Nancy Guthrie latest: Savannah Guthrie says ‘we still believe’ as search for missing mom continues

A retired police sergeant and trainer, Betsy Brantner Smith, said that an Arizona House member is part of why Tucson is "such a mess" after the Democrat lawmaker criticized the reporting in the Nancy Guthrie case.

State Rep. Alma Hernandez, who represents Tucson, slammed "random wannabe journalists and YouTubers" who she says have "caused more harm than good." She urged reporters to go home and to let law enforcement do their jobs.

"As someone who lives & represents Tucson/ Pima County, I am so sick of watching the 'reporting' grifting, insane speculation, lies, and BS by random wannabe journalists and YouTubers who have now caused more harm than good to this entire situation and put this serious case in jeopardy," she wrote on X. "Please GO HOME. Let law enforcement do their jobs. Stop following them during SWAT operations and playing detectives."

"I am sick of the constant LIES from those who can't even spell Tucson and clearly have never been to our city," she added. "This home is not near downtown or midtown, so posting random videos of people walking in yards ain't it y'all, no, Mexicans don't all look the same, yes, our sheriff should probably stay off social media and not speak to the press anymore. Yes, this is sad, and we all want Nancy home. But seriously, PLEASE STOP."

Brantner Smith responded by telling Hernandez she is "part of the problem" in Tucson and criticizing her for her social media biography, which states that she is a "proud Zionist," a Mexican-American and a professor.

"Here's one of the reasons Tucson is such a mess," Brantner Smith wrote. "Read this local rep's 'bio' & see her nasty words demanding that the folks visiting here, who've been spending $$$ at our hotels & restaurants, 'go home.' Alma, you don't 'represent' most of us. You're part of the problem."

New reports attributing Nancy Guthrie's disappearance to a burglary gone wrong were disputed by a law enforcement source Sunday, as investigators pushed back on what they say is not the leading theory in the case.

The source, speaking to Fox News Digital, said the latest theory behind the missing 84-year-old’s disappearance is not currently the prevailing view among investigators.

"This is not the working theory inside the unit," the source said before pushing back further on the burglary narrative, noting that nighttime residential burglaries are uncommon.

"Nighttime residential burglaries are so ridiculously rare. Crazy rare," the source said, before highlighting how "commercial building burglaries" happen at night and "residential during the day."

The source also questioned whether Guthrie’s home would have been a likely burglary target.

"We don't have any indication that [Guthrie] really kept anything valuable there and if this was a burglary gone wrong, they don't take the victim with them usually," the source said. "I guess anything is possible but my gut says it's something else entirely."

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Michael Ruiz and Emma Bussey.

Former assistant SWAT team leader Chad Ayers on Sunday blasted what he called “sloppiness” in the investigation into Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance, arguing her Tucson home should have been secured from the outset.

In an appearance on Fox News' “Sunday Night in America,” Ayers was asked about the roughly 16 gloves recovered from areas around Guthrie's home, many of which were reportedly discarded by searchers during canvassing efforts.

“How many times have we released the crime scene and had investigators come back?” Ayers said. “ … This residence should have been roped off, taped off, secured until Nancy Guthrie is found dead or alive.”

He warned that any investigative missteps could complicate a future prosecution.

“If we do apprehend a suspect, defense attorneys are going to have a heyday with this case, I'm afraid, because of just the sloppiness that has been done throughout this investigation.”

While emphasizing that he does not typically criticize active cases, Ayers suggested Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos may have been overwhelmed from the start.

“I've been very careful because I'm not one to beat up on law enforcement, especially in a complex investigation like we have now, but it's been obvious from day one … I felt like the sheriff was in over his head just a little bit,” Ayers said.

The Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) is the FBI’s nationwide DNA database used to help solve crimes and identify suspects.

It allows federal, state and local crime laboratories to compare DNA profiles and link cases across jurisdictions, according to the FBI's website.

In this case, the DNA profile lifted from the recovered glove — which officials say appears to match the gloves worn by the suspect seen in the surveillance video — is expected to be added to CODIS for comparison.

At the national level, CODIS works through the National DNA Index System (NDIS), which allows crime labs across the country to share and compare DNA profiles. As of November 2025, NDIS contains more than 19.2 million offender profiles, over 6.1 million arrestee profiles, and nearly 1.45 million forensic profiles.

The FBI says CODIS has helped in more than 758,000 investigations nationwide.

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos on Sunday responded to a report citing an alleged “inside source” who claimed the Guthrie case was a “burglary gone wrong” and that investigators believe Nancy Guthrie is still alive.

“Did not come from us,” Nanos told Fox News. "No idea and even though that is one of many possibilities, we would never speculate such a thing. We will let the evidence take us to [the] motive."

An FBI spokesperson echoed that response, telling Fox News they have “no clue where that came from.”

The statements followed a report earlier Sunday by a local Arizona TV news reporter who claimed an inside source said investigators now believe the case was a “burglary gone wrong.”

The reporter also said DNA evidence collected from a Range Rover found outside a Culver’s restaurant on Friday is being tested, and alleged that many investigators believe Nancy Guthrie is still alive.

Fox News' Matt Finn contributed to this report.

The FBI was captured on video by Fox News Digital last week searching the Catalina Foothills, the general area where a glove containing DNA was recently recovered in the Nancy Guthrie investigation.

The video shows several agents walking along a busy road as they canvassed the area.

On Sunday, an FBI spokesperson told Fox News Digital that the glove with the DNA profile is different from other gloves that have been found and appears to match the gloves worn by the subject seen in surveillance video.

The glove was found in a field near a roadside about two miles from Guthrie’s home.

The FBI received preliminary results Saturday and is awaiting official confirmation.

Fox News Digital’s Kelley Kramer and Michael Ruiz, along with Fox News’ Caroline Elliott contributed to this report.

Former Arizona Supreme Court Justice Andrew Gould said he is “encouraged” by recent developments in the search for Nancy Guthrie but believes Sheriff Chris Nanos should step aside and allow federal authorities to take the lead.

Speaking Sunday on “Fox News Live,” Gould criticized the Pima County sheriff’s handling of the case.

“I think he has made some mistakes in this case that have impeded the investigation,” Gould said. “It is my opinion that he should step out of the way and let the FBI do its job. I think his deputies are doing a very fine job on the ground, but my concern is that the sheriff is becoming more of the story than trying to bring these people to justice and bring Nancy Guthrie home safe and sound.”

Gould said he is encouraged by recent developments in the case.

“There's a lot going on right now,” Gould said. “I'd like to be optimistic and think that we're very close, but we have to keep in mind that not only must we find Nancy Guthrie, we have to make sure that we can prosecute the people that have committed this crime.”

He added that investigators should keep all possibilities open — including the chance Guthrie could be across the border — though he stressed he was not suggesting that is the case.

“I wouldn't take anything off the table,” Gould said.

A former classmate of Nancy Guthrie, who was reported missing Feb. 1, remembers her as a “nice writer” and a “polite young woman” during their time at the University of Kentucky’s student newspaper decades ago.

Jack Guthrie — who shares her last name but is not related to the 84-year-old — worked alongside Nancy Guthrie when she served as the paper’s society editor in the 1960s, according to Scripps News.

“She was a very polite young woman," Jack Guthrie said. "A very good writer. She was friendly, and she was in the office, usually our newsroom, at least three days out of five a week.”

He said he was shocked to learn of her disappearance.

“Yeah, it, it's unfortunately, it's sad, the whole thing," Jack Guthrie said. "You know, and you almost shed a tear when you see it, of knowing anybody that's got to go through what that family's going through.”

Nancy Guthrie's church on Sunday called for "peace" for her family as the search for the missing 84-year-old stretched into its third week.

Her name was mentioned during morning prayers at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Tucson, where she has been a congregant for decades, according to NBC News.

“Lord, you’re with Nancy even now, we pray for her,” one speaker said. “Guide those who are seeking to find her. … Let your peace wash over Nancy’s family.”

Retired NYPD Lt. Dr. Darrin Porcher called preliminary forensic results tied to a recovered glove “truly a breakthrough” in the Nancy Guthrie case, saying the DNA profile could move the investigation forward.

"It’s truly a breakthrough in the case. The DNA will go into the CODIS database, and I’m hopeful a match will occur. If unsuccessful, we can go the genealogical route to match secondary DNA through family members which was a success in the [Bryan] Kohberger case," Porcher said. "On another note, the private sector has the ability to create an image of a person based on DNA."

An FBI spokesperson told Fox News Digital that the glove containing the DNA profile is different from approximately 15 others recovered near the home — most of which were discarded by searchers — and appears to match the gloves worn by the subject seen in surveillance video.

The FBI received preliminary results Saturday and is awaiting quality control and official confirmation before entering the unknown male profile into CODIS. The spokesperson said the process typically takes 24 hours from when the bureau receives the DNA.

Fox News Digital’s Kelley Kramer and Michael Ruiz, along with Fox News’ Caroline Elliott contributed to this report.

Arizona State Rep. Alma Hernandez on Saturday blasted what she called “random wannabe journalists and YouTubers” for their coverage of the Nancy Guthrie case, accusing them of spreading misinformation and interfering with law enforcement operations.

"As someone who lives [and] represents Tucson/ Pima County, I am so sick of watching the 'reporting' grifting, insane speculation, lies, and BS by random wannabe journalists and YouTubers who have now caused more harm than good to this entire situation and put this serious case in jeopardy," Hernandez wrote on X late Saturday night. "Please GO HOME. Let law enforcement do their jobs."

Hernandez also accused some of following officers during SWAT operations and urged them to stop “playing detectives.”

"Yes, this is sad, and we all want Nancy home. But seriously, PLEASE STOP," she added.

Retired FBI agent Jason Pack told Fox News Digital on Sunday that the recovery of a glove matching the type that the subject is seen wearing in surveillance video outside Nancy Guthrie’s home is “a promising development,” though there are still many hurdles that stand in the way of identifying a suspect.

Pack said that veterans of major crime cases “know how often these leads wash out.”

“Finding one that looks right doesn’t mean it is right,” Pack told Fox News Digital. “Even when a glove appears to match, the DNA inside can be degraded by weather, moisture, or handling. It can come back to someone who had nothing to do with the crime. Or it can yield nothing usable at all.”

“That said, if the DNA does come back to the suspect, you’re talking about powerful physical evidence that places him at or near the scene, and that’s the kind of thing that builds a prosecutable case,” Pack added.

An FBI spokesperson earlier told Fox News Digital that a glove with an unknown male DNA profile that was recovered is “different” from over a dozen other gloves collected near the scene and “appears to match the gloves of the subject in the surveillance video.”

Pack questioned what makes investigators believe the recovered glove matches the ones the subject is seen wearing.

“Is it simply the same color and brand found in proximity to the scene, or do they know something we don’t?” Pack asked, noting that investigators often keep certain details out of the public. “Maybe they know the specific brand he purchased, maybe there’s surveillance footage of him wearing a particular type, maybe a receipt or packaging was found during a search warrant.”

Pack said that the apparent match is “worth paying attention to,” adding that rapid DNA testing can deliver a profile in a matter of hours or a day, meaning that answers about the glove could come soon.

“But the right approach is the one good investigators always take: be hopeful, be cautious, and follow the evidence wherever it leads,” the retired FBI agent said. “If it pans out, great. If it doesn’t, they are still working the other leads that are pouring in.”

Fox News Digital’s Jon Street and Kelley Kramer contributed to this report.

An FBI spokesperson told Fox News Digital on Sunday that a glove with a DNA profile recovered in the Nancy Guthrie case is different from other gloves that have been found and appears to match the gloves of the subject seen in the surveillance video.

Investigators collected approximately 16 gloves in various areas near the house, the spokesperson said, noting that most of them were searchers’ gloves that they discarded in various areas when they searched the vicinity.

"The one with the DNA profile recovered is different and appears to match the gloves of the subject in the surveillance video," the spokesperson said.

Experts have said the gloves that the subject appears to be wearing in doorbell video outside Nancy Guthrie's home look like nitrile gloves that are pulled over another pair of gloves.

The FBI spokesperson said the gloves found in a field near the side of the road about two miles from Nancy Guthrie’s home were packaged up by the Pima County Sheriff’s Department and sent overnight Thursday to a private lab in Florida, adding that they arrived at the lab on Friday.

The FBI received preliminary results on Saturday, according to the spokesperson, and are awaiting quality control and official confirmation before putting the unknown male profile into CODIS, the bureau’s national DNA database. The spokesperson said this process typically takes 24 hours from when the bureau receives DNA.

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos told Fox News on Sunday that DNA results in the Nancy Guthrie case are still pending at the private lab in Florida and could take anywhere from one to 10 days “depending on the urgency we place on any one item.”

The sheriff added that, as an example, “a glove located two miles from the scene would get more attention than a glove found 10 miles away.”

Nanos said that detectives prioritized certain submissions, but he did not elaborate on what those are or which results will come back first.

The FBI added that it has and will continue to provide assistance on whatever timeline is provided to the bureau.

Fox News Digital’s Kelley Kramer and Michael Ruiz, along with Fox News’ Caroline Elliott contributed to this report. 

Cybersecurity expert Morgan Wright told “FOX & Friends Weekend” that Nancy Guthrie’s pacemaker may be a critical “witness” in her disappearance.

Wright, the CEO and founder of the Center for Open and Unsolved Cases, said that the pacemaker could give investigators an idea of what happened at the 84-year-old's home in Tucson, Arizona, and the timing.

“This is where the importance of the pacemaker is so vital, that’s the best unbiased witness we have right now, which is at 2:10 when that pacemaker pinged, did it show normal heartbeat like she normally has, did it show she was in distress, or did the telemetry show there was no heartbeat,” he said.

Nancy Guthrie’s pacemaker app showed it disconnected from her phone at 2:28 a.m. on Feb. 1, the morning she is believed to have been taken, authorities have said.

Fox News Digital on Saturday learned that authorities have used a high-tech Bluetooth scanner placed on the bottom of law enforcement helicopters to detect Nancy Guthrie’s pacemaker signal.

The helicopters fly low, typically in grid patterns, at a slow pace to pick up signals.

Fox News Digital spotted one of the low-flying helicopters near Guthrie's home on Feb. 4, just three days after her disappearance.

Fox News Digital’s Michael Ruiz contributed to this report.

Retired FBI Supervisory Agent James Gagliano highlighted the complexities in the process of getting potential forensic results from the home of Nancy Guthrie during an appearance on “FOX & Friends Weekend.”

Gagliano said that while it generally takes 48 hours to get forensic results, the actual timeline can vary depending on different factors.

“What has complicated this is that most of the evidence, if not all of the evidence to date, has gone down to that contracted private lab in Florida,” he said of the Guthrie case.

According to a report by KOLD, DNA Labs International, located in Deerfield Beach, Florida, is where Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has sent key evidence to be examined. State records confirm that Arizona has a contract with the company for "biological laboratory services" that began in 2022 and runs through March.

A federal law enforcement source previously told Fox News Digital that the evidence will need to be retested by the FBI.

“What complicates that is by the time the FBI gets that evidence and DNA it will have been degraded or diluted,” Gagliano said Sunday. “You have to use part of the sample in order to conduct those tests.”

Gagliano added that the FBI uses the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), an electronic database of DNA profiles. Investigators can use DNA in this system to compare it with the DNA evidence collected from crime scenes.

In terms of when the forensic results, if any, will become available in the Guthrie case, Gagliano said it appears “it’s going to take a little bit of time.”

Fox News Digital’s Peter D’Abrosca and Michael Ruiz contributed to this report.

The search for Nancy Guthrie entered its third week on Sunday, as a task force awaits forensic results from a late-night operation that took place on Friday miles from the 84-year-old’s home.

The FBI executed a federal search warrant at a house in the Catalina foothills, resulting in four people being detained and later released, officials confirmed to Fox News Digital on Saturday.

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos, who was not present during the search, told Fox News that there were no arrests and "no sign of Nancy was found.”

Last week, the FBI increased its reward from $50,000 to $100,000 for information leading to the location of Nancy Guthrie or to the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in her disappearance.