Investigators travel to Florida seeking new clues in Nancy Guthrie disappearance

For people in Tucson’s Catalina Foothills and surrounding neighborhoods, the search for Nancy Guthrie remains active, with investigators traveling to Florida to consult laboratory scientists about additional ways to analyze evidence in the 84 year old’s disappearance. The Pima County Sheriff’s Office said investigators met with lab personnel, discussed several possible approaches and continue working with partner agencies. The sheriff’s department has not announced a breakthrough or identified a person responsible.

Guthrie, the mother of NBC “Today” show anchor Savannah Guthrie, was last seen at her Tucson area home on the evening of Jan. 31. She was reported missing Feb. 1 after she did not appear for church, and investigators believe she was taken against her will during the night. The case has brought a large law enforcement presence to the region, involving the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, the FBI and private forensic laboratories. Several hundred law enforcement personnel have remained involved, according to the sheriff’s department.

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has defended the decision to send evidence to a Florida laboratory rather than splitting the work with the FBI facility in Quantico, Virginia. Nanos said his agency has used the Florida lab for years and does not want samples divided between two facilities, which he said could add an unnecessary step. The lab has received samples from Guthrie’s family and people who worked at her home, allowing scientists to compare those known samples with biological evidence gathered during the investigation.

The Florida laboratory has encountered difficulties analyzing mixed DNA found at Guthrie’s home. Authorities have said that biological evidence from the residence is still being examined, but they have not disclosed how many DNA profiles are involved or where the material was discovered. Nanos said investigators have received some DNA results, but those results have not produced a suspect. He also said the mixed samples present the kinds of challenges that can arise when scientists try to separate genetic material from multiple people.

Investigators have also collected several gloves during the search. One glove found about two miles from Guthrie’s home produced DNA that was submitted to the national CODIS database but did not generate a match. The sheriff’s department said other gloves are being analyzed, including evidence sent for DNA testing. Authorities have not publicly identified the precise locations where the gloves or other biological material were found. Investigators are also considering additional investigative genetic genealogy options for the DNA that has not matched a known profile.

Video remains another major part of the effort. The FBI released footage from Guthrie’s Nest home security system showing a masked person near the home around the time she disappeared. The bureau described the person as a man approximately 5 feet, 9 inches to 5 feet, 10 inches tall, with an average build. The person was wearing a ski mask and gloves and carrying a black, 25 liter Ozark Trail Hiker Pack backpack. The backpack is sold exclusively at Walmart, and investigators reviewed video from at least one Tucson Walmart location, though the company declined to comment.

Authorities have asked residents within two miles of Guthrie’s home to provide video from Jan. 1 through Feb. 2 showing vehicles, pedestrians or anything else that seemed unusual. The request includes footage from home security systems and other cameras. The FBI has received more than 20,000 tips, while local call centers have urged people to think carefully before calling 911 so emergency lines remain available. Tips go through a process intended to determine which information may help investigators.

The investigation has also affected activity around Guthrie’s neighborhood. Temporary roadway changes were arranged to provide space for residents and public safety vehicles, and detectives and federal agents have returned to the area for additional canvassing. The sheriff’s department has asked private search groups to give investigators room to work, stressing that searches should be conducted by professionals and that property owners control access to private land. The agency said volunteers who want to help can explore opportunities through the department.

The case has generated several public appeals and competing reports as the search enters its third week. Savannah Guthrie has repeatedly expressed hope that her mother will be found and urged whoever has information to do the right thing. The sheriff’s department said Guthrie’s family, including siblings and spouses, has been cleared as possible suspects. Nanos has said investigators have no proof of life, but also no sign of death, and has appealed directly to the person responsible to release Guthrie at a hospital or park.

Rewards now total more than $200,000. The FBI has offered up to $100,000 for information leading to Guthrie’s location or the arrest and conviction of anyone involved. An anonymous $100,000 donation through 88-CRIME raised the separate local reward to $102,500. The FBI has also added Guthrie to its list of most wanted missing persons. Reports of cryptocurrency ransom messages have circulated after TMZ said it received and forwarded such a demand to the FBI, but authorities have not publicly confirmed that the messages are connected to Guthrie’s disappearance. The sheriff’s department says the case will remain active until Nancy Guthrie is found or all leads are exhausted.