Pima County Task Force Advances Nancy Guthrie DNA Investigation

Nearly nine months after 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie disappeared from her Tucson, Arizona, home, investigators are pursuing additional forensic leads. The Pima County Sheriff's Department said Friday that members of the task force handling the case traveled to Florida to consult laboratory scientists and explore further DNA analysis opportunities.

The visit represents another effort to advance an investigation that federal authorities have characterized as a kidnapping-for-ransom case. Guthrie, the mother of TODAY co-host Savannah Guthrie, disappeared in February.

According to the Pima County Sheriff's Department, investigators met directly with laboratory scientists to discuss possible ways of strengthening the investigation.

The department described the purpose of the trip in a statement published on X: “The task force traveled to Florida to meet with lab scientists to see what more could be done to advance the case.”

Officials also reported that the discussions generated several potential approaches, although they did not disclose specific details about the proposals.

“A number of ideas were discussed, and we continue to work with all of our partners to solve this case,” the department said.

Public updates have remained limited in recent months, despite the nationwide attention surrounding Guthrie's disappearance. One significant development came in late July, when federal law enforcement officials announced that hair recovered during the investigation had not been linked to any potential suspects.

Savannah Guthrie has continued speaking publicly about her mother's disappearance and appealing for information. In August, she shared a photograph of her mother on Instagram alongside a message describing the family's emotional struggle.

“There is a hole inside us that can never be filled. There is an ache that cannot be softened,” Savannah Guthrie wrote.

She also described the family's determination to establish what happened to her mother and provide an appropriate farewell.

“And there is a determination in us that cannot be quenched - to find out what happened to her, so that we can give her the dignity of a proper goodbye - a celebration of her remarkable life that she so deserves,” she added.

The Pima County Sheriff's Department has emphasized that information from the public could help investigators, regardless of how insignificant a tip might initially appear.

“No tip is too small,” the sheriff's office said.

The department further stressed the potential importance of even minor details as investigators continue examining the case.

“Even the smallest piece of information could be critical to this investigation,” the department said.

Officials also provided two channels for submitting information related to Guthrie's disappearance.

“If you know something, please call 88-CRIME or 1-800-CALL-FBI,” the department said.