The Pima County Sheriff’s Department announced Tuesday that DNA recovered from a glove found near the site where 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie disappeared did not produce a match in the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s national DNA database.
Sheriff Chris Nanos said the unknown male DNA profile was entered into the FBI’s Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) for comparison with records of convicted offenders, but it did not return any hits. Additional DNA evidence recovered at Guthrie’s residence is also being analyzed.
“The DNA that was submitted to CODIS was from the set of gloves found 2 miles away. It did not trigger a match in CODIS & did not match DNA found at the property,” the Pima County Sheriff said on Tuesday.
The DNA found at the property is being analyzed & further testing needs to be done as part of the investigation,” the Sheriff added.
The glove was discovered roughly two miles from Guthrie’s Catalina Foothills home and is believed to be similar to gloves worn by a masked individual seen on surveillance footage the night she was last seen. Investigators have been collecting and testing multiple pieces of evidence as part of a multi-agency criminal investigation.
Sheriff’s officials have previously ruled out Guthrie’s family members as suspects in her disappearance and emphasized that the investigation remains active. The FBI and local law enforcement continue to pursue additional forensic leads and public tips.
Guthrie, the mother of television journalist Savannah Guthrie, was reported missing on Feb. 1 after being dropped off at her home by a family member. Law enforcement believes she may have been abducted.
“We’re hopeful that we’re always getting closer, but the news now, I think, is we had heard this morning that, of course, the DNA on the glove that was found two miles away was submitted for CODIS. And I just heard that, CODIS had no hits,” Nanos said.
Meanwhile, investigators probing the abduction of 84-year-old Guthrie say clothing and gear worn by the masked suspect in the now-infamous doorbell footage were likely purchased at Walmart — a development authorities describe as one of the most significant leads in the case so far.
Nanos told CBS News that detectives believe the clothing and face mask seen in the surveillance video were sold by the retail giant. The suspect’s black Ozark Trail Hiker backpack — clearly visible in the footage — is sold exclusively at Walmart.
Nanos said investigators are working to identify the exact brands associated with the items. Authorities are also trying to determine whether the gear was purchased online or at a physical store, either in Arizona or elsewhere. Detectives have spent days reviewing surveillance footage from local Walmart locations in an effort to trace the buyer.
According to CBS News, Walmart has provided records of recent Ozark Trail Hiker backpack purchases, including both in-store and online transactions, not only in Tucson but in surrounding areas as well. A Walmart spokesperson declined to comment on the investigation.
The backpack has become a focal point for investigators as the search for Guthrie enters its third week.
The 84-year-old, who is the mother of “Today” show co-host Savannah Guthrie, was abducted from her Tucson-area home in the Catalina Foothills during the early morning hours of February 1. Authorities have said there were signs of forced entry and blood evidence found at the residence.
Federal investigators have also concentrated on the suspect’s mask. Though it appears lighter in the doorbell footage, authorities believe that is due to the infrared capabilities of the Nest camera and that the mask itself is black.
The FBI has released images of the suspect, describing him as a male of average build, approximately 5 feet 9 inches to 5 feet 10 inches tall.
Forensic developments may also be narrowing the field. Over the weekend, the FBI confirmed that a black glove recovered near Guthrie’s home appears to match the gloves worn by the suspect in the surveillance video.
