What we covered here
• Glove being analyzed: A glove found near Nancy Guthrie’s home appears to match the one worn by a suspect seen in her home’s doorbell camera footage, according to the FBI. DNA from the glove is being analyzed in an attempt to identify a suspect as the search stretches into a third week.
• New appeal: Savannah Guthrie posted another video on social media, saying her family still has hope for her mother’s return. “It is never too late to do the right thing,” she said.
• No leading theory: Investigators have still not zeroed in on a leading motive for her disappearance, with authorities looking at all possible options, a source told CNN.
Our live coverage of the search for Nancy Guthrie has moved here.
Still no leading theory in Nancy Guthrie disappearance, source says
Investigators in the Nancy Guthrie case have still not zeroed in on a leading motive for her disappearance, a source familiar with the investigation told CNN.
Authorities are looking at all possible options, the source said, including whether the incident was a burglary gone wrong, a targeted abduction based on Guthrie’s relation to her famous daughter, or a multitude of other possibilities.
Investigators are still working to identify Guthrie’s location and the identity of the male suspect seen on doorbell video camera footage outside her home the night of her disappearance, the source said.
"It is never too late to do the right thing," Savannah Guthrie says to possible kidnappers
In a newly posted Instagram video, Savannah Guthrie shares a message to the kidnappers of her 84-year-old mother, Nancy Guthrie.
“To whoever has her or knows where she is, that it’s never too late, and you’re not lost or alone.”
Guthrie echoed the encouragement, “It is never too late to do the right thing and we are here.”
The “Today” anchor recognized the 15-day disappearance of her mother in the video and said she and her family are still hopeful.
More than 14,000 tips have been received as the investigation enters its third week, along with the initial evidence collected from Nancy Guthrie’s home in the early days of her disappearance, according to the FBI.
Multiple gloves have been recovered from the secluded Tucson neighborhood, with one believed by investigators to be worn by the masked individual seen on video from her doorbell camera.
While there are currently no suspects named in Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance, the FBI described the suspect seen in doorbell footage from Guthrie’s home as a 5’9”-to-5’10”-tall male.
Former FBI profiler outlines alleged abductor's possible personality traits
Former FBI profiler Candice DeLong described the possible personality attributes of Nancy Guthrie’s alleged abductor.
“For somebody to think they can pull off a crime like this, they have to be enormously confident in themselves, and the term narcissistic psychopath comes to mind,” DeLong told CNN. “Psychopath being a clinical term, someone that has no empathy for others, no guilt for what they do to other people.”
DeLong said widespread modern surveillance has made it more difficult for those committing a crime to evade apprehension. The Pima County Sheriff’s Department has asked neighbors within a two-mile radius of Guthrie’s home for doorbell footage tracking back to January.
Even a small sample of DNA could be analyzed and used to link a potential suspect to the crime scene, a former Texas police chief told CNN earlier today. The FBI has analyzed a glove found near the Guthrie home for evidence, which investigators believe appears similar to the ones worn by the masked person in the footage.
The person more likely to commit a kidnapping like this would think they’re without error and cause them to believe they could pull off a crime of this magnitude, said DeLong.
But the suspect in the footage didn’t seem sophisticated enough, according to DeLong, citing the suspect covering the camera’s lens with leaves before walking away.
"The best lead they have right now is that backpack," retired FBI agent says
While the FBI tests a glove they believe is connected to the abduction of Nancy Guthrie, a backpack could be another breakthrough in the investigation, according to retired FBI Supervisory Special Agent Jason Pack.
“The best piece of information, and the best lead they have right now, is that backpack in that video that they’ve released,” Pack told CNN.
The suspected abductor in the doorbell footage outside of Nancy Guthrie’s home is seen wearing a black, 25-liter Ozark Trail backpack, according to the FBI, leading authorities to check retailers in the Arizona area selling the same brand of backpacks.
Along with the backpack, the masked individual is seen wearing black gloves, a ski mask, and a holster, which by the position, suggests the suspect is right-handed.
The glove recovered near Guthrie’s Tucson home is believed by investigators to match the one worn by the suspect in the video, and being paired with the backpack could help law enforcement officials identify her alleged abductor.
Correction: An earlier version gave the incorrect size for the backpack authorities said was worn by a suspect seen in doorbell camera footage. It was a 25-liter Ozark Trail backpack.
FBI says glove with DNA is not the one previously photographed by New York Post
An FBI official told CNN that the glove containing DNA — which investigators believe appears similar to the ones worn by the masked individual recorded on Nancy Guthrie’s doorbell camera — is not the same glove previously photographed by the New York Post.
The New York Post had published a photo taken on February 11 of what it reported was a black glove recovered by investigators less than two miles from Guthrie’s home, according to the outlet.
When asked by CNN whether the recently reported glove tied to the forensic testing was the one shown in widely circulated images published by the New York Post, the FBI official responded: “No.”
Several gloves have been recovered as part of the investigation, with the furthest found 10 miles from Guthrie’s home, according to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department.
The comment comes as investigators continue analyzing DNA recovered from the glove in an effort to identify a possible suspect. Authorities have not released images of the specific glove tied to the DNA testing.
15 days into search, well-wishers tend to memorial outside Nancy Guthrie's home
Kathleen Kauffman drove two hours on Sunday to reach Nancy Guthrie’s Catalina Foothills, Arizona, home, where a memorial honoring the 84-year-old continues to grow more than two weeks into the desperate search to find her.
A funeral director from Meza, Arizona, and an avid ‘Today” show watcher, Kauffman told CNN she wanted to pay her respects to the Guthrie family.
CNN video shows Kauffman adding a ribbon to the memorial and tending to other momentos.
CNN’s Amanda Musa and Sarah Dewberry contributed to this report.
Glove DNA testing may yield answers in 24 to 48 hours, former police chief says
A glove recovered near Nancy Guthrie’s home believed by investigators to match the one worn by the masked individual seen on her doorbell camera could represent a pivotal development in the case.
The FBI says DNA recovered from the glove is undergoing forensic testing in an effort to identify a potential suspect. How quickly answers come will depend on the type and quality of the sample, Jeffrey Halstead, former Fort Worth police chief, told CNN.
“These are very, very strong and definitive updates,” Halstead said.
The urgency of the case may allow officials to escalate testing and retrieve results faster than usual, he added. “It could be anywhere between 24 and 48 hours,” Halstead said.
While the strength of the findings will depend on the type of DNA recovered — whether full or touch DNA — Halstead said even smaller samples can be significant if they tie directly to the glove and, in turn, to the person captured on video outside Guthrie’s home.
“They are all very, very relevant,” he said, describing the evidence as potentially tracing back to a “centralized suspect.”
Halstead said investigators will likely intensify their focus around where the glove was found, expanding outward in a targeted search pattern. If the DNA links to a known individual, he said, additional developments could follow quickly as authorities close in on stronger leads.
Analysis: What the discovery of new glove evidence could mean for the Nancy Guthrie investigation
In a significant development, the FBI said today investigators have located a glove near Nancy Guthrie’s home that appears to visually match gloves worn by a suspect seen on doorbell camera video at the home.
The FBI says DNA from the recovered glove is being analyzed to determine the identity of a possible suspect.
A first step for investigators when obtaining DNA evidence is to run it through criminal databases to determine if it matches a known criminal.
As part of a burgeoning field known as investigative genetic genealogy, authorities would also likely be submitting the evidence to third-party DNA mapping services offered to the general public. Even if the suspect has never used one of these services, a family member might have, which can provide clues to the suspect’s identity based on the unique nature of family DNA profiling.
Familial DNA was a critical tool used by police in the case of Bryan Kohberger, who was convicted of killing four Idaho college students.
Beyond DNA testing, if the recovered glove is determined to belong to the suspect seen at Guthrie’s home, the location where it was found could be the most important clue yet suggesting his route of travel after her suspected abduction.
Glove found near Guthrie’s home appears to match those of the suspect in doorbell cam video
A glove found near missing 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie’s home appears to match those worn by a suspect recorded in doorbell camera footage outside her home the morning she disappeared, according to the FBI.
The glove, which contained DNA, was one of “approximately” 16 that investigators found near Guthrie’s home, most of which the FBI said belonged to searchers who discarded them while working in the area.
“The one with the DNA profile recovered is different and appears to match the gloves of the subject in the surveillance video,” the FBI said in a statement today as the search for the grandmother entered its third week.
The FBI statement appears to indicate the suspected match is based on a visual comparison of the gloves rather than forensic testing. CNN has reached out to the FBI to clarify its statement.
The FBI is awaiting final test results from the glove, the agency said, adding that the process typically takes 24 hours.
What we know about the suspect in Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance
As the search for 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie enters its third week, investigators have not publicly named a suspect, though they have shared details about the person seen in doorbell footage outside her home the morning she vanished.
Here’s what we know:
- The FBI described the masked man seen in doorbell footage from outside Guthrie’s home as 5 feet 9 inches to 5 feet 10 inches tall with an average build. He was wearing dark clothing, black gloves, sneakers, and a black 25-liter Ozark Trail Hiker Pack backpack.
- Forensic teams uncovered DNA at Guthrie’s home that does not match her or anyone in her immediate circle, authorities said. Investigators have not revealed where on the property the genetic material was found but say it is currently undergoing laboratory analysis.
- Investigators are working to forensically analyze multiple pieces of evidence, including several gloves, one of which was discovered up to 10 miles from Guthrie’s residence.
- Authorities have yet to name a suspect in the case. Law enforcement detained and questioned a man in Rio Rico, Arizona, for hours before releasing him on February 10.
- FBI Director Kash Patel said investigators are examining “persons of interest” but declined to say who may be under suspicion.
- An operation conducted Friday at a residence near Guthrie’s home ended without any arrests, a law enforcement official said.
CNN’s Alaa Elassar contributed to this report.
Arizona lawmaker blasts true crime livestreamers covering Nancy Guthrie case: “Go home"
True crime livestreamers and podcasters have poured into Arizona as the search for Nancy Guthrie continues, expanding the media presence in Tucson far beyond satellite trucks and network correspondents.
But not everyone believes the influx of online personalities has been helpful.
Arizona state Rep. Alma Hernandez delivered a blunt rebuke on X, accusing some self-styled online reporters of undermining the seriousness of the case.
“As someone who lives & represents Tucson/Pima County, I am so sick of watching the ‘reporting,’ grifting, insane speculation, lies, and BS by random wannabe journalists and YouTubers who have now caused more harm than good to this entire situation and put this serious case in jeopardy,” she wrote.
Hernandez urged content creators to “GO HOME,” adding, “Let law enforcement do their jobs. Stop following them during SWAT operations and playing detectives.”
“I am sick of the constant LIES from those who can’t even spell Tucson and clearly have never been to our city,” Hernandez said.
The growing presence of online sleuths is a double-edged sword, according to Josh Schirard, a former Galveston County, Texas, police captain who spoke to CNN.
“It’s really a little column A, column B,” Schirard said, explaining while online coverage can generate fresh attention, it can also divert valuable law enforcement resources toward tips that may not be credible.
He also noted some of the most critical breakthroughs in major cases have come from the public — not from detectives working alone behind a desk.
“We’ve seen it time and time again where someone in the community provides the key tip, spots something unusual, or helps put the puzzle pieces together,” Schirard said.
Some of the independent streamers traveled from across the country within days of Guthrie’s disappearance, bringing with them sizable social media followings in the hundreds of thousands. At least one has conducted police ride-alongs or embedded with fugitive task forces.
Others have been broadcasting to large YouTube audiences from out of state, then reporting from Tucson in person. They say their goal is accountability and transparency.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department has repeatedly pushed back on rumors, including claims circulating online about a so-called “prime suspect.”
“Social media’s kind of an ugly world sometimes,” Sheriff Chris Nanos said last week, urging the public not to spread unsubstantiated information.
No news conferences planned in Nancy Guthrie investigation, sheriff's department says
There are no news conferences currently planned in connection with the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, a spokesperson for the Pima County Sheriff’s Department told CNN on Sunday morning.
The last news conference held by the sheriff’s department was on February 5. Since then, Sheriff Chris Nanos has provided updates through select media interviews, including with CNN’s Ed Lavandera on Friday, but no full briefing has been convened.
The sheriff’s department said Saturday it won’t hold a news conference unless there are significant developments in the investigation.
Authorities request neighbors’ video in search for Nancy Guthrie
As the search for 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie enters its third week, authorities are seeking any footage that could aid their ongoing investigation.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department has asked neighbors within a 2-mile radius of Guthrie’s home to submit any video they have from January 1 to February 2.
The sheriff’s department is seeking any footage that includes cars, traffic, people or pedestrians or other noteworthy images. The department is requesting footage be submitted through its online evidence submission portal.
The request comes after investigators shared details about a person seen in doorbell footage outside Guthrie’s home the morning she vanished. The FBI described the masked man as 5 feet 9 inches to 5 feet 10 inches tall with an average build. He was wearing dark clothing, black gloves, sneakers, and a black 25-liter Ozark Trail Hiker Pack backpack.
Investigators are working to forensically analyze multiple pieces of evidence, including several gloves, one of which was discovered up to 10 miles from Guthrie’s residence.
Correction: An earlier version of this post misstated Nancy Guthrie’s age. She’s 84.
Experts say tips from the public could crack the Nancy Guthrie case
As the search for Nancy Guthrie enters its third week, law enforcement experts agree the right tip could be key to bringing her home.
Retired FBI supervisory special agent Jason Pack agrees that no detail is too small, but encourages the public to send tips that are specific as possible.
“The agents and the analysts are going through these tips, and they’re looking for these more specific details. They’re going to look at all of them, but they’re looking for these ones with the more specific details to put at the top of the list,” he told CNN’s Fredricka Whitfield Saturday.
Rewards are important to “bridge that gap” to encourage people to call in with information who might otherwise hesitate to do so, retired FBI agent Richard Kolko said yesterday.
For example, when it comes to the chilling video showing an armed man outside Guthrie’s home, “Somebody recognizes the way that person moved,” Kolko said, but people might not “make that leap” to call law enforcement. That could be because they’re “afraid to get involved” or don’t want to embarrass someone they might be wrong about.
The FBI has increased the reward to $100,000 for information that helps find Guthrie, or leads to an arrest and conviction of those involved in her disappearance.
Anyone with information is asked to call the FBI tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI or the Pima County Sheriff’s Department at 520-351-4900.
In kidnapping cases, investigators must move quickly, CNN law enforcement analyst says
When solving a kidnapping case, authorities don’t have the luxury of a slow and methodical investigation, CNN Chief Law Enforcement and Intelligence Analyst John Miller said.
The nature of a kidnapping investigation — unlike other crimes where law enforcement can be more deliberate — involves a victim and requires officers to move quickly in case a rescue is needed, he told CNN’s Michael Smerconish on Saturday.
Friday night, authorities executed a federal search warrant and questioned a person “based on a lead” received by investigators, according to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department.
“Ultimately, this lead washed out. That individual was released. It’s another dead end,” Miller said. “I want to point out we may see a couple more of these as this goes on.”
As search drags on, community rallies around the Guthrie family. Here’s where things stand
It’s been more than a week without a news conference from the Pima County Sheriff’s Department and the FBI, and Nancy Guthrie’s neighbors are desperate for more information from law enforcement.
Here’s where things stand:
- The investigation: The search for 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, mother of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie, has entered its third week. Guthrie was reported missing from her home in Tucson, Arizona, on February 1. Her family has pleaded for her safe return, saying she remains without her pacemaker and medication that is critical to her health.
- Law enforcement operation: Friday night’s search warrant ultimately yielded no arrests. Similar operations could become more frequent as investigators sort through leads, according to CNN’s Chief Law Enforcement and Intelligence Analyst John Miller, as officers have to move fast in case a rescue is needed. Investigators are sifting through more than 30,000 tips that they’ve received since the case began.
- DNA and gloves under analysis: Investigators are working to determine whose DNA was found at Guthrie’s property — it doesn’t belong to her or those close to her. Gloves found as far as 10 miles from her home are also being tested.
- Suspect’s profile: The FBI released doorbell footage showing a masked figure outside Guthrie’s front door, describing the suspect as a male approximately 5’9” to 5’10” tall with an average build. The man was wearing dark clothing, black gloves, sneakers and a black, 25-liter “Ozark Trail Hiker Pack” backpack.
- Streamers in the spotlight: As the search enters its third week, true‑crime streamers have descended on Arizona to broadcast near Guthrie’s home. While they argue their presence keeps attention on the case, investigators say some of the aggressive, rumor‑driven coverage has been unhelpful.
- Community grief: Tucson residents continue to fill the growing tribute outside Guthrie’s home with flowers, candles, notes and small tokens as they hold out hope for her safe return.
Community shows support for Guthrie family at makeshift tribute site
Tucson residents have been visiting the makeshift tribute site in front of the home of Nancy Guthrie, who has been missing for two weeks, leaving flowers, notes and even a cherub as they hope for her safe return.
Following the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie the Tucson community has shown their support by purchasing yellow flowers, a symbol of hope, from local flower shops.
Eduardo Ortiz, a local resident, said he felt compelled to pay his respects.
“We’ve been following the story on the news and we feel bad, our hearts are really, really down,” Ortiz told CNN. “We see (Savannah Guthrie) every day on the ‘Today’ show and she’s part of our family on the show, so we felt that we had to come out here.”
Ortiz expressed anger and sorrow over Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance: “I don’t understand it. Why would somebody want to hurt somebody like that?”
“I hope they find her alive, and I hope they find her healthy and they get the guy that did this to her,” he said.
Susie Gray, who lives just four miles from Guthrie’s home, was seen placing a cherub from her garden at the tribute site. “It’s supposed to bring peace and protection,” she told CNN. “I know how Savannah and Nancy have so much faith in their God … I just want them to know how much we all love them and how Tucson has pulled together for them.”
Gray described the pain of watching the case unfold so close to home and said she has “felt so hopeless.”
On Saturday, a neighbor who says her mother played mahjong with Nancy Guthrie lit candles and laid mahjong tiles at the tribute site by Nancy’s mailbox.
“It’s just kind of an unfathomable horror, I just can’t imagine what the family is going through,” the neighbor said. “It’s pretty shocking, this is a really quiet neighborhood.”
Residents like Ortiz and Gray continue to plead for answers, their frustration mounting as the search stretches into its 14th day, describing the wait as emotionally devastating.
“We want her home,” Gray said. “I wish we could get some sign of what’s going on, some clue, some big clue.”
Timeline: What has happened so far in the search for Nancy Guthrie
As the desperate search for Nancy Guthrie crosses the two-week mark, here’s a look at the key moments following her disappearance:
- January 31: Nancy Guthrie spends an evening with family over dinner and card games. Her son-in-law drives her back to her secluded desert home around 9:50 p.m., and she is not seen since.
- February 1: Her doorbell camera is disconnected at 1:47 a.m., followed by unusual movement detected on surveillance. Data later shows her pacemaker app disconnected at 2:28 a.m. Her family discovers her missing around noon. Her blood is found by investigators on the front porch.
- February 3: Media outlets including TMZ and CNN affiliates KGUN and KOLD receive purported ransom letters demanding millions of dollars in bitcoin for her return, with deadlines set for February 5 and February 9.
- February 4: In an emotional video posted to Instagram, Savannah Guthrie – flanked by her siblings Annie and Camron – beg for their mother to be returned home, asking the purported ransomers for proof she’s still alive.
- February 5: Camron Guthrie issues another plea in a video posted on social media as the first deadline given in the ransom note passes. The FBI, now working the case with the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, announces a $50,000 reward.
- February 7: On the one-week mark of Guthrie’s disappearance, her three children say to her possible captor in a new social media video: “We will pay.”
- February 12: The FBI releases a description of the suspect seen in footage captured by Guthrie’s doorbell camera: an approximately 5’9” to 5’10”-tall male with an average build. The FBI doubles the reward for information to $100,000.
- February 13: Investigators have found DNA at Guthrie’s property that does not belong to her or anyone close to her, officials said. Later Friday, authorities conduct an operation at a residence near Guthrie’s home, but it ends without any arrests, a law enforcement official said.
Read more about the timeline of key developments in the case.
CNN’s Danya Gainor, Chelsea Bailey and Karina Tsui contributed to this report.
