Investigators believe a glove discovered approximately two miles from Nancy Guthrie's residence could deliver the pivotal breakthrough in one of the nation's most disturbing abduction investigations. Authorities are now preparing to submit genetic material from the glove into the FBI's Combined DNA Index System, commonly referred to as CODIS. This action aims to potentially identify the masked individual captured on surveillance footage lurking outside her front door.
Critical Evidence Emerges in Search
The glove was located in a field near a road roughly two miles from the Tucson home where the 84-year-old mother of Today show co-host Savannah Guthrie vanished. It has rapidly become a central piece of evidence that law enforcement officials are convinced could assist in locating a suspect. According to FBI statements, preliminary DNA analysis from the glove indicates a possible connection to the person seen in the surveillance video outside Nancy Guthrie's home on the night she disappeared.
Awaiting Official Confirmation
Investigators are currently awaiting official confirmation of these preliminary results before proceeding with expanded forensic analysis. The next step involves comparing the genetic profile against federal databases utilized to identify criminal suspects across the United States. This development arrives as the search for Guthrie enters its third week, with no arrests made and escalating urgency regarding her medical condition.
Authorities have voiced significant concern for her health, noting she requires daily medication and possesses a pacemaker, alongside a documented history of high blood pressure and heart complications. Nancy Guthrie was last observed on January 31 at her residence in Tucson's Catalina Foothills, an affluent desert community known for its secluded properties and tranquil streets. She was reported missing the following day under circumstances that swiftly escalated into a nationwide investigation.
Signs of Violent Encounter
Evidence discovered at the scene has raised alarms about a potentially violent abduction. Authorities confirmed that Nancy Guthrie's blood was found on the front porch of her home, suggesting she may have sustained injuries during the encounter. Surveillance footage from a porch camera captured a masked individual standing outside her door, wearing gloves, a jacket, long pants, and carrying a distinctive backpack.
The FBI subsequently identified the person in the video as a suspect, describing him as a man approximately 5 feet, 9 inches tall with a medium build. The agency highlighted he was carrying a distinctive 25-liter Ozark Trail Hiker Pack backpack purchased from Walmart—a detail investigators hope will aid in his identification.
Collaboration with Retailers
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos stated authorities are collaborating directly with Walmart management in hopes of accessing purchase records or surveillance footage that could help identify the suspect. Officials indicated clothing worn by the suspect may also have been acquired from Walmart, though they cautioned these items are not sold exclusively there.
The glove central to the investigation was discovered in a field beside a road. The area was immediately sealed off as FBI agents and sheriff's deputies converged on the location. Forensic teams meticulously combed the area while multiple law enforcement vehicles blocked road access.
DNA Link and Previous Findings
This evidence holds particular significance because investigators previously revealed they had collected DNA from Guthrie's property that did not belong to her or anyone known to be in close contact. The glove could provide the crucial link required to match that unidentified DNA to a specific individual.
Authorities have also uncovered around sixteen gloves scattered in various locations near the home. While most were determined to belong to searchers and volunteers, the glove currently undergoing DNA testing appears distinct as potentially connected to the suspect.
Expanding Investigation and Public Response
The investigation has expanded rapidly, with law enforcement detaining individuals for questioning, executing court-authorized searches, and towing vehicles believed relevant to the case. A Range Rover SUV was seized from a nearby restaurant parking lot, although officials have not disclosed its connection to the disappearance.
Investigators have been inundated with information from the public. The FBI reported receiving more than thirteen thousand tips, while the Pima County Sheriff's Department noted taking at least eighteen thousand calls related to the case, generating between forty thousand and fifty thousand leads.
Sheriff Nanos previously reported investigators had fielded tens of thousands of calls from the public, highlighting both the national attention on the case and the immense challenge of separating meaningful leads from false alarms. Authorities have publicly cleared Nancy Guthrie's family members as possible suspects, categorizing them as victims in the case.
Family Cooperation and Investigative Caution
Nanos emphasized the family has been 'nothing but cooperative and gracious and are victims in this case.' He added, 'To suggest otherwise is not only wrong, it is cruel. The Guthrie family are victims plain and simple.' He later explained he issued the statement out of concern for the family's wellbeing, stating, 'Sometimes we forget we're human and we hurt and kindness matters. It is every cop's duty to stand up and be that voice for our victims.'
Federal agents have also canvassed gun stores in recent days as part of the investigation, according to a federal law enforcement official. The official described the canvass as part of routine investigative procedures, noting, 'Things are still very fluid and we are out on many leads.' The official warned excessive public reporting on investigative steps could undermine the search, cautioning that revealing too much information 'gives the perpetrator a window into the investigation. That's not helpful.'
National Attention and Emotional Appeals
For Savannah Guthrie, the ordeal has unfolded under intense national scrutiny. In a video message posted to Instagram, she pleaded directly with whoever may be holding her mother, stating, 'It is never too late to do the right thing. And we are here. And we believe in the essential goodness of every human being, that it's never too late.' Her appeals have grown increasingly emotional as days pass without answers, reflecting a family's anguish clinging to hope amid uncertainty.
Even former President Donald Trump has commented on the case, writing on Truth Social that he was monitoring developments and expressing optimism about the investigation. He stated, 'Hopefully there will be a positive result!' praising those 'working so hard, with such expertise and knowledge.' Trump also warned the abductor could face the harshest possible punishment if Nancy Guthrie is found deceased, suggesting it would be 'very, very severe - the most severe.' When asked whether that could include capital punishment, Trump confirmed, 'The most, yeah - that's true.'
