Nancy Guthrie Update: Police Find Unknown DNA at Tucson Home
Investigators in the Nancy Guthrie case disclosed they’re working to identify unknown DNA found at the Tucson property belonging to Savannah Guthrie’s 84-year-old mother, who remains missing after 13 days.
“DNA other than Nancy Guthrie’s and those in close contact to her has been collected from the property,” the sheriff’s department said in an update Friday. “Investigators are working to identify who it belongs to. We are not disclosing where that DNA was located.”
As the sheriff’s department continued, they confirmed several gloves were found amid their search, though, noted that the closest located item was approximately 2 miles from Guthrie’s residence — contradicting reports from earlier in the investigation.
“Reports that a glove was found inside the residence or on the property are inaccurate,” they added.
This update comes a day after the FBI confirmed the suspect’s height and the backpack he was carrying in previously released Nest camera footage. Though they had no updates on Nancy’s whereabouts at the time, they did up the reward to $100,000.
“The suspect is described as a male, approximately 5’9” – 5’10” tall, with an average build,” FBI Phoenix wrote at the time on X. “In the video, he is wearing a black, 25-liter ‘Ozark Trail Hiker Pack’ backpack. We hope this updated description will help concentrate the public tips we are receiving. Since February 1, 2026, the FBI has collected over 13,000 tips from the public related to this case.”
Savannah also issued a statement Thursday, penning an optimistic message on Instagram amid the ongoing search for her mother: “Our lovely mom. We will never give up on her. Thank you for your prayers and hope.”
Nancy was last seen on the evening of Jan. 31, when family dropped her off at her home after a dinner and a game night. However, by late-midday Sunday, Nancy was reported missing after not attending church.
In the days following, several media outlets, including TMZ and local Tucson TV stations, reported receiving ransom notes demanding millions of dollars worth of cryptocurrency. On Tuesday evening, both TMZ and KGUN reported that there was activity in the bitcoin account tied to the alleged ransom notes.
Savannah and her siblings, Annie and Camron, made multiple public pleas to Nancy’s captors, stating they would pay the demands while begging for their mother’s safe return.
“We received your message, and we understand,” Savannah, with her siblings at her side, said in one Instagram post. “We beg you now to return our mother to us so that we can celebrate with her. This is the only way we will have peace. This is very valuable to us, and we will pay.”
As the search continued, a person of interest was brought in for questioning Tuesday evening. However, the subject, who later identified himself as Carlos Palazuelos, was released after officials finished their court-authorized search of a property in Rio Rico, Arizona. In a statement to The New York Times early Wednesday from his wife and mother-in-law’s home, Carlos noted: “I hope they get the suspect, because I’m not it.” He was not charged.
The next day, a spokesperson for the FBI stated, “This morning, numerous FBI agents are conducting an extensive search along multiple roadways in the Catalina Foothills area related to the Nancy Guthrie investigation.”
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department later confirmed that they located several items of evidence, including black gloves, which were submitted for DNA analysis.
Investigators also reached out to Nancy’s neighbors for doorbell footage, asking them to provide surveillance from key dates tied to the investigation.
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