FBI investigators have discovered a potential breakthrough in the disappearance of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, as DNA testing is underway on a glove that appears to match those worn by a suspect captured on surveillance footage. The search for the Arizona woman has now entered its third week with authorities ramping up efforts to locate her.
Guthrie vanished on January 31 and was reported missing the following day when she failed to show up for church services. The case has drawn national attention, particularly after it was revealed that she is the mother of NBC “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie.
A Daughter’s Emotional Plea
In a heart-wrenching video message shared on Instagram Sunday evening, Savannah Guthrie addressed whoever might be responsible for her mother’s disappearance. “I wanted to come on and… It’s been two weeks since our mom was taken, and I just wanted to come on and say that we still have hope and we still believe,” she stated in the emotional appeal.
Her voice wavering slightly, she continued, “And I wanted to say to whoever has her or knows where she is, that it’s never too late. And you’re not lost or alone. And it is never too late to do the right thing. And we are here. We believe. And we believe in the essential goodness of every human being.”
Investigation Intensifies
The FBI has significantly increased its involvement, boosting the reward to $100,000 for information leading to Nancy Guthrie’s location or the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in her disappearance. Investigators have also released a description of a suspect seen tampering with Guthrie’s doorbell camera on February 1: a male between 5’9″ and 5’10” tall with an average build, carrying a 25-liter Ozark Trail Hiker Pack backpack and wearing a mask and gloves.
What’s potentially the most significant development? A glove recovered approximately two miles from Nancy Guthrie’s residence appears to match those worn by the suspect in surveillance footage. The evidence was quickly processed for potential DNA matches.
“The gloves found approximately 2 miles from the Guthrie residence in a field near the side of the road were packaged up by PCOS and sent overnight on 2/12 and they arrived at their private lab in Florida on 2/13,” according to information provided to media outlets. “The FBI received preliminary results yesterday on 2/14 and are awaiting quality control and official confirmation today before putting unknown male profile into CoDIS, the national database unique to the bureau.”
Investigators have been methodical in their evidence collection. Approximately 16 gloves were collected from various areas near Nancy Guthrie’s home during the search, though most were determined to be discarded gloves left behind by search teams themselves.
Community Involvement Critical
Despite the intensive three-week search effort, authorities have yet to publicly name any suspects or persons of interest in Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance. The case has grown increasingly complex as days stretch into weeks.
The FBI continues to urge anyone with information to contact its hotline at 1-800-CALL-FBI, while the Pima County Sheriff’s Department has established a dedicated tipline with an online form for community submissions.
As the search continues, the Guthrie family maintains hope. “We still believe,” Savannah Guthrie emphasized in her message — words that now echo through a community desperately seeking answers about what happened to an 84-year-old woman who simply vanished one winter day in Arizona.
