investigators Have Examined
Law enforcement previously tested a glove found about two miles from Guthrie’s home in a field near the road. The sheriff’s department reported no DNA matches in CODIS, the FBI’s criminal offender database.
Blood found on the porch of Guthrie’s residence was tested and confirmed to belong to Nancy. This result came from earlier forensic work.
Last month, Sheriff Nanos told journalist Bill Buckmaster that investigators had DNA they believed was “still workable” in the case.
“I just can’t share everything I know, but I will tell you this: We have some DNA that we think is still workable, and we have to work that. And we know the science, and we know we have some labs around this country who are really working diligently to get there with this.”
The sheriff also mentioned that DNA found at the home could contain a mixture from several people. About two dozen investigators from the sheriff’s department and FBI continue working on the case.
Rewards Offered for Information
The FBI is offering a reward of up to $100,000 for information leading to Guthrie’s recovery or the arrest and conviction of anyone involved. The agency asks people to submit only serious, fact-based information.
“To help keep the tip line available for actionable investigative law enforcement leads, please submit only serious and detailed fact-based information, no well-wishes or case theories. The tip line is not for personal messages to the Guthrie family.”
Additionally, 88-CRIME is offering a $102,500 reward for information leading to an arrest. Savannah Guthrie announced on Instagram that her family is offering up to $1 million, payable only for her mother’s recovery.
Multiple ransom notes have been sent to news outlets during the investigation. Some claimed to be from the kidnappers seeking payment in cryptocurrency. The FBI has not confirmed whether any of these notes are legitimate.
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Savannah Guthrie Returns to Today Show
Savannah Guthrie returned to NBC’s Today show on April 6 after a two-month absence. She had spent most of that time in Arizona with her family. She co-hosts alongside Craig Melvin.
On April 15, viewers noticed Guthrie briefly stepped away during a live broadcast after introducing an interview with Anne Hathaway. This sparked online speculation about whether she received news about the case.
A source told Daily Mail the exit was routine, noting that one host often introduces a segment while another conducts the interview. Guthrie returned to the set shortly afterward.
According to InStyle, NBC producers have a system to immediately alert Guthrie if any developments occur in her mother’s case.
“We would pull her immediately, mid-segment if we had to,” a source said, adding that she would be informed privately while another anchor handled the broadcast.
Savannah Guthrie recently spoke with former co-host Hoda Kotb about the emotional toll of the case.
“We still don’t know … Honestly, we don’t know anything.” She said her family “cannot be at peace” without answers, adding: “Someone can do the right thing.”
Community members in Tucson continue showing support for the Guthrie family, leaving candles, signs and messages near Nancy’s home.
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