DNA testing of hair at Nancy Guthrie crime scene leads to no suspects

Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News on Jul 31, 2026

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DNA testing on hair found in the Arizona home where Nancy Guthrie was last seen prior to her Feb. 1 disappearance doesn’t point to a potential culprit.

Federal investigators said “all hair had been resolved and it does not point to a suspect” in a statement cited by NBC News. The bureau’s team couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.

Guthrie was last seen by family members on Jan. 31. Investigators have disclosed very little information about what may have happened to the 84-year-old mother of NBC News personality Savannah Guthrie.

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos expressed confidence at the start of the week that further analysis of evidence collected from the crime scene would prove useful.

“We have so much DNA to sort through,” he said. “We have so much in terms of video evidence to look at,” Nanos said in a Tuesday interview on the “Today” show. “So, I’m still positive that we’re going to resolve this case.”

The most definitive evidence of an abduction made public by authorities is video of an armed man wearing a mask and gloves taken by the missing woman’s doorbell camera. Nanos told NBC News he’s not surprised the DNA results reported Friday didn’t lead to a big break in the case.

“Hair doesn’t produce DNA like touch DNA or bodily fluids,” Nanos said. According to forensic pathologists, while you can collect DNA from hairs, it’s typically only possible when the root or skin cells are attached.

Savannah posted video online Monday that aimed to appeal to whomever may know what happened to her mother.

“For all of us, no matter where we’ve been and what we’ve done, I believe there is always a way home,” she pleaded.

A man detained in connection with the missing woman’s disappearance is threatening to sue the Arizona Sheriff’s Department. Carlos Palazuelos and two others filed a notice of claim alleging they were wrongfully targeted amid the probe. Palazuelos alleges that he was arrested at gunpoint on Feb. 10 when “significant property damage” also occurred. He’s seeking $2.5 million in damages.

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