DNA BREAKTHROUGH IN THE CASE A forensic DNA expert says new evidence could be a major turning point in the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie. But the most shocking detail: investigators are now focusing on a tiny DNA trace found on an object just 12 feet from her front door

Nancy Guthrie Update: DNA Expert Breaks Down Key Breakthroughs

An expert on DNA has outlined how DNA could inform key breakthroughs in the search to find Nancy Guthrie.

Speaking to NewsNation’s Brian Entin, April Stonehouse, a forensics professor at Arizona State University and a former DNA analyst for government crime laboratories, said she was “hopeful” that investigators will find DNA samples at Guthrie’s home that might help identify the suspect in the case.

The Context

Nancy Guthrie, the mother of Today show co-host Savannah Guthrie, has bee missing for almost six weeks. She was last seen at her Arizona home on January 31 and reported missing the following day. Authorities believe she was kidnapped and said drops of her blood were found on the front porch of her house.

Since the first days of her disappearance, authorities have expressed concern about her health because she needs vital daily medication.

Alleged ransom notes were sent to multiple news outlets after she disappeared.

Last month, the FBI released surveillance images of a masked man on Nancy Guthrie’s porch on the night she disappeared. Authorities have not publicly identified the person, whom they called a suspect, but the FBI described the person as a male about 5-foot-9 or 5-foot-10 with an average build and said he was carrying a 25-liter Ozark Trail Hiker Pack backpack.

This image provided by the Pima County Sheriff’s Department on February 2, 2026, shows a missing person alert for Nancy Guthrie. | (Pima County Sheriff’s Department via AP, File)

What To Know

Stonehouse said that DNA samples could help identify the suspect. She said images showing the suspect was not wearing a mask over his mouth and nose was “a good thing,” because it means he may have left saliva samples in the home.

Blood, semen and saliva are the most useful substances for DNA analysis, she said.

When analyzing crime scenes “you are at the mercy of what the suspect left behind” in terms of DNA samples. She said authorities will be looking at “items that they think the suspect handled or used” in Guthrie’s home.

“I would be hopeful that they found at least a few items of evidence,” Stonehouse said, adding that the suspect would have left DNA samples in the home. “It’s just a matter of locating it and finding it.”

Stonehouse also said DNA analysis has been used in other high-profile cases including that of the Golden State killer.

Meanwhile, a retired FBI agent, Maureen O’Connell, has analyzed how the blood found at the scene could be a key clue in the case.

She told Entin this week: “What I do believe is she was carried out. I don’t believe she walked out. I believe she was carried out by two people and I say that because of the blood droplets, the fact that there’s no void, the fact that there’s no footprints, it’s almost like two guys carried her and her head tilted in some way shape or form and it just came out right there.”

What People Are Saying

The Pima County Sheriff’s Department, in a statement on February 27: “This remains an active investigation and will continue until Nancy Guthrie is located or all leads have been exhausted. The Pima County Sheriff’s Department is refocusing resources to detectives specifically assigned to this case. As leads are developed and resolved, resource allocation may fluctuate. PCSD will maintain a patrol presence in the Guthrie neighborhood.”

Savannah Guthrie, on Instagram last week: “We feel the love and prayers from our neighbors, from the Tucson community and from around the country.…Please don’t stop praying and hoping with us. bring her home.”

What Happens Next

Nancy Guthrie’s family is offering a $1-million reward for information that leads to her recovery, and a separate reward of more than $200,000 is being offered for information about her whereabouts or that could lead to the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in her disappearance.

Anyone with information is urged to contact 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), 520-351-4900 or 88-CRIME or visit tips.fbi.gov.