Nancy Guthrie disappearance: Savannah Guthrie says 'we still believe' as FBI investigates DNA

A federal law enforcement official said on Monday that agents conducted a canvass of gun stores "several days ago," as federal and local authorities continue investigating Nancy Guthrie's disappearance.

The official told NBC News that while a canvass was done days ago, one was not conducted on Monday. The official said additional canvassing could be possible if a specific lead warrants such action.

"Things are still very fluid, and we are out on many leads," the official told the outlet.

The official also warned that too much public exposure or reporting on specific law enforcement steps, "whether accurate or inaccurate, gives the perpetrator a window into the investigation."

"That's not helpful," the official said.

An expert said even tiny pieces of DNA — which she called 'DNA confetti' — found on a glove discovered by investigators near Nancy Guthrie's home could help solve her disappearance.

Colleen Fitzpatrick, the president and founder of Identifinders Forensic Genealogy who has worked on several high-profile cases, said the DNA on the glove is a crucial element in solving the case and that a DNA match will likely come from either a database of previously convicted criminals or a genealogical link to the abductor.

She told Fox 10 that investigators are likely waiting to see if they find a hit in the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), the database that could connect the DNA to an offender in a previous crime.

"They're waiting to see if they have a CODIS hit and if do not. If they do, okay, that way, if they don't, then my guess is they're gonna do the genealogy," Fitzpatrick told the outlet.

Fitzpatrick said "touch DNA" is typically what would be found on a glove like the one found near Guthrie's house and that advancements in detection technology make the job of law enforcement easier.

"Our ability to sense DNA, detect DNA, is getting better and better," Fitzpatrick said. "So it could be quite a tiny bit of DNA, or you know, it could be a lot if somebody held it for a long time."

"At least with genealogy, we've been very successful at very highly degraded DNA," Fitzpatrick said, noting that a match is not less likely even if the DNA on the glove has degraded from sitting in the desert climate for days. "I call it 'DNA confetti' — little tiny pieces. That doesn't bother us because the markers we use are very small, so we can use little small pieces of DNA."

That DNA is being sent through CODIS, and Fitzpatrick said the next likely step is focusing on genes and the matches potentially identified through ancestry databases.

"It's not just one person — do you match or not? You have a whole network of people that you can kind of put together in a big Sudoku puzzle," Fitzpatrick said. "If they're related to you, they're related to each other through marriage or blood. So you start building the trees, connecting them."

Law enforcement officials have received between 40,000 and 50,000 tips in the Nancy Guthrie investigation, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos told NBC affiliate KVOA in Tucson on Monday.

Earlier in the day, Nanos told the station over 30,000 leads had been routed to both his office and the FBI, adding that investigators believe they are making progress in the case.

He also said several hundred law enforcement officers are working on the investigation.

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos told NBC that he issued a public message about the Guthrie family out of concern they were being unfairly targeted amid the investigation into Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance.

Earlier in the day, Nanos announced that the Guthrie family – including siblings and spouses – have been cleared as possible suspects, describing them as “nothing but cooperative and gracious” and emphasizing that they are victims in the case.

In a text message later explaining his decision to speak out, Nanos wrote, “Because 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.”

“I’m not going to sit in silence when others are attacking the innocent. Isn’t that what the badge represents?” he added, reiterating that suggestions to the contrary are “not only wrong, it is cruel.”

Retired supervisory FBI Agent Jason Pack says the DNA process in the Nancy Guthrie case is moving under urgency but bound by strict protocols, explaining that evidence tested at a private Florida lab must pass multiple reviews in Arizona before it can be entered into the FBI’s national CODIS database.

Pack confessed to Fox News Digital he is not a DNA expert, but as an agent, he learned the process.

In the Guthrie case, he said the DNA is being tested by a private forensic laboratory in Florida, though the investigation belongs to Pima County, Arizona.

“That matters, because DNA does not move straight from a private lab to the FBI,” he said. “There’s no doubt they know the urgency and are fast tracking without cutting corners. We heard tonight that they are finishing their quality checks at the private lab.”

Pack said the process involves investigators in Arizona first sending the biological evidence to the Florida lab for testing. During testing, the lab workers will extract the DNA and create a DNA profile. The new profile is not a name, but instead is a series of numbers based on genetic markers.

He added that the testing of the DNA can take days or weeks, depending on the condition of the evidence.

Once testing is complete, the DNA profile is not sent to the FBI, but instead to Pima County because they own the case. While the lab has the DNA profile, they cannot upload it into the national system. Instead, it has to be transmitted securely and handled by a certified CODIS laboratory, which is usually a government lab authorized by the FBI.

Pima County would then normally send the profile to Arizona’s state crime lab for review, Pack explained, which checks to make sure the testing followed FBI standards and that the documentation is complete.

“Only after that review, or if Pima County formally asks the FBI to take responsibility sooner, can the DNA move to the FBI,” he said. “If the FBI assumes submission responsibility, it can upload the profile directly into the national database. That removes one layer, but it still isn’t instant. The FBI still conducts its own quality checks.”

Once the profile is in the CODIS, it can only be compared to DNA already in the system, like those from convicted offenders and DNA from other crime scenes. If the person connected to the case has never been in CODIS, there will not be a match.

“Because the lab is in Florida and the case belongs to Arizona, there are multiple handoffs before anything goes national,” Pack said. “Even when everything moves smoothly, investigators are usually talking about weeks, not days. If the DNA goes through the full Arizona review process first, a month or more is realistic.

“That doesn’t mean nothing is happening. It means the system is moving carefully, under urgency, and the way it was designed to work,” he added.

A former FBI agent who worked in behavioral analysis told Fox News Digital that he believes Savannah Guthrie's latest Instagram video was directed towards a suspect who could be an amateur criminal feeling the heat of a now-massive investigation.

Savannah Guthrie began her latest video by saying that after two weeks of her mother, Nancy Guthrie, 84, being missing, she and the rest of the Guthrie family are not giving up. She then made a direct plea to her mother's alleged abductor.

"It’s never too late. You are not lost or alone, and it is never too late to do the right thing," she said in the video. "And we are here. We believe in the essential goodness of every human being. And it’s never too late."

Jonny Grusing worked in the FBI’s Denver Division for 25 years, investigating violent crimes, missing persons, serial killers and more. He coordinated the behavior analysis unit for the division for 13 of those years.

Find out what Grusing had to say about Savannah Guthrie’s latest message.

This is an excerpt from a story by Fox News Digital’s Peter D’Abrosca.

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said investigators still do not know the motive behind the apparent kidnapping of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, calling it one of the biggest unanswered questions in the case.

In an interview with the Daily Mail, Nanos said authorities believe the incident was a kidnapping – not a burglary gone wrong – but acknowledged they remain “stuck” when it comes to understanding why it happened.

“And that's what makes me say this is a kidnapping,” Nanos said. “The motivation for it is where we get stuck, right? Is it for money? I mean, we had the one demand where they asked for money. But is it really for money, or is it for revenge for something?”

A vehicle parked outside a home in the Catalina foothills that was raided by the FBI on Friday was towed away Monday, Fox News Digital confirms.

The FBI executed a late-night search warrant at the home Friday. The damaged vehicle – which had significant front-end damage – remained at the property over the weekend before a tow truck removed it Monday. Authorities have not said whether it is connected to the investigation.

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said after the raid that a man detained during a traffic stop Friday night in connection with the Nancy Guthrie investigation was investigators’ “person of interest” and was later released. No arrests have been made and “no sign of Nancy was found,” Nanos said.

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said he has a “thick skin” when it comes to “haters” accusing him of botching the investigation into Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance, dismissing claims he mishandled evidence or blocked the FBI as “so far-fetched.”

In an interview with the Daily Mail, Nanos rejected online criticism that his office released the crime scene too early or interfered with federal authorities, saying his deputies spent nearly 20 hours processing the home before the FBI arrived.

“My officers were there for almost 20 hours, and they processed their scene, got it done, and brought in all the evidence,” he said. “Then the FBI came and did their thing.”

Nanos also bristled at reports suggesting he prevented the FBI from obtaining key evidence. “That's just so far-fetched,” he said. “Why would I do that? It makes no sense.”

He added that any ransom notes or related materials were immediately turned over to federal authorities, noting the FBI’s expertise in hostage negotiations as the search for 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie continues.

Authorities have received more than 30,000 tips in the Nancy Guthrie investigation, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos told Tucson NBC affiliate KVOA.

Nanos said the tips are being routed to both his office and the FBI, adding that investigators believe they are making progress in the case.

He also told the station that several hundred law enforcement officers have been assigned to the investigation.

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos talked about Tommaso Cioni and Annie Guthrie an interview with the Daily Mail, pushing back on online speculation surrounding the disappearance of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie and urging critics not to target family members without evidence.

“I stay in touch with them, mostly Savannah. I’ve not been in touch with Tommaso or Annie too much,” he said. “I have talked to them a little bit, but I know the investigators are in touch with them. But I’ve really told people, this is a lot of stress. If he [Cioni] is guilty, if he’s the one who did it, and we’re able to prove that, then at that time jump on it but don’t come out of nowhere with this.”

Nanos said “nobody” has been cleared in the case – including family members – but warned that online accusations can unfairly “put a mark” on someone who could be innocent. “You're putting a mark on somebody who could be completely innocent. And more important than that, he's family,” he told the Daily Mail.

He also acknowledged the swirl of commentary focused on Cioni, saying pundits have pointed to claims that he was the last person to see Nancy Guthrie alive. Nanos said authorities adjusted their public wording to say “family” drove Nancy home after seeing people “attacking everybody” online.

“We know who it is, but … when we saw everybody was attacking everybody and saying it's this we just thought, you know what? We'll say it was family,” he said.

Nanos added that the Guthrie family has been “nothing but cooperative” and has provided “everything we've asked for” as the investigation continues.

President Donald Trump indicated to the New York Post on Monday that the kidnappers of Nancy Guthrie may face the death penalty if the 84-year-old is not returned unharmed. 

Trump told the Post in a brief phone interview that would instruct the Justice Department to seek “most severe” federal penalties for the abductors if Nancy Guthrie is killed. 

When the Post asked for clarification on whether he meant the death penalty, Trump answered: “The most, yeah — that’s true.” 

The death penalty is authorized in Arizona for certain capital crimes. The state most recently executed two inmates in 2025, and three others in 2022.

Retired police lieutenant Randy Sutton told Fox News Digital on Monday that even though investigators detained and later released three people while executing a search warrant at a home about two miles from Nancy Guthrie’s house on Friday, they may not be done surveilling them.

Significant investigative steps could still be unfolding behind the scenes depending on what evidence was uncovered, Sutton said.

“The other part of this is we don't know what information they developed from these interviews,” Sutton said. “If there was something that indicated that there might be one or all of these individuals involved in some way, but they didn't have enough probable cause to make an arrest, and they still believe that they might be involved somehow, there might be other warrants that are being done right now.”

Sutton said that if detectives believe someone may be involved, but lack sufficient probable cause to make an arrest, they can pursue additional warrants — like “a wiretap or the surveillance of their phones and devices” — as they work to build a stronger case.

 “Doesn't necessarily mean a physical surveillance will take place, but once again, it all depends,” Sutton added. “They may have cleared all these people. They may have just said, ‘You know what? I'm sorry. We messed your door up. Sorry.’”

Authorities have not revealed what was uncovered during the search as of Monday morning.

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

The suspect covered head-to-toe who was caught on Nancy Guthrie's doorbell camera purchased his clothing and ski mask from Walmart, CBS News reported, citing Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos.

Police are working to identify the brands.

However, the Pima County Sheriff's Department (PCSD) said that while the clothing is available at Walmart, it was not necessarily purchased there.

"PCSD can confirm that the clothing seen in the video may have been purchased from Walmart but is not exclusively available at Walmart," according to a Monday update. "This remains a possibility only. The investigation is ongoing, and information may change as new details develop."

The FBI previously said that the backpack worn by the suspect was a black Ozark Trail Hiker, also sold at Walmart.

A law enforcement expert also told Fox News Digital that the gun holster worn by the suspect matches a Strategy brand hip holster, which is available at some Walmart stores for around $10.

Investigators in the search for Nancy Guthrie have not labeled the case as a specific type of crime at this point, NBC reported, citing a federal law enforcement source with knowledge of the investigation.

While there is a "myriad of theories," the source told the outlet, authorities are not officially narrowing down the options.

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos on Sunday responded to a local Arizona TV news reporter who cited 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.”

A source speaking to Fox News Digital on Sunday also pushed back against the local report, saying, "This is not the working theory inside the unit.”

Fox News Digital’s Michael Ruiz and Emma Bussey, along with Fox News' Matt Finn contributed to this report.

New drone video from the FOX Flight Team shows the back patio in the rear of Nancy Guthrie's home in Tucson, Arizona.

Fox News national correspondent Matt Finn reports that there doesn’t appear to be any visible damage to the back door or rear windows, though he noted that the Pima County Sheriff's Department has not confirmed whether there was any forced entry or how the suspect entered the home.

Investigators in the Nancy Guthrie case are no longer focusing on the missing 84-year-old’s relatives as potential suspects, NBC reported Monday, citing two law enforcement sources. 

“Those same officials say investigators are also leaning away from any of Nancy’s relatives as potential suspects,” NBC reporter Liz Kreutz said on “Today.” 

Investigators are saying that surveillance footage may be key as the search continues, and are working with private companies, including Google, to uncover more video, NBC reported.

Savannah Guthrie posted a new video on Instagram Sunday, marking two weeks since her mother Nancy Guthrie's disappearance and sharing a message of hope.

"I wanted to come on, and um, it's been two weeks since our mom was taken, and I just wanted to come on and say that we still have hope, and we still believe," Savannah Guthrie said. "And I wanted to say to whoever has her or knows where she is that it's never too late, and you are not lost or alone."

Savannah Guthrie added, "It is never too late to do the right thing, and we are here. We believe, and we believe in the essential goodness of every human being."

An FBI spokesperson told Fox News Digital on Sunday that a glove with a DNA profile of an unknown male 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.