Bold claim: a DNA sample from a discarded glove near Nancy Guthrie’s Arizona home apparently belongs to the suspect accused of abducting her, according to the FBI. The case centers on the 84-year-old grandmother of NBC anchor Savannah Guthrie, who was last seen January 31 after family members dropped her off at her home near Tucson following a dinner with relatives.
Authorities say relatives reported her missing the following day. Of the 16 gloves investigators collected for testing, most were later determined to have been dropped on the ground by searchers in the vicinity. The glove with a DNA profile identified by investigators is described as different and appears to match the gloves worn by a man in a ski mask who was seen attempting to disable Guthrie’s door camera in the hours leading up to her abduction.
The FBI received preliminary findings from a private crime laboratory in Florida on Saturday and was awaiting quality control and official confirmation on Sunday. Investigators plan to run the results against the national database of known DNA profiles. Typically, it takes about 24 hours from the FBI receiving a DNA sample to cross-checking against the database.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said on Friday he was confident that the man depicted in the surveillance video—who also carried a firearm in a holster and wore an overstuffed backpack—was the primary suspect in this high-profile case.
Sheriff Nanos noted Guthrie’s severely limited mobility, explaining she could not have left her home unassisted, a fact that led investigators to conclude she was abducted against her will.
Since Guthrie’s disappearance, at least two purported ransom notes have appeared, with both messages initially delivered to news media outlets.
DNA tests confirmed traces of blood on Guthrie’s front porch belonged to the missing woman, according to officials. Reports describe Guthrie as frail and in need of daily medications, with a pacemaker noted in public accounts.
The sheriff also said DNA from individuals other than Guthrie or close contacts had been collected from Guthrie’s property, but there has been no official disclosure of additional findings from those samples.
Savannah Guthrie, co-anchor of NBC’s Today, has posted multiple videos with her siblings Camron and Annie, urging the public to help locate their mother. In one message, the siblings indicated a willingness to discuss ransom demands.
Sheriff Nanos told Reuters that there has been no confirmed proof of Guthrie being alive since the abduction, but he also cautioned that there has been no confirmed proof of death either.
The case has drawn intense media attention and public sympathy, with notable figures commenting on the situation, including remarks from former President Donald Trump. The investigation continues as authorities pursue every lead and seek to determine what happened to Nancy Guthrie.
