A glove found two miles from Nancy Guthrie‘s home has failed to match DNA found inside her property, investigators announced.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said Tuesday that the glove offered no new leads, as it also failed to match the CODIS criminal database – a national archive of all DNA from arrestees nationwide.
The glove was found on Sunday, and had been briefly regarded as the best piece of evidence in the ongoing search for the 84-year-old mother of Today Show star Savannah Guthrie.
The black nitrile glove had appeared to match one worn by a masked suspect seen on Nancy’s doorbell camera on the night of her disappearance in the early hours of February 1.
In an X post announcing the glove failed to match, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department said investigators also obtained ‘additional DNA evidence’ from Nancy’s home, which is set to be analyzed.
The setback comes as the hunt for Nancy has entered its third week with no arrests or suspects named in the investigation.
She was last seen on the evening of January 31 entering her home in the Catalina Foothills of Tucson, Arizona, with her pacemaker disconnecting from an Apple Watch at her home hours later.
Frustrations surrounding the investigation have heaped pressure on Nanos, who has come under scrutiny for his handling of the case amid allegations he made crucial errors in the first hours of the search.
Nancy Guthrie, seen with her Today Show star daughter Savannah, disappeared from her home in the early hours of February 1
Investigators now say a glove found two miles from Nancy Guthrie’s home failed to match DNA from her property – days after it raised hopes as it had appeared to match one worn by a masked suspect seen on Nancy’s doorbell camera on the night of her disappearance
While the glove had raised hopes that investigators may finally catch a break, NBC’s Today tampered expectations before it failed to find a DNA match.
DNA expert CeCe Moore told the program that the glove was unlikely to snare a suspect, and told viewers not to get their hopes up for an ‘aha moment.’
‘In my opinion, it’s not. It’s really too far from the crime scene,’ Moore answered.
‘My biggest question is, have they found DNA from an unknown male inside that house?’
When the glove was discovered, authorities said they also uncovered 16 gloves scattered in various locations around the home – most of which were found to belong to investigators combing the scene.
The failure to match the glove to a suspect comes exactly one week after authorities suffered a separate set-back, when delivery driver Carlos Palazuelos was arrested in connection with the case before being released hours later.
Palazuelos’s release last Tuesday brought public humiliation to the investigation as he angrily denied having anything to do with Nancy’s abduction.
Days later on Friday, Pima County SWAT officers raided a home two miles from Nancy’s, but no-one was detained.
Around the same time, FBI agents stopped a Range Rover Sport and spoke to its driver, but he too was released without charge.
The hunt for Nancy Guthrie has entered its third week with no arrests or suspects named in the investigation
Authorities said they found a total of 16 gloves around Nancy Guthrie’s property, many of which were determined to have belonged to investigators. The glove pictured is not believed to be the one sent for DNA testing
The FBI said it has received more than 13,000 tips, while the Pima County Sheriff’s Department reported taking at least 18,000 calls related to the case that have generated between 40,000 and 50,000 leads.
Authorities have also publicly cleared Nancy Guthrie’s family members as possible suspects, calling them victims in the case.
That includes Nancy’s son-in-law Tommaso Cioni, who previously faced unfounded online speculation about whether he was involved in the disappearance.
In a video message posted to Instagram on Sunday night, Savannah pleaded directly with whoever may be holding her mother.
‘It is never too late to do the right thing,’ Guthrie said. ‘And we are here. And we believe in the essential goodness of every human being, that it’s never too late.’