Gloves found near Nancy Guthrie’s home in the Tucson area could prove pivotal for police tracking down a suspect in the 84-year-old's disappearance, according to a retired FBI agent.
Jennifer Coffindaffer told Newsweek gloves are “one of the best places to get DNA because you know, your skin cells, with everything you do, you pinch the car door and open it, you grab something, there’s friction that’s created and so those cells rub off."
She added that “a lot of people have sweaty palms and so it’s possible that there could be sweat that would have left DNA. And finally, men have hair on their hands and that hair could be deposited in that glove.”
Investigators recovered a black glove, which resembles the type worn by a masked individual seen in surveillance footage released by the FBI, approximately one mile and a half miles from Guthrie’s Tucson-area home, the New York Post reported on Wednesday.
A second glove has since been found, local news station KVOA and Fox News reported, citing unnamed investigators. The gloves have been submitted for DNA analysis, the outlets said.
Newsweek contacted FBI Phoenix via email on Thursday morning.
The gloves “could have been dropped there, it could have been planted there and then of course, it could be the real thing,” Coffindaffer said.
Guthrie, the mother of Today show host Savannah Guthrie, has been missing for almost two weeks. Authorities say they believe she was taken against her will after being last seen at her home near Tucson on January 31. DNA tests showed blood on her porch was hers, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said.
Why It Matters
The DNA evidence could help police identify a suspect in the disappearance of Guthrie. She was last seen on January 31 and reported missing February 1.
Investigators also hope that surveillance images of a masked man on Guthrie’s porch will bring tips from the public to help solve her suspected abduction.
What To Know
Coffindaffer said the DNA evidence recovered from the gloves, if it does belong to the suspect, could be useful even if the suspect’s DNA is not in a police database.
She said law enforcement could “absolutely” use investigative genetic genealogy to track down the suspect, as law enforcement did with Bryan Kohberger after four University of Idaho students were murdered in late 2022.
On Tuesday, the FBI released black-and-white surveillance footage of a masked individual wearing gloves and a backpack tampering with a camera outside Guthrie’s door, marking the first significant break in the case. Authorities believed Guthrie’s doorbell camera had been disconnected in the early hours of February 1.
Savannah Guthrie posted stills from the footage on social media on Wednesday, writing "We believe she is still alive. Bring her home.”
On Tuesday, authorities said they had stopped a man near the U.S.-Mexico border, just hours after the FBI released videos of a person wearing a gun holster, ski mask and backpack and approaching Guthrie’s home.
The man told media outlets early on Wednesday that he was released after several hours and had nothing to do with Guthrie’s disappearance. Authorities have not said what led them to stop the man Tuesday but confirmed he was released.
It is not known whether the ransom notes demanding money with deadlines that have already passed were authentic, and whether the family has had any contact with whoever took Guthrie.
TMZ reported on Wednesday that it received a message from someone saying they would reveal the kidnapper’s identity for one bitcoin. The sender claimed to have tried unsuccessfully to reach Savannah Guthrie and her siblings before contacting the outlet.
In a video posted on social media on Saturday, the Today show host said the family "'will pay" for her mother’s return.
What People Are Saying
Television host Nancy Grace said on Fox News’ Hannity on Thursday: “All I need, Sean, is one hair. One. Be it nuclear or nonnuclear, root or no root, all I need is one. Why? That DNA they have found there is coming back even if he doesn’t have a record. Still, genetic genealogy.”
Savannah Guthrie wrote on Instagram alongside the surveillance video: “Someone out there recognizes this person. We believe she is still out there. Bring her home.”
FBI Phoenix field office said in a statement posted on X on Wednesday: “This morning, numerous FBI agents are conducting an extensive search along multiple roadways in the Catalina Foothills area related to the Nancy Guthrie investigation. We are asking the media and motorists to follow all traffic laws and to remain especially cautious when passing law enforcement personnel on the roadways.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Tuesday: “The president encourages any American across the country with any knowledge of this suspect to please call the FBI who continue to assist state and local authorities who are leading this investigation on the ground. And once again, I will reiterate that the prayers of this entire White House are with Savannah and her family at this time.”
What Happens Next
The FBI has offered a $50,000 reward.
Anyone with information is urged to contact 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), 520-351-4900, 88-CRIME or visit tips.fbi.gov.