DNA recovered from a glove found near the Tucson-area home of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie has failed to produce a match in the federal Combined DNA Index System, law enforcement officials said on Tuesday, dealing investigators a fresh disappointment as the probe extended into its 17th day.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department and the FBI announced that the sample submitted to CODIS - the national database used to compare genetic profiles - produced no confirmed hits. The glove had been recovered from a roadside field about two miles from Guthrie’s residence and bore a resemblance to the gloves seen on an individual captured on video attempting to disable the victim’s doorbell camera in the early morning hours before she went missing.
Investigators from local and federal agencies had pinned significant hopes on the glove DNA. Forensic analysts submitted the profile to CODIS last week in the expectation that it might match a profile already in the system and thereby identify a suspect. Instead, officials reported on Tuesday that the comparison returned negative. "At this point, there have been no confirmed CODIS matches in this investigation," the sheriff’s office said, and added that other DNA material recovered at Guthrie’s house remains under analysis.
Search methods and evidence under review
Beyond forensic testing, the sheriff’s department said investigators have been deploying a specialized "signal sniffer" system that produces heat maps to pinpoint potential areas of interest. Parsons Corp, the company that designed the technology, said teams using helicopters, ground vehicles and personnel on foot have applied the system in the search operations.
Authorities have framed the disappearance as an apparent abduction for ransom. Officials say Nancy Guthrie was dropped off at her home on January 31 after dining with family members and was reported missing the following day. Sheriff Chris Nanos has stated that Guthrie - who is described as extremely limited in physical mobility - could not have left her home unassisted, leading investigators to conclude she was taken against her will.
Family status, public appeals and leads
Guthrie is the 84-year-old mother of television journalist Savannah Guthrie, who along with siblings Camron and Annie Guthrie, has made public appeals for help and information. Savannah Guthrie, who is 54 and a co-anchor of a national morning news program, has shared several video messages urging the public to assist in the search.
Authorities disclosed on Sunday that immediate family members - all siblings and their spouses - have been ruled out as suspects. "The Guthrie family are victims, plain and simple," the sheriff said in a public statement.
Since Guthrie’s disappearance, at least two purported ransom notes have surfaced; both were initially delivered to media organizations. Officials say there has been no known direct contact between any suspects and Guthrie’s family or law enforcement.
Medical condition and forensic confirmations
Law enforcement and family members have described Nancy Guthrie as frail and dependent on daily medication; she also has a pacemaker, officials have said. Traces of blood found on her front porch were confirmed by DNA tests to have come from Guthrie, according to authorities.
Sheriff Nanos told reporters last week that investigators have not established proof of life since Guthrie was taken, but he added that there has likewise been no proof of death and said his working presumption is that she remains alive.
Next steps and ongoing uncertainties
With the CODIS comparison of the glove returning no match, investigators said they will continue laboratory analysis on other evidence recovered at the residence and proceed with field operations informed by technological aids and tip follow-ups. Officials did not provide a timeline for when additional DNA results might be released.
The absence of a CODIS hit narrows one avenue of inquiry but does not close the investigation. Authorities continue to treat the man captured on surveillance footage - described as wearing a ski mask and gloves while attempting to tamper with a doorbell camera - as the primary suspect and the likely perpetrator of the abduction.
As law enforcement pursues leads, family members maintain a public appeal for assistance and information while investigators balance laboratory work, field searches and analysis of other recovered evidence.