Nancy Guthrie kidnapping case enters third week with frustration, fear, new clues
As the investigation into Nancy Guthrie’s kidnapping enters its third week, authorities await key DNA evidence, President Trump has threatened the kidnappers and his daughter Savannah Guthrie has urged her mother’s kidnappers to “do the right thing.” But with no sign of the 84-year-old woman, there are growing concerns about her well-being and questions about how long the investigation will last.
On Sunday, the FBI said DNA was found on a glove discovered several miles from Guthrie’s home, and that the glove matched those worn by a masked person seen outside the home.
It could prove a key step in an investigation plagued by false starts and false stops. No suspects have been named and local authorities have come under scrutiny due to the lack of progress and some tactical decisions. Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos told CBS News that investigators believe the clothing and mask worn by the suspect were purchased at a Walmart.
Savannah Guthrie posted a statement on Instagram on Sunday pleading with the kidnappers.
“And I wanted to tell anyone who has her or knows where she is that it’s never too late, you’re not lost or alone, and it’s never too late to do the right thing,” she said. “We are here and we believe, and we believe in the essential goodness of every human being, and it is never too late.”
Nancy Guthrie was kidnapped from her Tuscon home on February 1. The kidnapping drama has captivated the nation, but so far there have been relatively few leads.
Investigators had their first big breakthrough in the case Tuesday with the release of images showing an armed man wearing a balaclava, gloves and a backpack. The man was seen approaching the front door of Guthrie’s home and handling a Nest camera at 1:47 a.m. the night she was abducted.
On Tuesday, authorities arrested a man during a traffic stop in Rio Rico, a semi-rural community about 12 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border, as part of the investigation. Deputies, forensic experts and FBI agents searched his family’s home overnight but did not locate Guthrie. The man was released a few hours later and denied any involvement in her disappearance. The Times is not naming him because he has not been arrested or charged with a crime.
Authorities executed a search warrant at a Tucson home Friday evening in connection with the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, but made no arrests.
President Trump told the New York Post on Monday that the kidnappers would face “very, very severe — the harshest” punishment. Asked if he was referring to the death penalty, the president replied: “Mostly, yes, that’s true. »
Nancy Guthrie was discovered missing on February 1 after she failed to show up at a friend’s house to attend a church service. She was taken home without heart medication, and it is not known how long she will survive without these medications.
A day after Guthrie’s disappearance, media outlets received identical ransom notes that investigators believed were legitimate.
Sources told the Times that authorities have no evidence that the person who wrote the ransom demands owns Guthrie. But they also said the Feb. 2 note appeared credible because it contained details about a specific damaged property and the location of a fixture in the home that had not been made public.
