A DNA sample that may reveal who kidnapped Nancy Guthrie is being analyzed by the FBI, according to sources familiar with the investigation who spoke to ABC News.
A private lab working with the Pima County Sheriff’s Department sent the sample—discovered during the initial investigation at Nancy Guthrie’s home in Tucson, Arizona—to the federal agency.
The FBI has access to state-of-the-art technology that could help analyze the sample, which the Pima County Sheriff’s Department says contains DNA from more than one person.
The DNA, which the FBI confirmed was a hair sample, was described as “potentially critical” by ABC News.
“There is no new DNA evidence in the Nancy Guthrie case. The FBI requested this material over two months ago,” an FBI official said.
“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.”
Sheriff Chris Nanos said the process could take up to six months to isolate the relevant DNA strands, adding that five labs are simultaneously working on evidence from the Guthrie case.
The mother of Today show host Savannah Guthrie was last seen on January 31 at her Tucson, Arizona, home and was reported missing by her family on February 1.
Savannah returned to her post earlier this month, on the same day two new ransom notes were sent to TMZ, alleging that they knew where the 84-year-old’s dead body was located in exchange for payment in bitcoin.
In her first interview since her mother was taken, she told friend and former co-host Hoda Kotb that it’s “too much to bear to think that I brought this to her bedside, that it’s because of me.”
“I’m so sorry, Mommy, I’m so sorry,” Guthrie said. She also apologized to her family, adding tearfully, “If it is me, I’m so sorry.”
“We still don’t know ... Honestly, we don’t know anything,” she added, explaining that the Gurthries “cannot be at peace” without answers.
“Someone can do the right thing,” she said in the emotional sit-down last month.
One million dollars has been offered by the family for information on her whereabouts.
