Nancy Guthrie kidnap case hits another dead end with newest DNA results
In another setback in the investigation of Nancy Guthrie’s kidnapping, DNA on a glove found in the early weeks of the investigation turned out to belong to a restaurant employee and was unrelated to her masked kidnapper, authorities said.
The news came as one of Nancy’s daughters and co-host of NBC’s “Today” show, Savannah Guthrie, made an off-screen visit to New York Studios on Thursday to thank co-workers for their support since her mother’s Feb. 1 abduction.
The “Today” show said Guthrie plans to return to the air at some point, but the show said in a news release that he “currently remains focused on supporting his family and helping bring Nancy home.”
As the investigation enters its second month, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos told NBC: “There’s a lot that everybody wants to know, but it would be very negligent and irresponsible for me, as a cop, as a law enforcement leader, to share this with everyone.”
Thousands of additional tips have flooded into the Pima County Sheriff’s Department since last week when Savannah Guthrie announced a $1 million reward for information leading to the return of her mother.
Authorities insist the investigation is still in full force and that they have some solid leads. The Sheriff’s Department announced that there is a special team from the homicide unit working with the FBI on this case. Nanos told NBC News that he and his team believe Guthrie is still alive and are pursuing thousands of leads.
Drops of blood of the 84-year-old grandmother were on the threshold of her house. Her suspected kidnapper stole the Nest camera from the front door on Feb. 1, but not before catching the ski-masked, backpack-wearing gunman who lurked on the porch and tried to cover the lens with his gloved hand. More than a dozen gloves have since been seized in the surrounding community. However, authorities say the glove matching the one worn by the person in the video is unrelated and belongs to a nearby restaurant employee.
There are no DNA matches to known criminals in the federal database.
The ransom notes arrived after the kidnapping on February 1, but there was no evidence that Guthrie was alive. Locals were detained and quickly released after investigative leads dried up.
Nanos said the department is reviewing video taken from area homes of a car at the time of the abduction, but neither vehicle is currently linked to the crime.
The backpack the masked man carried at Nancy Guthrie’s door may not have been purchased at Walmart as initially believed, but on a secondary market such as EBay, Nanos said.
On Monday, Savannah, her sister Annie and Annie’s husband Tommaso were also seen placing flowers and cards at a growing memorial outside their mother’s home in the Tucson suburbs.
The handwritten message on their card read: “Even though we are surrounded by so much darkness and uncertainty, our love shines through. We love you, Mom. We miss you so much.”
Savannah also shared a photo. instagram related to yellow flowers From the monument that grew with the memories of the neighbors.
