The FBI says a glove containing DNA was found about two miles from “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie’s mother and the glove appears to match those worn by a masked man outside her front door in Tucson the night she vanished.
The glove, discovered in a field beside a road, was sent for DNA testing. The FBI said in a statement Sunday that it received preliminary results Saturday and was awaiting official confirmation.
After confirmation, the FBI will put the "unknown male profile into CoDIS, the national database unique to the bureau. This process typically takes 24 hours from when the bureau receives DNA."
The FBI also said the glove was among approximately 16 gloves found in various spots near the house, most of which were searchers’ gloves that had been discarded.
The development comes as law enforcement gathers more potential evidence as the search for Guthrie’s mother, 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, heads into its third week. Authorities have previously said they had not identified a suspect.
It also comes after DNA other than Nancy's and those in close contact to her was collected from her property, a finding that was announced Friday by the Pima County Sheriff's Department.
On Sunday night, Savannah Guthrie posted an Instagram video in which she issued an appeal to whoever abducted her mother or anyone who knows where she is being kept. “It is never too late to do the right thing,” Guthrie said. “And we are here. And we believe in the essential goodness of every human being, that it’s never too late.”
Nancy Guthrie, 84, was last seen at her Tucson home on Jan. 31 and was reported missing the following day. Authorities say her blood was found on the front porch. Purported ransom notes were sent to news outlets, but two deadlines for paying have passed.
The glove discovery was revealed days after investigators released surveillance videos of the masked person outside Guthrie’s front door. A porch camera recorded video of a person with a backpack who was wearing a ski mask, long pants, jacket and gloves.
On Thursday, the FBI called the person a suspect. It described him as a man about 5 feet, 9 inches tall with a medium build. The agency said he was carrying a 25-liter “Ozark Trail Hiker Pack” backpack.
Late Friday night, law enforcement agents sealed off a road about two miles from Guthrie’s home as part of their investigation. A series of sheriff’s and FBI vehicles, including forensics vehicles, passed through the roadblock.
The investigators also tagged and towed a Range Rover SUV from a nearby restaurant parking lot late Friday. The sheriff’s department later said the activity was part of the Guthrie investigation but no arrests were made.
On Tuesday, sheriff deputies detained a person for questioning during a traffic stop south of Tucson. Authorities didn’t say what led them to stop the man but confirmed he was released. The same day, deputies and FBI agents conducted a court-authorized search in Rio Rico, about an hour’s drive south of the city.
Authorities have expressed concern about Nancy Guthrie’s health because she needs vital daily medicine. She is said to have a pacemaker and has dealt with high blood pressure and heart issues.
