Experts say without any fresh leads, the investigation has stalled out while waiting for DNA matches through family genealogy.
PHOENIX — The disappearance of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie remains a mystery, 100 days since she was last seen.
Guthrie, the mother of “Today” show co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, was last seen on Jan. 31 returning to her Catalina Foothills home in Arizona after dinner with family.
She was reported missing the following morning after she didn’t show up at a friend’s home as expected. Family called 911 from Guthrie’s home, where the back door was propped open, all of her belongings were left inside, and her blood was found on her front porch.
Investigators with the Pima County Sheriff’s Department believe she was taken against her will in the middle of the night.
Chilling images of an armed man seen tampering with Guthrie’s doorbell camera were recovered more than a week later and prompted hope that someone might recognize a possible suspect.
Investigators detained and released two men in the days that followed, but still no arrests have been made.
“100 days out. They’re against a wall right now,” Jeff Hynes, a retired Phoenix police commander, said.
Hynes, who has been following this case alongside the public from the beginning, told 12News that investigators are likely reviewing the tens of thousands of tips they’ve received over the past 100 days and double-checking possible leads.
“They no longer have fresh evidentiary trails to follow, and unfortunately, unless you get more, you are stuck,” Hynes said.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos previously told 12News that his detectives recovered a large amount of DNA evidence inside Guthrie’s home. At last check, the evidence was still being analyzed and compared for genetic genealogy matches.
FBI Director Kash Patel recently criticized Nanos’ decision to send the DNA samples to a private lab in Florida instead of the FBI lab.
“We said we’ll take the DNA. Again, it’s a state and local matter so it’s their call on where to send the DNA. We have Quantico, best lab in the world. I had a fixed-wing aircraft on the ground ready to move it,” Patel said while on the Hang Out with Sean Hannity podcast.
Nanos released a statement following Patel’s comments, which said, in part:
“Decisions regarding evidence processing were made on scene based on operational needs. The laboratory utilized by the Pima County Sheriff’s Department and the FBI Laboratory in Quantico have worked in close partnership form the outset and continue to collaborate in the analysis of the evidence.”
A lingering tribute in front of Guthrie’s home echoes the family’s desperate plea asking an abductor to “do the right thing” and “take Nancy home.”
More than $1 million in rewards remains available. Anyone with information is asked to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI.