Nearly 100 days after Nancy Guthrie disappeared from her home in Arizona, investigators say the case may finally be moving closer toward a breakthrough. The 84-year-old mother of Today show host Savannah Guthrie vanished from her residence in Tucson’s Catalina Foothills on February 1. Authorities believe she was abducted from the property around 2:30 AM local time, prompting a massive joint investigation involving the FBI and the Pima County Sheriff’s Department.
Only days after her disappearance, the FBI released doorbell footage showing a possible suspect, masked, at the porch. However, they have not been identified yet.
Sheriff Nanos gives update
Speaking publicly this week, Sheriff Chris Nanos indicated that investigators are gaining ground. As he was approached outside the sheriff’s department and asked whether authorities were ‘any closer’ to solving the case, Nanos responded, “We are.”
This has given hope to thousands of social media users, who were praying for the Guthrie family. “She will soon be found,” one person wrote on X, platform formerly known as Twitter.
DNA evidence becomes major focus
One of the key developments in the investigation centers around forensic evidence recovered from the home. Authorities have been closely examining a hair sample found at the scene, which was recently transferred from a private forensic laboratory in Florida to the FBI for advanced DNA analysis.
Investigators have already collected voluntary DNA samples from family members, employees and others connected to the property. If the hair belongs to someone previously unknown to the household, officials believe it could become a major lead.
Forensic experts say genetic genealogy may ultimately help identify a suspect.
Dr David Mittelman, co-founder of forensic lab Othram, spoke about the challenges investigators face when working with degraded or incomplete samples. “Building DNA profiles from hair or other forensic evidence does not necessarily take long,” he said.
“In the ‘Idaho Four’ murders, for example, the DNA profile was developed within days. The challenge in forensic genetic genealogy is not simply generating a DNA profile, but generating a high-quality profile. Poor-quality or incomplete DNA profiles can make genetic genealogy difficult, ambiguous, or even impossible.”
Surveillance footage raises new questions
Authorities have also focused heavily on surveillance footage captured near Guthrie’s property. According to investigators, Nest camera video recorded a masked individual wearing dark clothing and carrying a holstered handgun near the home around the estimated time of the disappearance.
Weeks later, additional footage reportedly surfaced showing what appeared to be a similarly dressed individual approaching the residence nearly three weeks earlier, fueling speculation that the home may have been monitored before the alleged abduction.
The suspect was reportedly seen wearing gloves, a zip-up hoodie, sweatpants, a backpack and a balaclava.
Thousands of tips flood investigators
Since the investigation began, authorities say they have received between 40,000 and 50,000 leads and tips related to the case. Investigators are now narrowing their focus toward information connected to the masked individual seen in the surveillance footage.
“We do believe that Nancy was taken from her home against her will, and that’s where we’re at,” Sheriff Nanos admitted earlier in the investigation. However, the handling of the home and crime scene also drew attention during the early stages of the case.
Although the property was returned to the Guthrie family two days after the disappearance, the FBI later sealed the residence again for additional investigation.
Before that happened, several reporters had already approached the property and recorded video showing what appeared to be blood spatters near the front porch.
Reflecting on the situation later, Nanos acknowledged mistakes may have been made.
He admitted he “probably would have” kept the scene more secure if he could redo the investigation.
