Additional Coverage:
PIMA COUNTY, AZ – Investigators in the ongoing disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, mother of Today show co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, have announced a significant development, though details remain tightly under wraps. The Pima County Sheriff’s Department confirmed Friday that “DNA other than Nancy Guthrie’s and those in close contact to her has been collected from the property.”
This latest breakthrough follows the detention of an individual connected to the case on Tuesday, February 10, in Arizona, whose home was subsequently searched. While the Sheriff’s Department acknowledged the discovery of DNA, they have declined to specify its location on the property, leaving a key piece of the puzzle undisclosed. Investigators are now working to identify the owner of the newly discovered genetic material.
The primary focus for authorities and the Guthrie family, including Savannah and her siblings Annie and Camron, remains the safe return of 84-year-old Nancy, who was reported missing on Sunday, February 1.
Former Israeli Intelligence official Rami Igra, who previously headed the Prisoners, Hostages, and Missing Persons Division for Mossad, recently offered strategic advice on how authorities might approach negotiations. Igra emphasized that convincing a suspect that investigators already possess information about their location is crucial to initiating dialogue. He suggested that once the suspect believes authorities have the upper hand, they are more likely to “start talking.”
“The kidnapper will not discuss anything unless they are somehow threatened. Until they are threatened, they will have one demand: money or nothing,” Igra told Page Six.
Despite repeated pleas from the Guthrie family, no proof of life for Nancy has been received. Savannah Guthrie previously shared on Instagram, “We need to know, without a doubt, that she is alive, and that you have her.
We want to hear from you, and we are ready to listen. Please, reach out to us.”
Igra noted that the absence of proof of life is “worrisome,” suggesting it might indicate the suspect is not a “professional.” He explained to Page Six, “It shows that [the kidnappers] don’t have a safe way of transmitting [images showing proof of life]. They need a safe way to transmit pictures [showing] that she is alive and it’s not traceable to them.”