SUMMARY
- DNA from gloves found near the scene produced no match in the FBI database in the Nancy Guthrie disappearance.
- Investigators are pursuing genealogical DNA analysis while analyzing multiple biological samples from the home.
- Authorities say the case has not gone cold and are reviewing thousands of public tips.
TUCSON, Ariz. — DNA recovered from gloves found near the home of missing 84 year old Nancy Guthrie did not match any profiles in the FBI’s national database, authorities said, as the search for the Tucson woman entered its third week with no arrests.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department said Tuesday that the gloves, discovered about two miles from Guthrie’s home in the Catalina Foothills north of Tucson, contained genetic material that returned no matches in the Combined DNA Index System, known as CODIS.
Investigators believe the gloves resemble those worn by a person captured on Guthrie’s doorbell camera the morning she was reported missing.
Sheriff Chris Nanos told NBC News that detectives are now pursuing genealogical leads based on partial DNA recovered from Guthrie’s residence.
Guthrie, the mother of “Today” show co-host Savannah Guthrie, was last seen about 9:45 PM Jan. 31 after family members dropped her off at her home following dinner, according to the sheriff’s department.
She was reported missing around noon the next day when she failed to appear at a friend’s home to watch an online church service.
On Monday, the department said all members of the Guthrie family, including her adult children and their spouses, have been cleared as suspects.
“To suggest otherwise is not only wrong, it is cruel,” Nanos said in a statement. “The Guthrie family are victims plain and simple.” Authorities have received tens of thousands of tips, officials said.
The Tucson based nonprofit 88-Crime announced Wednesday it had received $100,000 from an anonymous donor to increase the reward for information leading to Nancy Guthrie’s location.
The FBI is offering a separate $100,000 reward. The Nancy Guthrie disappearance has drawn national attention in part because of her daughter’s public profile and the unusual evidence recovered early in the case, including surveillance video and discarded gloves.
The Catalina Foothills area, a largely residential community north of Tucson, has historically recorded low rates of violent crime compared with urban centers in Arizona, according to state crime data.
Investigators said biological evidence collected from the home belongs to multiple people but declined to specify how many DNA profiles were identified or whether they are believed to be linked to the disappearance.
Forensic genetic genealogy, which compares unknown DNA to public genealogy databases, has been used to identify suspects in cold cases including the Golden State Killer investigation.
“Genealogical analysis can be powerful, but it depends heavily on the quality and completeness of the DNA sample,” said Dr. Jennifer Doudna, a molecular biologist at the University of California, Berkeley.
“Partial or degraded samples can limit the strength of any investigative lead.”
Paul Holes, a former investigator with the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office who worked on high profile cold cases, said pursuing genealogy signals that conventional database searches have been exhausted.
“When CODIS doesn’t produce a hit, investigators look for alternative pathways,” Holes said. “Genealogy can generate leads, but it still requires corroborating evidence.”
Nanos said the investigation remains active.
“As long as we have the ability to chase a lead, it’s not cold,” he told NBC News. “We’re going to find Nancy, and we’re going to find who did this.”
The sheriff’s department urged anyone with information to contact its tip line or the FBI. The Nancy Guthrie disappearance now hinges in part on whether genealogical DNA testing can generate actionable leads.
Law enforcement officials said they are continuing to analyze forensic evidence while reviewing thousands of tips from the public.
Authorities have not identified any suspects and have not disclosed a suspected motive.
The case underscores the evolving role of DNA technology in modern investigations, particularly when traditional databases fail to produce immediate results.
For Guthrie’s family and the Tucson community, the search continues as investigators work to translate partial forensic clues into concrete answers.
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