Ex-FBI Agent Hopes for 'Miracle' to Solve Nancy Guthrie Disappearance

Authorities are looking to use genetic genealogy databases to identify DNA evidence in the case of the missing 84-year-old mother of Today show host Savannah Guthrie.

Published on Feb. 24, 2026

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A former FBI agent has explained how law enforcement are hoping for a 'small miracle' to solve the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of Today show host Savannah Guthrie. Authorities believe Guthrie was taken against her will and have found her blood on the porch of her home near Tucson, Arizona. They are now looking to use investigative genetic genealogy, which helped identify the suspect in the University of Idaho student murders, to try to match DNA evidence to a suspect in Guthrie's case.

Why it matters

The search for Guthrie is in its third week after she was reported missing from her home on February 1. Authorities have released surveillance footage of a suspect and found gloves that may match what the suspect was wearing. If the unidentified DNA evidence can be connected to someone in a genetic genealogy database, it could provide investigators with more information to identify a suspect.

The details

Investigators are looking to input DNA evidence from the case into 'genetic genealogy' databases, as the DNA collected so far has not matched any entries in the FBI's national criminal justice database. Retired FBI agent Jennifer Coffindaffer said law enforcement will be hoping that investigative genetic genealogy, which helped identify Bryan Kohberger as the suspect in the University of Idaho student murders, will lead them to the suspect in Guthrie's disappearance. However, Coffindaffer noted it could take longer to get results in the Guthrie case compared to the Idaho case, and it remains unknown if the gloves found near Guthrie's property actually belong to the suspect seen in surveillance footage.

  • Nancy Guthrie was reported missing from her home near Tucson, Arizona on February 1, 2026.
  • Authorities released surveillance footage of a suspect outside Guthrie's home on the night she disappeared.

The players

Nancy Guthrie

The 84-year-old mother of Today show host Savannah Guthrie who was reported missing from her home near Tucson, Arizona on February 1, 2026.

Savannah Guthrie

The host of the Today show and daughter of Nancy Guthrie.

Jennifer Coffindaffer

A retired FBI agent who explained how law enforcement is hoping to use investigative genetic genealogy to try to solve Nancy Guthrie's disappearance.

Chris Nanos

The Pima County Sheriff who said the Guthrie family, including all siblings and spouses, have been cleared as possible suspects in the case.

CeCe Moore

The chief genetic genealogist at Parabon NanoLabs who discussed the challenges of using investigative genetic genealogy to identify suspects from certain population groups.

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What they’re saying

“Hopefully this will end up being a situation just like the miracle that happened with the knife sheath and that DNA of Bryan Kohberger being on that thumb snap. That's what we're looking for here. A small miracle to solve this case.”

— Jennifer Coffindaffer, Retired FBI Agent (Newsweek)

“If someone leaves their DNA behind at a crime scene, then they absolutely can and eventually will be identified through investigative genetic genealogy. What is going to determine how long that takes is what population group that person is from. So if their ancestry is from Latin America and they have recent immigrant ancestors, it'll be much more difficult to identify that individual. So it could take a lot longer.”

— CeCe Moore, Chief Genetic Genealogist, Parabon NanoLabs (NewsNation)

“We still have hope and we still believe. And I wanted to say to whoever has her or knows where she is that it's never too late. And you're not lost or alone. And it is never too late to do the right thing. And we are here. And we believe in the essential goodness of every human being, that it's never too late.”

— Savannah Guthrie (Instagram)

What’s next

Anyone with information is urged to contact 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), 520-351-4900 or 88-CRIME or visit tips.fbi.gov.

The takeaway

This case highlights the potential of investigative genetic genealogy to help solve difficult missing persons cases, even when traditional forensic methods have not yielded results. However, the process can be more challenging depending on the ancestry of the suspect, underscoring the need for continued innovation and collaboration in the field of forensic science.