FBI: DNA from glove found near Guthrie home appears to match glove worn by masked person

Lead

The FBI said Sunday that DNA recovered from a glove found about two miles (3.2 km) from the home of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie’s mother appears to match the glove worn by a masked person captured on a porch camera the night Nancy Guthrie vanished. The glove was recovered in a field beside a road and sent for laboratory testing; investigators described the test result as preliminary and said they are awaiting official confirmation. The discovery comes as the search for 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie enters its third week; she was last seen at her Arizona home on Jan. 31 and reported missing on Feb. 1. Authorities earlier said blood was found on the front porch and that they had not yet identified a suspect.

Key Takeaways

• Investigators found a glove about two miles (3.2 km) from Nancy Guthrie’s home and submitted it for DNA analysis; preliminary results were reported Saturday and remain pending formal confirmation.
• Surveillance video shows a masked person at the front door wearing gloves, a ski mask, long pants, a jacket and carrying a 25-liter Ozark Trail Hiker Pack.
• Nancy Guthrie, 84, was last seen Jan. 31 and reported missing the following day; authorities located blood on her front porch.
• Law enforcement reported roughly 16 gloves collected near the residence, most identified as searchers’ gloves that had been discarded.
• Investigators described the person of interest as a man about 5 feet, 9 inches tall with a medium build; no arrest has been announced.
• Police activity included sealing a road about two miles from the house, towing a Range Rover from a nearby parking lot and a court-authorized search in Rio Rico; a person briefly detained during a traffic stop was released.

Background

Nancy Guthrie, 84, has known medical needs, including daily medication and a pacemaker, which prompted growing concern among investigators and family after her disappearance. Local authorities and the FBI joined the case early, citing both the health vulnerability of the missing woman and evidence recovered at the scene. Investigators previously said they had collected DNA from the property that does not belong to Guthrie or those in close contact with her, and they have been working to identify that source.

In the days after the disappearance, law enforcement released surveillance footage that showed a masked individual on the porch. The release aimed both to generate tips and to provide transparency about the investigative leads. Media outlets also received purported ransom notes; two deadlines mentioned in those notes have passed and authorities have not confirmed the notes’ authenticity.

Main Event

The glove that produced the DNA hit the investigative timeline after it was discovered in a field beside a road roughly two miles from the Guthrie residence. Agents recovered the item and sent it to a laboratory; the FBI said it received preliminary DNA results Saturday but was awaiting official confirmation from the testing lab. That development prompted renewed activity in the area, including a road closure where sheriff’s and FBI forensics vehicles were staged.

Earlier in the week, investigators released porch-camera footage of a masked person carrying a backpack and wearing gloves, a ski mask, long pants and a jacket. The FBI described the person as a man approximately 5 feet, 9 inches tall with a medium build, carrying a 25-liter Ozark Trail Hiker Pack. Authorities called that recorded individual a suspect on Thursday, though they have not publicly identified or charged anyone.

Late Friday night, deputies towed a Range Rover from a restaurant parking lot near the scene and placed a roadblock about two miles from the Guthrie home. Officials said the activity was part of the ongoing investigation; no arrests resulted from that action. Separately, deputies detained a man for questioning during a traffic stop south of Tucson; he was later released. Agents also conducted a court-authorized search in Rio Rico, roughly an hour south of Tucson.

Analysis & Implications

A preliminary DNA link between the field glove and the glove captured on video would be a significant forensic lead but not a prosecutorial endpoint. Laboratory results labeled preliminary typically require confirmatory testing and verification of chain of custody before they can be presented as evidence in court. Investigators will need to demonstrate how the recovered glove connects to the scene and to any specific individual, including eliminating the possibility of secondary transfer or contamination.

If the match is confirmed, it may help narrow suspect lists, support probable-cause findings for warrants and guide search strategy in adjacent areas. Forensic linkage can also change investigative priorities: resources may shift from broad area canvassing to targeted interviews, cell-tower or financial-data requests, and searches of properties tied to persons of interest. Nonetheless, investigators remain constrained by the need to preserve evidence integrity and to avoid premature public attribution.

The public release of video and the family’s plea, including a video message from Savannah Guthrie, can increase tip flow but also raises risks of misidentification and false leads. Law enforcement must balance transparency and operational security; too much detail about what authorities know can alert suspects or compromise unexecuted warrants. The case also underscores challenges in missing-person investigations where victims have health vulnerabilities and where early physical evidence—such as blood on a porch—must be quickly and carefully processed.

Comparison & Data

The table summarizes the key physical and logistical markers investigators have cited publicly. Those figures help explain why activity was concentrated on a road two miles from the property and why forensics teams were deployed; small items such as gloves and a backpack can link scenes across a geographic area when processed correctly.

Reactions & Quotes

“It is never too late to do the right thing.”

Savannah Guthrie (Instagram video)

Savannah Guthrie used a social media appeal to address anyone with information about her mother’s whereabouts, urging whoever is holding or who abducted Nancy Guthrie to come forward. The post was intended to encourage tips and to appeal to individuals who may have second thoughts.

“We have not identified a suspect at this time.”

Pima County Sheriff’s Office (public statement)

Authorities have communicated publicly that no arrest has been made and that the investigation remains active, emphasizing that tips and forensic leads are still being evaluated. Officials have described steps taken in the field, from evidence collection to targeted searches and detentions that did not result in charges.

“Preliminary laboratory results were received Saturday; we are awaiting official confirmation from the testing laboratory.”

Federal Bureau of Investigation (statement)

The FBI framed the DNA finding as a developing lead and cautioned that additional testing and verification are required before lab results can be declared definitive.

Unconfirmed

• The FBI described the DNA comparison as preliminary; formal laboratory confirmation has not yet been announced.
• It remains unverified whether the glove in the field was handled by the same person seen on the porch or whether secondary transfer could explain the DNA.
• The provenance and authenticity of the purported ransom notes received by media outlets have not been publicly validated by investigators.

Bottom Line

The recovery of a glove with DNA near Nancy Guthrie’s home is a potentially pivotal forensic development but, by the FBI’s own account, remains preliminary. Confirmatory laboratory results and clear links tying the item to a specific individual are necessary before investigators can move from leads to charges. In the near term, expect law enforcement to pursue follow-up testing, additional searches tied to any new leads, and a careful review of digital, financial and human intelligence that might corroborate the physical evidence.

For the public and the family, the revelation is likely to intensify concern while also offering a concrete investigative direction. Officials will need to manage communications to maximize tips without compromising ongoing operations; watchers should look for formal lab confirmations, disclosures tied to warrants or arrests, and any new official statements that clarify the role of the recovered glove in the broader inquiry.

Sources

• AP News — news report (Associated Press)