The search for 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, mother of NBC “Today” host Savannah Guthrie, entered its third week as investigators await forensic confirmations from evidence recovered miles from her Tucson home. Authorities say no suspects or persons of interest have been publicly named, and a federally assisted task force is balancing field searches with lab analysis. Officials reported a glove recovered about two miles from the residence produced an unknown male DNA profile; preliminary testing was delivered to investigators but remains subject to quality checks before being entered into CODIS. Meanwhile, law enforcement continued interviews and follow-up searches after executing a federal warrant this week that temporarily detained four people but produced no sign of Nancy Guthrie.
Key takeaways
- Search duration: The operation entered its third week on Sunday, with ground and aerial assets continuing coordinated sweeps around Guthrie’s Tucson neighborhood.
- Glove evidence: Investigators collected roughly 16 gloves near the scene; one glove recovered about two miles from the home yielded a preliminary unknown male DNA profile.
- Lab handling and timing: The glove was packaged by Pima County personnel, sent overnight to a private Florida lab (arrived Friday), and preliminary results reached the FBI on Saturday pending quality control before CODIS upload.
- CODIS timeline: The FBI says moving a confirmed profile into the national CODIS database typically takes about 24 hours after the bureau receives verified DNA.
- Private lab pipeline: Evidence was sent to a contracted private lab in Deerfield Beach, Florida; local officials caution results from that vendor can take one to 10 days depending on case prioritization.
- Pacemaker data: A pacemaker ping was recorded at 2:10 a.m. on Feb. 1 and the device’s app disconnected from the phone at 2:28 a.m., which investigators are treating as a potential forensic lead.
- Federal action: The FBI executed a federal search warrant at a Catalina Foothills residence this week; four people were detained briefly and later released with no arrests announced.
- Reward increased: Authorities raised the reward from $50,000 to $100,000 for information leading to Guthrie’s location or to an arrest and conviction of anyone involved.
Background
Nancy Guthrie, 84, was last believed to be taken from her Tucson-area home in the early hours of Feb. 1. The disappearance prompted a multiagency response combining local investigators, the Pima County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI. Savannah Guthrie, the nationally known NBC “Today” co-anchor, publicly appealed for information through media coverage that helped focus resources on the case and drew broad public attention.
The case has several technical threads: surveillance footage recorded an unknown subject near the residence wearing distinctive gloves; a pacemaker associated with Guthrie registered a ping at 2:10 a.m. and then showed a disconnect from its phone at 2:28 a.m.; and items collected in the vicinity have been moved through both local and contracted forensic channels. Arizona contracts with private biological lab vendors for overflow or specialized testing, a practice that has accelerated evidence processing in recent years but also can introduce added steps when federal review is needed.
Main event
In a search operation earlier in the week, federal agents executed a warrant at a home in the Catalina Foothills. Law enforcement sources say four people were detained during that operation and subsequently released; officials reported no indication that Nancy Guthrie was at that location. Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has stated publicly that investigators found no sign of Guthrie during the federal search and that no arrests have been made.
Investigators recovered about 16 gloves in areas around the residence and nearby fields; most were later identified as searchers’ gloves discarded during canvassing. One glove recovered roughly two miles from the home was treated as a distinct item, packaged by Pima County evidence technicians and sent by overnight shipment to a private laboratory in Florida for DNA testing. Law enforcement sources say that lab received the package on Friday and that preliminary DNA analysis was returned to the FBI on Saturday.
The FBI confirmed receiving a preliminary unknown male DNA profile tied to the glove but emphasized the result must pass quality control checks before any profile is uploaded to the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS). Local officials explained that the private lab’s turnaround can vary—Pima County said results may take from one to 10 days depending on how items are prioritized, and the bureau noted an internal process that typically adds about 24 hours after receiving verified DNA for CODIS entry.
Analysis & implications
Forensic evidence such as a DNA profile on a glove can be probative if properly collected and preserved, but experts caution such leads frequently require corroboration. Environmental exposure, prior handling and the presence of multiple individuals can produce mixed or degraded samples; a match in CODIS may point to a person with a prior record, but it does not alone establish timeline or conduct without supporting investigative work.
The use of a private contracted lab introduces both capacity and chain-of-custody considerations. Contract laboratories can process large caseloads faster than some public facilities, yet when federal agencies request reanalysis or independent verification the evidence is often retested, which can consume portions of a limited sample. That sequence can complicate efforts to generate rapid, conclusive results if the sample is small or partially compromised.
Pacemaker telemetry is an increasingly valuable investigative tool in cases involving older adults. A device ping or disconnect time can establish presence, physiological state, or movement patterns near relevant moments, but interpreting device data requires vendor cooperation, medical context and, sometimes, search warrants to obtain full telemetry logs. Investigators treating the pacemaker data as a potential timestamp still need medical-device vendor data and forensic correlation to build a defensible timeline.
Comparison & data
| Item | Recorded time/date | Relevance |
|---|---|---|
| Pacemaker ping | 2:10 a.m., Feb. 1 | Possible indicator of physiological state or presence at that moment |
| Pacemaker app disconnect | 2:28 a.m., Feb. 1 | May reflect device-phone loss of connection or movement away from paired device |
| Glove with unknown DNA | Recovered ~2 miles from home; sent Thu night, arrived Fri | Preliminary unknown male profile received by FBI Sat; pending QC/CODIS |
| Reward | Updated this week | Increased from $50,000 to $100,000 for key information |
The table summarizes the primary timestamps and evidence items publicized by investigators. Each line represents a distinct evidentiary stream—telemetry, physical evidence, and investigatory incentives—that investigators must reconcile to assemble a coherent timeline and to direct follow-up work on leads.
Reactions & quotes
“Finding a glove that appears to match surveillance footage is a promising development, but such leads often require careful corroboration,”
Jason Pack, retired FBI agent
Pack cautioned that even when an item seems to align with video evidence, DNA can be degraded by weather or prior handling and may trace to an uninvolved person. He stressed investigators should remain cautious and pursue parallel leads while awaiting definitive forensic confirmation.
“Private lab results must often be retested by federal teams, which can complicate timelines and reduce available sample,”
James Gagliano, retired FBI supervisory agent
Gagliano noted that although forensic turnaround can be days, retesting and verification by the FBI are standard practice to ensure results meet prosecutorial standards. He added that warrants, chain-of-custody and sample condition all influence how quickly a case moves from preliminary to prosecutable evidence.
“The pacemaker may be our most objective witness right now; telemetry could show normal rhythm, distress, or cessation,”
Morgan Wright, cybersecurity expert
Wright described vendor data derived from a pacemaker as an unbiased data point that can anchor a timeline, but stressed that what the telemetry actually indicates must be interpreted by clinicians and investigators together.
Unconfirmed
- Whether the recovered glove’s DNA profile definitively belongs to the person seen in the surveillance footage remains unverified pending QC and CODIS confirmation.
- Pacemaker telemetry interpretation (whether it shows distress, normal function, or device disconnection for other reasons) has not been publicly confirmed by medical vendors or investigators.
- The reasons for the brief detention of four individuals during the Catalina Foothills search and the outcomes of any interviews have not been released in detail.
Bottom line
The investigation into Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance continues as a coordinated, multiagency effort balancing immediate fieldwork with careful forensic analysis. A glove recovered offsite that produced an unknown male DNA profile represents a tangible lead, but lab verification and independent confirmation remain essential before that profile is used to identify or charge a suspect.
Pacemaker telemetry and surveillance footage provide complementary avenues for establishing a timeline, but each must be interpreted within medical and forensic contexts. Expect additional public updates as lab quality-control steps conclude and as investigators synthesize physical evidence, device data and witness information to narrow the focus of the inquiry.
Sources
- Fox News Digital — live coverage and reporting (news outlet)
- FBI — CODIS overview and procedures (federal agency)
- DNA Labs International — private laboratory in Deerfield Beach, FL (private contracted lab)