Sheriff Delivers Emotional Update in Nancy Guthrie Case After DNA Setback
The search for 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie has taken an emotional toll on her family as each day passes without answers. Nancy, the mother of “Today” co-host Savannah Guthrie, was last seen on January 31 after spending the evening with loved ones. She was reported missing the following morning when she did not attend church.
Now more than two weeks into the investigation, her family is leaning on one another, trying to steady themselves through the uncertainty. The heartbreak lingers. So does the hope.
With the case entering another critical phase, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos is sharing a sobering update.
Sheriff Says There Is No ‘Proof of Death’ in Nancy Guthrie Case
In a new interview with Fox10, Nanos addressed mounting questions about the investigation and whether authorities believe Nancy is still alive.
“They ask me, do I have proof of life? I ask them, is there proof of death?” Nanos said.
He acknowledged the emotional weight of those words but made clear he is not ready to give up.
“I’m going to have that faith, and sometimes that faith, that hope, is all we have… My team, 400 people out there in the field today, woke up this morning and went out there with the hope and the belief that they’re going to find Nancy.”
Nancy was last seen entering her home in the Catalina Foothills of Tucson. Hours later, her pacemaker disconnected from her Apple Watch.
DNA From Glove Fails to Produce Match in National Database
Earlier this week, authorities revealed that DNA taken from a black nitrile glove discovered roughly two miles from Nancy’s home did not match genetic material collected inside the residence or any profile in the national CODIS database.
At first, the glove seemed like a potential breakthrough. It closely resembled one worn by a masked person seen on Nancy’s doorbell camera shortly before she vanished.
Still, Nanos cautioned against reading too much into the setback.
The sheriff told Fox10 that his detectives have “other DNA evidence from the scene, that is more critical to me than DNA found two miles from the scene”.
“All of that will still be submitted for further analysis,” he said.
“You take a fingerprint, and you hope to match it right away. But that’s not that easy.”
Nanos added that investigators recovered DNA from multiple individuals inside the home. Forensic teams now must “hope” they can “separate that” as testing continues.
Investigative Genetic Genealogy Now Underway
With traditional database searches yielding no results, authorities are turning to a different tool.
An FBI official told Fox News Digital that investigators have now turned to investigative genetic genealogy, known as IGG, in the case.
IGG uses crime-scene DNA to search for potential relatives in public genealogy databases when traditional law enforcement systems, such as CODIS, return no matches.
Earlier Tuesday, the FBI and the Pima County Sheriff’s Department confirmed that the unknown male DNA profile recovered from a glove near Nancy’s home did not generate any hits in CODIS. DNA collected inside her home also failed to match any profile in the national database.
“The DNA found at the property is being analyzed & further testing needs to be done as part of the investigation,” the sheriff’s department said on X.
CeCe Moore, chief genetic genealogist at Parabon NanoLabs, said she is confident the process will ultimately identify the source of the DNA.
“Thanks to the power of investigative genetic genealogy, it is just a matter of time now until they discover who that DNA belongs to and the investigators are able to pursue those leads and, hopefully, provide answers to Nancy’s family,” she said.
Sheriff Reaffirms Guthrie Family Is Not Under Suspicion
As the investigation moves forward, Nanos has drawn a firm line on one issue. The Guthrie family is not under suspicion.
Amid online rumors and mounting speculation, authorities formally cleared all immediate relatives.
Speaking to Tucson’s KOLD 13 News, Nanos said family members were ruled out “in the first few days” and have been “100 percent cooperative.”
NBCUniversal“Not one single person in the family is a suspect,” Nanos said. “So I am telling everyone, effective today, you guys [media] need to knock it off, quit. People are hurting. They are victims. I am saying they are clear. We have cleared them.”
He later reiterated that position in a formal statement. “To be clear … the Guthrie family — to include all siblings and spouses — have been cleared as possible suspects in this case. The family has been nothing but cooperative and gracious and are victims in this case,” Nanos said. “To suggest otherwise is not only wrong, it is cruel. The Guthrie family are victims plain and simple.”
For now, the sheriff says the focus remains unchanged.
NBCUniversal“We’re going to continue working this case, every minute of every day, and we will find her.”
He also issued a direct appeal. “And we will find you… to the individual doing this, let her go, just let her go. It will work out better for you in the long run, trust me.”
As the search enters another week, the uncertainty weighs heavily. But hope, however fragile, remains. For Nancy’s family, every development carries the same quiet plea—bring Nancy back home, where she truly belongs.
