Nancy Guthrie, mother of Today anchor Savannah Guthrie, has been missing for 81 days after disappearing from her Catalina Foothills home near Tucson. The FBI says it has now received an original hair sample for testing after the Pima County Sheriff’s Office sent the material to a private lab in Florida, causing an 11-week delay. Experts say DNA analysis is now central because investigators lack clear video or phone forensic leads; specialists differ on whether results will take days or months. Genetic genealogy efforts are likely to be fast-tracked.
Nancy Guthrie Update: FBI Receives Hair Sample After 11-Week Delay — DNA Now Central to Probe
Nancy Guthrie, the mother of Today show co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, has been missing for 81 days after she disappeared from her home in the Catalina Foothills neighborhood of Tucson, Arizona. Investigators say a recent transfer of biological evidence to the FBI could prove pivotal to the investigation.
The FBI announced it has taken possession of an original hair sample that was sent to a private laboratory in Florida by the Pima County Sheriff's Office, resulting in roughly an 11-week delay before the material reached the FBI Laboratory.
"There is no new DNA evidence in the Nancy Guthrie case. The FBI requested this material over two months ago. The Pima County Sheriff's Office sent it to a private lab in Florida. Eleven weeks later, that lab has now transferred an original hair sample to the FBI Laboratory for testing. We remain fully committed to this investigation." — FBI statement
Why DNA Matters
Former CIA officer and ex-FBI special agent Tracy Walder said DNA testing is now the lynchpin of the probe because investigators currently lack strong digital forensic leads such as clear video or phone data. Biological evidence, she said, could help rule people in or out and provide critical investigative direction.
"We have a clear lack of video forensic evidence, as we have seen, as well as phone and those kinds of forensic evidence, and so I think in this case there's no question that that hair is going to be important in terms of ruling whomever that is in or out." — Tracy Walder
Former FBI agent Jennifer Coffindaffer warned that developing a usable DNA profile can take several months, depending on sample quality and the work required to sequence and interpret the material.
By contrast, former FBI agent Greg Rogers said the FBI Laboratory can move quickly on high-priority cases and sometimes return results within days. Rogers also noted that investigators may use international contacts, including in Mexico, to pursue any compelling DNA leads.
Genetic genealogist Cece Moore added that because the case remains active rather than cold, laboratories and genealogists are likely to fast-track their efforts. "Sometimes they can get DNA the first time around, and sometimes they have to go through several attempts before they have a viable profile," she said.
Next Steps
Authorities are awaiting DNA testing results that could shape the next phase of the investigation. While experts disagree on an exact timeline, most agree that the forensic work now under way is critical to advancing the case.
Source: Originally published by Men's Journal on Apr 22, 2026.
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