The desperate search for 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie has hit a setback – 17 days after she was abducted from her home in Tucson, there is still no breakthrough leading to her recovery.
Investigators had pinned hopes on a black glove discovered near her property, matching the pair worn by a suspect in security footage from Nancy’s home. Those hopes were dashed after DNA testing revealed no matches.
The glove was initially sent to Florida for testing by Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos, before being returned to Arizona in line with FBI procedures and re-tested under the official CODIS system. Despite the additional examination, there were no “hits.” It comes after an ex-FBI agent revealed the hidden codeword that Savannah used in her message to the kidnappers.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation operates CODIS — the Combined DNA Index System — a nationwide program that supports criminal justice DNA databases across the US.
It merges forensic science and computer technology to link serial violent crimes, identify suspects and locate missing persons, matching profiles from crime scenes with those of convicted offenders and arrestees.
Forensic consultant Ron Martinelli has urged caution over writing off the DNA setback entirely, noting that cold cases have been cracked decades later after re-testing evidence. But his wider concerns about the case remain.
Speaking to Hello! he shared, “My impressions haven’t changed. It still worries me. It still concerns me that we’ve had no proof of life after this many days.”
He also highlighted what he believes is an alarming silence from those allegedly responsible. “What are we not hearing from? We’re not hearing from the kidnappers,” he said. “This person could be an intermediary… but you’re not hearing from the kidnappers themselves. That’s very unusual.”
As the investigation enters its third week, video evidence, physical searches, DNA testing and the FBI’s analysis of purported ransom notes have all played a role.
The first significant development came 10 days into the search when home security footage emerged.
Authorities have confirmed that three ransom notes have been received, with at least one being treated as serious. However, following each note, communication from the potential kidnappers has stopped — deepening fears as no proof of life has been provided.
Nancy was taken from her home as she slept in the early hours of February 1.
Her daughter, Savannah Guthrie co-host of the Today show, has made emotional appeals both to the public and directly to those holding her mother.
In a message posted just two days ago, she pleaded for compassion from the kidnapper. “We still have hope and we still believe,” she said.
Savannah added, “And I wanted to say to whoever has her or knows where she is that it’s never too late. It is never too late to do the right thing. We believe in the essential goodness of every human being.”
It comes as the man who claims to know Nancy Guthrie’s kidnapper reveals the chilling reason he wants Bitcoin.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.the-express.com ’
