FBI Investigating Recovered Glove With DNA Profile of Unknown Male
A critical new development has emerged in the investigation into the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie: a glove recovered near the scene contains the DNA profile of an unidentified male — and authorities say it stands apart from the others collected during the search.
According to an FBI spokesperson who spoke with Fox News Digital, most of the 16 gloves found in areas surrounding the home were discarded by search teams during their operations. However, one glove was different.
“The one with the DNA profile recovered is different and appears to match the gloves of the subject in the surveillance video,” the spokesperson said.
That distinction could prove pivotal.
Investigators have noted that the individual captured on doorbell surveillance footage outside Nancy Guthrie’s residence appears to be wearing nitrile gloves layered over another pair — an unusual detail that experts say suggests deliberate concealment. The glove containing the unidentified DNA was discovered in a field roughly two miles from the home.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department secured the evidence and shipped it overnight Thursday to a private laboratory in Florida. It arrived Friday, and the FBI received preliminary results Saturday. Officials are now awaiting formal confirmation and quality control clearance before uploading the unidentified male DNA profile into CODIS — the FBI’s national Combined DNA Index System.
Under normal procedures, once confirmed, the bureau typically requires about 24 hours to process and enter DNA into the national database.
While the private lab continues to process additional evidence, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos told Fox News on Sunday that results could take anywhere from one to ten days, “depending on the urgency we place on any one item.”
He offered a practical example of how priority is determined: “a glove located two miles from the scene would get more attention than a glove found 10 miles away.”
Nanos confirmed that certain items were prioritized by detectives but declined to specify which submissions were fast-tracked or which results investigators expect first.
The FBI reiterated that it is assisting as requested and will proceed according to the timeline established by local authorities.
Meanwhile, conflicting media narratives have complicated the public understanding of the case. NBC News, citing a federal law enforcement source familiar with the investigation, reported that authorities have not yet classified the disappearance as a specific type of crime. The source said there are “a myriad of theories,” but investigators are not formally narrowing the field at this stage.
Sheriff Nanos forcefully pushed back against a local Arizona TV report that cited an anonymous “inside source” claiming the case involved a “burglary gone wrong” and suggesting Nancy Guthrie is still alive.
“Did not come from us,” Nanos told Fox News. “No idea and even though that is one of many possibilities, we would never speculate such a thing. We will let the evidence take us to [the] motive.”
An FBI spokesperson echoed that rejection, telling Fox News they have “no clue where that came from.”
A source speaking to Fox News Digital also contradicted the local report, stating plainly, “This is not the working theory inside the unit.”
In a separate update, NBC reported Monday that investigators are no longer focusing on the missing 84-year-old’s family members as possible suspects. NBC reporter Liz Kreutz said on “Today,” “Those same officials say investigators are also leaning away from any of Nancy’s relatives as potential suspects.”
Behind the scenes, investigators are reportedly partnering with private technology companies, including Google, in an effort to obtain additional surveillance footage. Authorities believe video evidence could be decisive as the search continues.
Two weeks after her mother vanished, Savannah Guthrie shared a heartfelt message on Instagram, expressing faith and resolve.
“I wanted to come on, and um, it’s been two weeks since our mom was taken, and I just wanted to come on and say that we still have hope, and we still believe,” Savannah Guthrie said. “And I wanted to say to whoever has her or knows where she is that it’s never too late, and you are not lost or alone.”
She continued, “It is never too late to do the right thing, and we are here. We believe, and we believe in the essential goodness of every human being.”
As law enforcement awaits confirmed DNA results and prepares to run the unidentified profile through the national database, the case appears to be entering a critical phase. With physical evidence now potentially tied to the masked figure seen on surveillance footage, investigators may soon have their most significant lead yet.