FBI
Investigators found DNA on a glove that appears to match the one a suspect was wearing in doorbell camera footage taken the night Nancy Guthrie disappeared.
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 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.
Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of US TV news anchor Savannah Guthrie, has been missing for two weeks. Authorities believe she was taken against her will.
The FBI said Sunday it collected about 16 gloves from various locations near Nancy Guthrie’s home, although most were discarded by people 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.
Earlier this week, investigators released images from a doorbell camera at Guthrie’s front door that shows 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 carrying out a forensic analysis of the video, the The FBI announced Earlier this week the man was thought to be between 5ft 9ins and 5ft 10ins (175-177cm) and of medium build.
The FBI also highlighted the backpack the suspect was carrying in the video, identifying it as a 25-liter Ozark Trail Hiker Pack.
Authorities believe the suspect in the video kidnapped Guthrie in the early morning hours of February 1.
The county sheriff’s department said describing the suspect “remains a priority” but added that “investigators are not ruling out any individuals or possibilities.”
Later Sunday, Savannah Guthrie made another direct appeal for her mother’s safe return.
“It’s been two weeks since our mother was taken,” she said in a video posted to Instagram, adding: “We still have hope and we still believe.”
“And I wanted to tell anyone who has her or knows where she is, that it’s never too late and you’re not lost or alone.”
Speaking slowly and hesitantly, she adds: “It’s never too late to make the right choice.”
Guthrie was last seen Jan. 31, when a family member dropped her off at her home after a gathering at her daughter Annie’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 call tips.
Authorities have warned she could be in very poor health without her medication. Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said Guthrie was “not in good physical health” but had no reported 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 increased the reward for information on Guthrie’s disappearance from $50,000 (£36,700) to $100,000.
