FBI make DNA breakthrough in hunt for Nancy Guthrie after key merchandise discovered close to dwelling
Detectives desperately searching for missing pensioner Nancy Guthrie, mum of US TV star Savannah Guthrie, have announced a breakthrough after forensic experts found a glove near her Tucson home
On February 13, an overnight operation unfolded roughly two miles from Nancy’s Arizona home(Image: NewsNation/Youtube)
A dramatic DNA breakthrough has been made in the desperate search for Nancy Guthrie, the missing mum of TV star Savannah Guthrie. Experts say a glove with a DNA profile appears to match the type of black gloves worn by a masked intruder seen tampering with her doorbell camera.
Detectives discovered the black glove close to her residence in Tucson, Arizona, USA. Forensic analysis revealed DNA belonging to an unidentified man on the glove.
The FBI is now submitting this genetic profile to the US’ DNA database in the hope of finding a match.
Nancy Guthrie is the 84-year-old mother of long-time NBC Today show co-anchor Savannah Guthrie. She has been missing since February 1 after disappearing from her home.
Nancy had last been seen on the night of January 31 when a family member dropped her off at home. She was reported missing the next day after failing to show up for church.
Cops initially uncovered chilling evidence at Nancy’s Tucson home, finding signs of a break-in and blood spatters on her front porch, later confirmed by DNA to be hers. Even more sinister, her doorbell camera was ripped out in the dead of night.
The FBI released footage showing a masked, gun-toting man lurking outside her door just as she vanished, sporting a 25-litre “Ozark Trail Hiker Pack” and black gloves. Following the new breakthrough, an FBI spokesperson revealed to Fox News Digital that DNA lifted from the glove appears to match those worn by the masked intruder seen in the video.
Unlike the other 15 gloves found in the area, mostly discarded by searchers, this one reportedly stands out and is now being processed at a Florida lab. Preliminary findings arrived over the weekend, and officials are now awaiting final confirmation before uploading the unknown male DNA profile to the US’ national CODIS database, a process expected to take just 24 hours, The Sun reported.
Investigators have also confirmed that unidentified DNA found inside Nancy’s million-dollar (£790,000) home does not belong to anyone close to her, though the origin of the sample remains a mystery. Bloodstains discovered on the porch, alongside evidence of forced entry, have only reportedly deepened the sense of alarm.
Meanwhile, experts believe a £8 holster, spotted in the doorbell footage and sold at local Walmart stores, could help narrow the search for the suspect. The suspect is reportedly described as a man of average build, around 5ft 9in to 5ft 10in.
He was last seen carrying a 25-litre Ozark Trail Hiker Pack backpack. Police are now cross-referencing recent purchases of the distinctive holster and backpack, both available at Walmart, in a bid to close in on the masked man.
Moreover, police probing Nancy’s disappearance now suspect the 84-year-old may have been the victim of a burglary gone wrong, rather than a premeditated abduction. An insider close to the investigation told local media that detectives increasingly believe the incident was a botched robbery, and there remains cautious optimism that Nancy could still be alive.
Detectives are also awaiting forensic results from a Range Rover SUV seized from a car park two miles from Nancy’s Tucson home, the New York Post reported. The driver was questioned and later released, but police say they are leaving no stone unturned.
Since her mum’s disappearance, devastated Savannah Guthrie has quit her on-screen duties, including the 2026 Winter Olympics, to join the search. Meanwhile, the FBI has upped the reward for information to a whopping $100,000 (£79,000).
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