Authorities investigating Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance have found blood in her Tucson home, raising hope DNA evidence could help identify the person responsible
Authorities recovered DNA evidence from Nancy’s Tucson home(Image: DM)
One major discovery by the authorities investigating the Nancy Guthrie disappearance has reportedly led to hopes of an imminent breakthrough.
Evidence of blood found at Nancy’s $1 million, Tucson, Arizona, residence is being examined by investigators as part of a nationwide operation looking into the disappearance of the 84-year-old mother of Savannah Guthrie.
In the Friday episode of his Investigates podcast, Brian Entin spoke with April Stonehouse, a forensics expert at Arizona State University’s School of Interdisciplinary Forensics, about the findings. The blood recovered at Nancy’s property is seen as a key piece of evidence that could help advance the case. It comes after a chilling new theory emerged on how Nancy Guthrie was sickeningly taken from her home.
The discovery comes after investigators noted several concerning signs at the Catalina Foothills home, including drops of blood on the front porch and a disconnected doorbell camera. Officials say the evidence indicates Nancy may have been taken from the house against her will.
Hopes are high for a DNA breakthrough (Image: Anadolu via Getty Images)
“I would be hopeful that [investigators] found at least a few items of evidence because, by virtue of the fact [the suspect is] in a home he doesn’t belong in, he is going to leave some of his DNA behind,” Stonehouse said.
Investigators released doorbell camera footage showing a masked man approaching Nancy’s porch while wearing a backpack. In the video the man appears to deliberately obscure himself from the camera, first with gloved hands and then with foliage from the garden.
Based on the video, the FBI provided the only physical description of the suspect so far as being a male between 5ft 9in and 5ft 10in tall, of average build and carrying a 25-litre Ozark Trail Hiker Pack.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has been leading the investigation(Image: NBC)
Stonehouse continued, “Now, he’s obviously taking measures to try and avoid leaving his DNA behind. He’s wearing gloves. He’s wearing a mask. But we know scientifically that they will leave behind traces of their DNA. It’s just a matter of locating it and finding it.”
The professor explained the investigative process, saying the blood was tested immediately and once it was confirmed to match Nancy, additional items of evidence were submitted for testing.
She added that when processing the blood, investigators would not know the results until they are returned. It’s part of the investigative process, testing items, reviewing the results, and if they don’t provide useful information, examining more evidence to move the case forward.
Nancy has been missing since Feb 1(Image: FACEBOOK)
Nancy was reported missing on Feb 1 after failing to appear for a planned church livestream. Her son-in-law, Tommaso Cioni, who is married to Annie Guthrie, was the last person to see Nancy, having driven her home and then escorted her safely into the house following the family dinner on the evening of January 31.
The Guthrie family has been cleared of any wrongdoing in connection with Nancy’s disappearance. Authorities have not named any suspects, persons of interest, or vehicles connected to the case. Nancy’s children, including Savannah, have offered a $1 million reward for information that leads to her safe return.
It comes after Nancy Guthrie’s neighbor issued a chilling eight-word description of the suspected kidnapper.
