The investigators in the Nancy Guthrie case have been working relentlessly, leaving no stone unturned, but so far have hit dead ends. They have found a glimmer of hope, believing they may find DNA at her home that could help identify the suspects.
The 84-year-old went missing in January 2026 outside her residence. Investigators have been searching for clues, even looking into her family members. According to NBC News, they discovered a trash can containing DNA-rich material, which could prove crucial to the case.
WAS NANCY GUTHRIE DROPPED OFF AT HER HOUSE BY HER SON IN LAW THE NIGHT OF HER DISAPPEARANCE. WHERE IS THAT FOOTAGE? THE ABDUCTER DIDNT ARRIVE UNTIL MUCH LATER AND CAMERA WAS WORKING WHEN HE GOT THERE. IS THERE A COVERUP HERE?
— Demon Hater (@BobbyHa64068293) February 23, 2026
Authorities believe that using investigative genetic genealogy, a forensic tool, could help them identify the suspect in the Nancy Guthrie case. Earlier this month, Chris Nanos, Pima County Sheriff, stated that their team had found mixed and partial DNA samples at Guthrie’s home.
The mixed DNA included genetic material from more than one person. Officials noted that part of the unidentified DNA at her residence could help them identify the suspect. Sheriff Nanos said,
“We believe that we may have some DNA there that may be our suspect, but we won’t know that until that DNA is separated, sorted out, maybe admitted to CODIS, maybe through genetic genealogy.”
However, Nanos cautioned that the DNA sample has presented unforeseen challenges. While he did not specify what those challenges were, he explained that the rapid development of technology sometimes requires waiting weeks, months, or even a year.
Nevertheless, he remained “hopeful” and believed that the forensic work could eventually lead to a positive result, though “we’re not there yet.” In a separate report from Hawaii Public Radio, Kelly Knight, a forensic professor at George Mason University, stated that investigative genetic genealogy is not a direct search of DNA databases.
Search for Nancy Guthrie – RPT: Resources may be scaled back in kidnapping probe pic.twitter.com/AgGSQBCguK
— Brian Kilmeade (@kilmeade) February 23, 2026
Instead, this tool relies on public databases where people voluntarily share their raw DNA files. This allows unidentified samples to potentially match with one of their relatives. Knight emphasizes that even a small DNA match can help authorities “reverse-engineer a family tree.” She added,
“It’s an extremely labor-intensive process, because when you’re talking about third cousins, [the number of people] can definitely be in the hundreds.”
However, she cautioned that investigative genetic genealogy is not a magic wand, citing cases that took several years to identify the primary suspect.
Nevertheless, CeCe Moore, chief genetic genealogist at Parabon, offered encouraging news: while the process takes time and requires extra steps, the success rate is high. She is optimistic in this case because the unidentified DNA is reportedly closer to the kidnappers.
