Every day, new updates about the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie continue to surface, yet none of them have led investigators to find her. The 84-year-old has been missing for more than 22 days now, with no direction in sight. In fact, Pima County Sheriff, Chris Nanos has described it as a painstaking phase of investigation. Despite them having tens of thousands of tips, forensic testing, and federal involvement, no suspect has been publicly named in the case, leaving the future uncertain. Amid all of this, a new aspect has further delayed the investigation.
What is causing the delay in Nancy Guthrie Case’s Investigation?
A major cause for the delay in the Nancy Guthrie case has been DNA testing. According to some news outlets, including the New York Post, some mixed DNA samples were found inside Nancy’s Catalina Foothills home. They are currently being processed at a private laboratory in Florida. However, Pima County Sheriff, Chris Nanos revealed that there has been a complication at the lab. In turn, it has slowed down the overall investigation because investigators believe that the evidence could have played a critical role in the case.
On the other hand, NBC reported a separate glove was found around two miles from Nancy’s home. Incidentally, it looked visually similar to the gloves worn by the masked suspect seen on doorbell footage. However, when the footage was tested and run through CODIS, the FBI’s national DNA database, it did not match with anyone. Since the traditional database search brought no results, the investigators are now turning to genetic genealogy, a more advanced method previously used in high-profile cases such as the Golden State Killer.
At the same time, law enforcement is dealing with an overwhelming number of tips. They have received approximately 40,000 to 50,000 leads since Nancy Guthrie was reported missing on February 1, 2026. However, thousands of those leads are administrative or non-actionable calls. Subsequently, dispatch officials have urged the public to report only credible information, as the 911 system has been flooded with theories rather than verified leads.
How long could the Nancy Guthrie Case’s Investigation take?
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos recently spoke about the unpredictable timeline of the case. According to Hindustan Times, he stated that Nancy could be located “an hour from now,” or it could take “weeks, months, or years.” These words highlighted how cases of this nature often move slowly, especially due to the slow processing of forensic evidence and advanced DNA testing. Meanwhile, the FBI is assisting local law enforcement,, and they announced a USD 202,500 reward for information leading to an arrest.
More about Nancy Guthrie and her family
Nancy Guthrie is the mother of Today show co-anchor Savannah Guthrie. According to NBC News and the Arizona Daily Star, Nancy had built a stable life in Tucson after moving there in the 1970s. She worked for nearly 17 years at the University of Arizona,, and ,after retirement, she was active in her church and community. Nancy married Charles Guthrie, who died in 1988, leaving her to raise their three children, Savannah, Annie, and Camron, as a single mother. Subsequently, Savannah, who calls her mother her “heart and everything,” stepped away from work and Olympic coverage to focus on the search.
What do you think about the delay in Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance case?
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