Nancy Guthrie update – Did the FBI find new DNA evidence?
Has the search for Nancy Guthrie struck a new lead?
Despite reports saying the FBI received critical new DNA information, there is no new evidence relating to the disappearance of “Today” host Savannah Guthrie’s 84-year-old mother, USA TODAY has learned.
ABC News reported on April 16, citing sources familiar with the investigation, that the FBI is using new technology to conduct advanced analysis on the DNA sample, hoping for a lead in the investigation, which began on Feb. 1. Fox News reported that FBI investigators collected DNA from Nancy Guthrie’s home, citing a source with knowledge of the investigation.
The FBI declined to comment. The Pima County Sheriff’s Office Department’s public information officer, Angelica Carrillo, said local authorities continue to share information with the FBI’s lab in the Guthrie investigation.
“This is not new information,” the sheriff’s department wrote on X Thursday, April 16. “The private lab we utilize in Florida continues to share information with the FBI lab & other partner labs across the country. DNA analysis remains ongoing.”
USA TODAY has reached out to the “Today” show and Guthrie’s representatives for comment.
The elderly mother of the TV journalist was last seen on Jan. 31 before an apparent kidnapping in her Catalina Foothills neighborhood in Tucson, Arizona. Despite a decline in updates as of late, law enforcement has emphasized that the investigation remains active.
Law enforcement previously confirmed that the blood found on the porch of the home belonged to Nancy Guthrie and that authorities also found DNA evidence in the home that did not belong to her or those close to her.
On Feb. 10, the FBI released doorbell footage of the suspect, described as a “male, approximately 5’9″-5’10” tall, with an average build,” at Guthrie’s front door the night she went missing.
A pair of black gloves that seemingly resembled the gloves the suspect wore in the video did not match any entries in the FBI’s Combined DNA Index System, or CODIS, according to the sheriff’s department. Neither did the DNA found at the property.
Savannah Guthrie returned to ‘Today’ show in April
Savannah Guthrie returned to work at the “Today” show on April 6 after taking a hiatus to focus on her mother’s disappearance.
Reports suggested that she exited the broadcast on the April 15 episode of the “Today” show after introducing an interview with Anne Hathaway. When the show returned from a commercial break, coanchor Hoda Kotb took Guthrie’s place and continued the interview with the “Devil Wears Prada 2” actress.
However, the moment is normal for the “Today” show, as it’s routine for one host to tease an interview before tossing to another host, USA TODAY has learned.
Savannah Guthrie and her family continue to urge anyone with relevant information to alert authorities.
In a statement posted on March 21, the Guthrie family said that Tucsonans and the greater Southern Arizona community hold the key to finding a resolution in the case. “Someone knows something. It’s possible a member of this community has information that they do not even realize is significant.”
During her absence from the talk show, Savannah Guthrie posted several videos, including some responding to alleged ransom notes.
Law enforcement asks anyone with information to contact 1-800-CALL-FBI or tips.fbi.gov, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department (520-351-4900) or 88-CRIME.
Contributing: Taijuan Moorman, Edward Segarra and Brendan Morrow, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Nancy Guthrie update – Did the FBI find new DNA evidence?