Police Probe Possible Accomplice In Guthrie Case As DNA Testing Expands

Investigators in southern Arizona are widening the scope of their probe into the disappearance of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, declining to rule out the possibility that the suspect captured on surveillance video may have had help.

Chris Nanos, sheriff of Pima County, confirmed that authorities are examining whether an accomplice assisted the man seen outside Guthrie’s Tucson home on the night she vanished.

Guthrie was reported missing on Feb. 1, and authorities believe she was forcibly taken from her residence during the overnight hours. According to CBS News, investigators suspect the abduction was targeted rather than random.

The only confirmed footage recovered so far comes from Guthrie’s Google Nest doorbell camera. The FBI released the video last week after working with Google to retrieve it. The sheriff’s department said it is currently the only usable footage obtained from cameras on the property.

Technology specialists are continuing efforts to recover additional video from other devices at the home, holding out hope that more visual evidence may be salvaged.

Meanwhile, the reward for information has grown substantially. The 88-CRIME tipline announced its reward has increased to $102,500 following a $100,000 anonymous donation. That amount is in addition to a separate $100,000 reward offered by the FBI. Authorities have not publicly identified a suspect or person of interest.

The FBI described the man seen in the doorbell footage as standing between 5 feet 9 inches and 5 feet 10 inches tall with an average build.

Investigators have also moved to eliminate speculation surrounding Guthrie’s family. The sheriff’s department confirmed that “Today” show co-host Savannah Guthrie, along with her siblings and their spouses, have been cleared as suspects.

Sheriff Nanos emphasized that the family has been fully cooperative throughout the investigation.

“We really put them through the wringer,” Nanos said. “We not just interview them, we take their cars, we take their houses, we take their phones, all this stuff and we’re not taking it. They’re giving it to us voluntarily. They have been 100% cooperative with us through everything we’ve asked. They are victims. They are not suspects.”

Authorities are also exploring advanced forensic avenues. DNA recovered from a pair of gloves found roughly two miles from Guthrie’s home did not match any profiles in the FBI’s national database. Investigators are now turning to genetic genealogy techniques in hopes of identifying a suspect.

Officials further noted that the DNA from the gloves did not match other biological evidence collected at the residence. Additional material gathered from the home remains under laboratory analysis.

Law enforcement sources told CBS News that investigators used a tracking device known as a signal sniffer to detect potential transmissions from Guthrie’s heart pacemaker. That device reportedly indicated a disconnect from her phone during the early morning hours of the night she disappeared.

The FBI is also reviewing firearm purchases in the Tucson area. According to CBS News, agents have visited at least one local gun store, showing images and names while asking about purchases made within the past year.

Former FBI hostage negotiator Chip Massey told CBS News that the involvement of an accomplice would significantly alter the dynamics of the case.

“I think an accomplice, somebody aiding this, this captor, it would certainly be important,” Massey said.

“Think about what he has to control,” he said. “He has to control somebody that he has taken hostage, that he has to maintain her health.”

“He has to look after her wounds. We know she was wounded on the scene. He has to take care of her daily.” Daily needs, everything from food to water to human sustenance,” he said.

“He’d have to have the aid of somebody. He’d have to control his environment,” Massey said, contending that it also assists law enforcement.

“Because now we’re expanding the amount of people that are involved in this investigation,” he said.

“You don’t just have one person who is keeping a secret now. You have two people that are keeping a secret. Nerves are frayed in this,” Massey said.

“So two people are under pressure there’s going to be arguments, there’s going to be screaming. What happens when one breaks away? And what happens if they make that call?” he said. “So that’s what we want to start seeing. That kind of pressure.”

As federal, state, and local authorities continue their coordinated investigation, law enforcement officials say every lead remains under review. With substantial reward money on the table and mounting forensic efforts underway, pressure is intensifying in a case that has gripped the Tucson community.