Nancy Guthrie update: Sheriff makes fresh statement as tips reach 3,000, new ‘masked man’ video emerges
Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of TODAY Show co-host Savannah Guthrie, has disappeared without a trace. As the weeks have turned into months, the fate remains uncertain. Rewards have been offered, and unsettling door camera images have been made public, yet no suspect has been identified, and the clues available to the public have been minimal.
However, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has recently commented on the case, disclosing the focus of the probe during an interview with Andrew Capasso of KVOA in Tucson.
Also Read: Nancy Guthrie update: Chilling new video shows ‘masked man’ in her neighborhood | Watch
Here’s what new did the sheriff say
According to KVOA-TV, the influx of tips regarding the case has slowed down, yet they continue to arrive.
The anchor disclosed during the broadcast that a masked man, captured on video while “stealing plants” near Guthrie’s residence, is not connected to the Guthrie disappearance.
Capasso mentioned that Nanos informed him that the majority of the work in the case remains ongoing in “DNA labs across the country,” stating that DNA has been a primary focus of this probe since its inception.
Genetic Genealogy testing is being conducted Nancy Guthrie case
Authorities are examining potential DNA evidence found “inside and around her (Guthrie’s) residence,” which includes analyzing the DNA from gloves “found miles away.” Genetic genealogy testing is currently in progress, as noted by Capasso.
This method enables authorities to “backtrack” and “create a family tree” of a possible suspect, he explained. Genetic genealogy has been instrumental in apprehending criminals in several high-profile cases across the nation, including the notorious “Golden State Killer” case, where crime scene DNA was matched against open-source DNA databases. This process allowed law enforcement to identify distant relatives of the suspect and subsequently navigate through the family tree to refine the list of potential suspects.
The sheriff disclosed in an earlier press conference that blood droplets discovered on Guthrie’s front porch ultimately matched the missing woman herself. Nevertheless, further DNA testing is being conducted. Authorities also possess hair evidence related to the case. However, it remains uncertain if it is linked to the suspect.