‘It’s never too late’: Savannah Guthrie’s new plea for mother’s release as FBI analyzes gauntlet
Savannah Guthrie has appealed for the release of her 84-year-old mother two weeks after she was allegedly missing in a kidnapping, telling everyone involved that “it’s never too late to do the right thing.”
In her latest video appeal, the US TV presenter addresses “anyone who has her or knows where she is” – adding that Nancy Guthrie’s loved ones “still have hope”.
Currently, investigators are analyzing DNA found on a glove they recovered that appears to match one worn by a suspect who appeared in doorbell camera footage taken the night Nancy Guthrie disappeared.
Authorities believe the suspect in the video kidnapped Guthrie in the early hours of February 1.
The FBI said Sunday that investigators recovered the glove in a field near the side of the road, about two miles from Guthrie’s home in Tucson, Arizona.
The agency collected about 16 gloves from various locations near Nancy Guthrie’s home, although most turned out to have been discarded by people who were looking for her.
“The one with the recovered DNA profile is different and appears to match the subject’s gloves in the surveillance video,” the FBI said.
The agency said it had received preliminary results of DNA testing on the glove and was still awaiting “quality control and official confirmation” before entering an “unknown male profile” into its database.
NBC / Today via Reuters
Earlier this week, investigators released video footage taken from a doorbell camera outside Guthrie’s front door, showing a masked man wearing gloves and carrying a backpack.
In the video, the suspect walks toward the camera and attempts to cover it with his gloved hand before grabbing some brush in the front yard to block the camera’s view.
After conducting a forensic analysis of the video, the FBI announced earlier this week that it believed the man was between 5 feet 9 inches and 5 feet 10 inches (175-177 cm) tall and of average build.
The FBI also highlighted the backpack the suspect was carrying in the video, identifying it as a 25-liter Ozark Trail Hiker Pack.
The clothing and mask worn by the suspect in the video appear to have been purchased at Walmart, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos told the BBC’s US partner CBS News. CBS also reported that the backpack is only sold in Walmart stores.
Officials reviewed surveillance footage from nearby Walmart locations, Nanos said, although a company spokesperson declined to comment to CBS.
Police said describing the suspect “remains a priority” but added that “investigators are not ruling out any individuals or possibilities.”
On Monday, the sheriff leading the local investigation said Guthrie’s family, including all of his siblings and their spouses, had “been cleared as possible suspects in this case.”
Guthrie was last seen on the evening of Jan. 31, when a family member dropped her off at her home after a meeting at her other daughter Annie Guthrie’s house.
Members of his church noticed his absence the next day and notified his family.
In the two weeks since Guthrie’s disappearance, the FBI and the Pima County Sheriff’s Office have conducted an investigation. massive search operation involving helicopters, sniffer dogs and hundreds of officers, while receiving thousands of appeal tips.
Authorities have warned that his health could be at serious risk without his medication. Nanos, the local sheriff, said she was “not in good physical health” but reported no cognitive problems.
Local authorities also said investigators found DNA at Guthrie’s address that did not belong to her or any of her relatives.
The FBI has increased the reward for information about her disappearance from $50,000 (£36,700) to $100,000.
