Nancy Guthrie Update: Investigators Face Major Challenge

Nancy Guthrie, the mother of Today host Savannah Guthrie, remains missing nearly three months after she disappeared from her home in the Catalina Foothills of Tucson, AZ.

The latest news in the case came when the FBI announced it took hold of DNA evidence after a two-month delay when the Pima County Sheriff's Department sent the sample to a private laboratory in Florida instead.

“There is no new DNA evidence in the Nancy Guthrie case. The FBI requested this material over two months ago,” the FBI said. “The Pima County Sheriff’s Office sent it to a private lab in Florida. Eleven weeks later, that lab has now transferred an original hair sample to the FBI Laboratory for testing. We remain fully committed to this investigation.”

Lack of DNA Evidence Will Cause Mounting Problem for Investigators

DNA testing will be the lynchpin of the investigation moving forward, said former CIA officer and FBI special agent Tracy Walder.

“We need this information to be able to rule people out or rule people in, in this case. So, in a case like this, where we really actually don’t have a lot of digital forensic evidence, which obviously the FBI is very good at, really, this becomes very, very important,” Walder told NewsNation.

“We have a clear lack of video forensic evidence, as we have seen, as well as really phone and those kinds of forensic evidence, and so I think in this case, there’s no question that that hair is going to be important in terms of ruling whomever that is in or out, and the FBI is going to probably have to investigate if they can get a hook on who it is,” she added.

When DNA Evidence Results Could be Announced

Former FBI agent Jennifer Coffindaffer suggested the sequencing of the DNA evidence could take several months.

However, fellow former FBI agent Greg Rogers revealed the evidence could be processed much faster.

“The FBI lab is the best in the country,” Rogers said. “A high priority case like this is prioritized and results can come back in a matter of days. We also have contacts in Mexico that will be utilized to further investigate any solid DNA testing results.”

Genetic genealogist Cece Moore said that, given the Guthrie case is not yet cold, the DNA will be worked on immediately with the goal of fast-tracking results compared to the usual multiple months.

“Sometimes they can get DNA the first time around, and sometimes they have to go through several attempts before they can get that viable profile,” Moore said.

Guthrie has been missing for 81 days.

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