DNA Test Result from Glove Found near Nancy Guthrie's Home Released

Just when investigators thought they were closing in on a crucial break, the case took a turn no one expected. A key piece of evidence that may have once looked like the answer has instead raised even more chilling questions.

Fifteen days after 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie vanished from her Tucson-area home, the FBI confirmed a major development. According to Fox 13 News, one glove recovered during the search appears to match the gloves worn by the masked man seen on surveillance footage outside her home.

The Glove That Changed the Timeline

An FBI spokesperson said on Sunday, February 15, 2026, that several gloves had been collected during the search. But one stood out.

It appears to match the gloves worn by the suspect captured on recovered Nest camera footage, the same footage showing a masked person approaching her front door and attempting to cover the camera with leaves.

Even more significant? The glove contains a DNA profile.

In a breaking update shared by Fox News, the FBI confirmed that the DNA found in this glove is different from that of other gloves previously recovered.

It is also not the same DNA that was found earlier inside Nancy's home. That detail could prove critical.

Why the DNA Matters

At the time, investigators were waiting for final lab results before uploading the DNA profile into a national database.

Former FBI agent Jonathan Gilliam explained how powerful that step could be. He said the profile can be run through CODIS, the FBI's national DNA system that contains felony offenders and missing persons.

If there was a match, identification could be almost immediate.

Gilliam also noted that investigators could expand the search to family members. That means even if the suspect has never been arrested, a relative's DNA could lead authorities to a name.

He described the development as "a move towards the right area of operation."

But former Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb urged caution. "DNA is not like a TV show where you get the results within no time, and you figure out who did it by the end of the show," he said.

He added that DNA testing takes time and pointed out that specialized labs, including one in Florida, can process familial DNA connections.

A Separate DNA Mystery

This new glove adds another layer to the case.

The sheriff's department previously confirmed that someone's DNA was found on Nancy's property. That DNA does not belong to Nancy or anyone in close contact with her.

Now, authorities are working with two separate DNA threads: the unknown profile found earlier and the new profile pulled from the glove that appears to match the masked suspect.

Investigators believe DNA could be the key clue that finally identifies the person responsible.

Surveillance, Signals, and Border Questions

The glove discovery follows intense investigative efforts on multiple fronts.

Law enforcement flew over Nancy's home using a Bluetooth signal detector in an attempt to track a signal from her pacemaker, which disconnected from her phone app just before 2 a.m. on February 1.

Cybersecurity expert Morgan Wright said analysts are reviewing ping data that could reveal specific locations and timestamps. Meanwhile, a new twist emerged through a message obtained by TMZ.

A man claiming to know the kidnapper sent a money demand that ended with the line: "for the man hunt [sic] of the main individual that can give you all the answers and be prepared to go International."

The wording suggests the suspect could already be outside the United States, possibly in Mexico, which is a short drive south of Tucson.

Authorities have not confirmed that claim.

The DNA Bombshell No One Saw Coming

However, as far as the glove that was uncovered, the highly anticipated, recently released test results have only deepened the mystery and shifted the spotlight in an unexpected direction…

When the glove was recovered roughly two miles from Nancy's home — the one that appeared to match the gloves worn by the masked individual seen on surveillance footage outside her residence — it felt like a turning point. Many may have believed this was the forensic break investigators had been waiting for. Then came the update from the Pima County Sheriff's Department.

In a post shared Tuesday evening, February 17, 2026, the department revealed, "DNA evidence from gloves found approximately 2 miles from Nancy Guthrie's residence was submitted to CODIS & produced no matches."

The statement added, "There is additional DNA evidence that was found at the residence that is also being analyzed." A short time later, authorities clarified further…

"The DNA that was submitted to CODIS was from the set of gloves found 2 miles away," the department wrote in a follow-up post. "It did not trigger a match in CODIS & did not match DNA [sic] found at the property."

They emphasized that "The DNA found at the property is being analyzed & further testing needs to be done as part of the investigation."

That distinction is critical. Not only did the glove DNA fail to generate a hit in the FBI's Combined DNA Index System, but it also did not match DNA recovered from inside Nancy's home.

As reiterated by Fox News, the unknown male DNA profile found on the glove was run through the FBI's database and came back empty. Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos confirmed in an interview that the DNA on the glove was different from the DNA found inside the home.

Aside from reconfirming the news, the sheriff told Fox News Chief Correspondent Jonathan Hunt, "We're hopeful that we're always getting closer." In other words, the evidence many believed would crack the case wide open has, for now, led to no known suspect.

Sheriff Speaks Out amid Online Speculation

But that wasn't the only major update this week…

As speculation swirled online — with some fingers pointed at those closest to Nancy — Sheriff Nanos stepped forward to publicly defend the Guthrie family. According to NBC News, he said he sent a message about the family because he was concerned they could be attacked unfairly.

In an earlier statement, he made it clear that the Guthrie family, including all siblings and spouses, has been cleared as possible suspects in Nancy's disappearance.

The sheriff later explained his reasoning in a text message that struck an emotional tone:

"Because sometimes we forget we're human and we hurt and kindness matters. It is every cops duty to stand up and be that voice for our victims [sic]."

He continued, "I'm not going to sit in silence when others are attacking the innocent. Isn't that what the badge represents?" In his earlier message, he said the family has been "nothing but cooperative and gracious and are victims in this case."

And he delivered a firm rebuke to critics: "To suggest otherwise is not only wrong, it is cruel. The Guthrie family are victims plain and simple [sic]."

The Mystery Deepens as the Clock Continues to Tick

The developments leave investigators with two critical DNA samples — one from a glove found two miles away, one from inside the residence — and no matches in the FBI database for either. The masked figure seen on surveillance footage remains unidentified, and the glove remains unclaimed.

And the DNA, once considered the case's most promising lead, has only intensified the mystery. For now, authorities stress that additional testing is underway and the investigation remains active.

But with no CODIS hits and the family officially cleared, the search for answers — and for whoever left that glove behind — continues…

Savannah's Emotional Plea

Amid the growing developments, Savannah Guthrie shared a new video message on Instagram. The "Today" co-host addressed the person responsible directly.

"It's been two weeks since our mom was taken. And I just wanted to come on and say that we still have hope. And we still believe,"

Later in the video, she added, "It's never too late," and in the caption, she wrote, "Bring her home. It's never too late to do the next right thing."

Savannah has previously said the family would comply with alleged ransom demands, though there has been no update on whether any payment was made.

As we had previously reported, the glove may have held the key to solving Nancy's disappearance, but a turf war between federal and local authorities was threatening to derail the investigation.

FBI Doubles Reward to $100,000

As tensions simmered behind the scenes, federal investigators made a public move.

On February 13, the FBI announced they're increasing the reward to $100,000 for information leading to Nancy's location or the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in her kidnapping. The dramatic boost signaled mounting urgency nearly two weeks after she vanished from her Tucson home on the night of January 31, 2026.

More than 13,000 tips have flooded in since early February. Threat Intake Examiners at the National Threat Operations Center work around-the-clock reviewing every submission for credibility and actionable intelligence.

Dozens of agents and investigators staff a 24-hour command post, processing leads every shift. The FBI continues urging anyone with information to call 1-800-CALL-FBI or visit tips.fbi.gov.

New Suspect Details Confirmed

The reward increase coincides with refined identifying details about the perpetrator following forensic analysis by the FBI's Operational Technology Division. Investigators now describe the suspect as a male standing approximately 5'9" to 5'10" tall with an average build.

In recovered doorbell camera footage, he's carrying a distinctive black "Ozark Trail Hiker Pack" backpack with a 25-liter capacity. Officials hope the added specificity will sharpen public tips and narrow the search.

Yet even with the video evidence and thousands of leads, investigators still lacked something tangible. Then came the discovery in the desert.

Critical Evidence Pulled from Desert Brush

FBI Evidence Response team members had recovered a piece of physical evidence from low desert shrubbery roughly one and a half miles from Nancy's secluded residence at the edge of Tucson. Agents photographed the item as they pulled it from the brush.

The discovery could have represented the most significant physical clue yet. The recovered item was the black glove that closely matches the type worn by the armed perpetrator visible in the surveillance footage.

For investigators hunting Nancy's abductor, the glove offered potential DNA evidence, fingerprints, or other forensic traces. But there was a major problem preventing the FBI from analyzing it.

Sheriff Reportedly Blocked FBI Access to Key Evidence

The case had shifted from the desert to a dispute over who controls the evidence.

A federal law enforcement source revealed to Fox News Digital that Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos was blocking the FBI from obtaining crucial evidence in the case. The jurisdictional standoff threatened to slow an investigation where every minute matters.

The evidence the sheriff refused to release included the desert-recovered glove and DNA collected from inside Nancy's home. Federal officials requested that all materials be sent to the FBI's national crime laboratory in Quantico, Virginia, where the country's top forensic experts could process everything immediately.

Private Florida Lab Chosen Instead of FBI Facility

Instead, Sheriff Nanos had insisted on sending the evidence to a private laboratory in Florida rather than cooperating with federal analysts. That decision had sparked concern within federal ranks.

An unnamed official criticized the decision, warning it "risks further slowing a case that grows more urgent by the minute." The source also cited "earlier setbacks" in the investigation and questioned why Nanos waited so long to request FBI involvement.

Under the current protocol, the Pima County Sheriff's Office remains the primary investigative authority in the case. The FBI may assist, but only when formally invited.

Time Running Out as Standoff Continues

The bureaucratic battle drags on while the clock ticks. Nancy's pacemaker stopped transmitting data to her phone app at 2:28 a.m. on February 1, just 16 minutes after her doorbell camera registered motion at 2:12 a.m.

Family members found splatters of blood outside her residence that Sunday morning after she failed to attend church, and forensic testing confirmed it belonged to Nancy.

The FBI keeps pushing for cooperation while urging the public to submit information that could bring the "Today" show co-host's mother home safely.