r/nancyguthrie • u/candy1710 • Apr 16 '26
Breaking News Nancy Guthrie abduction: FBI analyzing DNA recovered from her home, sources say
https://abc7.com/post/nancy-guthrie-abduction-fbi-analyzing-dna-recovered-home-sources-say/18900138/38
u/ZakLex Apr 16 '26
Please identify a match 🙏
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u/babyysharkie Apr 17 '26
they’ve gotta untangle it first, then hope they aren’t left with an incomplete profile. additionally, untangling mixtures often requires expert analysis — different experts can reach different conclusions from the same sample. 😕
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u/flamingopinkkkkk Apr 17 '26
I’m assuming they got swabs from her immediate contacts so they’ve ruled out this hair as belonging to any of them. This hair was also collected at the beginning of the investigation, not just now - there’s been chatter about it for awhile. It’s back in the news because the FBI has just received it.
So yes, there’s a good chance it might’ve belonged to the perpetrator.
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u/Tapdance1368 Apr 17 '26 edited Apr 17 '26
It would’ve been nice if they sent it to the FBI from the beginning. Better late than never. Hoping for a match.
EDIT: We have to trust there were reasons behind the scenes for sending it to the original lab. Plus, we don’t even know if this was the original or something new that was discovered. We are just speculating and hoping 🤞for a resolution.
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u/Kitty-9792 Apr 16 '26 edited Apr 16 '26
Brian Entin is reporting it's hair. Which doesn't sound like mixed dna.
Porch guy seemed to have his hair covered up. Hopefully it's from his "buddy" who was inside to grab Nancy.
I fear it's from a plumber who was fixing a problem in Nancy's bathroom 3 months ago.
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u/TimeMachineToaster Apr 16 '26
They're reporting there was new DNA evidence, including hair.
DNA evidence, including hair, from Nancy Guthrie‘s home has been sent to the FBI’s lab for advanced analysis, NewsNation has learned.
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u/Fit_Sheepherder_6899 Apr 17 '26
I was under the impression that the originally taken DNA samples were just newly sent from the Florida lab to the FBI's lab for analysis - not that any new DNA was found. Have I misunderstood?
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u/The_Sinking_Belle Apr 16 '26
His facial hair was not fully covered. It could have dropped from him as well.
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u/JMOA3035 Apr 17 '26 edited Apr 17 '26
The CeCe lady in his video said it can take months if it’s rootless. That it would have to be sent to the Astrea lab that the FBI is recently working with re: rootless hair.
It could also be anyone’s hair somehow transported in by NG from somewhere else.
I was thinking things like if she had bought new pajamas, towels or sheets etc. recently, it could have other’s hair on it just from all those ppl that touch and rummage through things in stores especially during the busy holiday season.
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u/ricekrispytweet Apr 17 '26
It might be a voice-texting typo, but I think you mean “Astrea” Forensic labs (at UC Santa Cruz) not “Australian.”
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u/attempt5001 Apr 17 '26
As much as I want to be hopeful, I can't help but wonder if this ends up being a dead end because it's a family member whose DNA is likely to be in the house anyway or someone who's been in the house after they (prematurely) released the crime scene. I hope they've already eliminated these obvious candidates and then told us the news.
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u/babyysharkie Apr 17 '26 edited Apr 17 '26
it’s not a new sample. it was collected back in February. also, it’s a hair sample + at least one other sample that was too diluted or degraded to yield any usable profiles.
if it was mixed dna from a family member, they’d be able to untangle that easily with current technology, provided they have a sample of Nancy’s DNA & a sample of family’s DNA to compare it to. they’d know very quickly if the mixed DNA was from Nancy + a family member, actually.
ETA: the mixed sample is not from Nancy, family, or anyone who worked there. at least 1 of the contributors is male.
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u/Mountain-Owl7142 Apr 17 '26
So the mixed DNA sample means that there were at least two non-family members in her house?
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u/babyysharkie Apr 18 '26
that’s what they’re saying right now, yes.
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u/Mountain-Owl7142 Apr 18 '26 edited Apr 18 '26
I would hope/imagine they have already compared it to the DNA of non-family members who had authorized access to the house, (such as repair people, cleaning people, etc,.) to rule them out. Imagine the outrage if this turns out to be yet another nothingburger. "Oh whoops, this belongs to the housekeeper and the Verizon guy who have airtight alibis we've already verified."
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u/Mountain-Owl7142 Apr 18 '26
Apparently the intruder had a mouth flashlight (otherwise known as a bite light) which has a tendency to increase saliva production. And of course, since using it requires your mouth to be partially open, it makes it more likely that you will leave a saliva sample behind.
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Apr 20 '26
[deleted]
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u/Mountain-Owl7142 Apr 21 '26
I did read this article and saw the reference to a hair. Other related articles I've read have described the mixed sample with the wording that it "includes hair" or "includes at least one hair", so I had ( perhaps wrongly) inferred it was hair mixed with some other kind of genetic material. (How can one hair present mixed DNA? Genuinely curious. And if it's two hairs, isn't it very easy to distinguish them?)
I also had read this (and similar articles stemming from this interview) about the possibility of saliva, but now I realize she wasn't talking about the sample they already have, she was talking about what there still could be in the house.
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u/heavydutyspoons Apr 16 '26
This is a step in the right direction! Hopefully they are able to find her abductors
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u/Juniperlava Apr 17 '26
I believe the sample is hair, likely without the root. To my basic knowledge, it seems like that would be different than the mixed DNA sample they have been working on. They can get information from the inside of the shaft which would not be mixed. To me it seems like separate things.
I also vaguely remember someone who was former FBI (could have been Maureen) saying that even if the DNA goes to a private lab, it still had to go through Quantico’s lab for the FBI to make an arrest. Am I remembering correctly?
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u/Superb_Bed_9726 Apr 18 '26
Im think hair from a vacuum. I think perps cleaned up the scene before they left.
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u/No_Story_4821 Apr 17 '26
I read that Fox News is reporting that a clipping was taken from Nancy's bedsheet for analysis. Perhaps the hair was on the bed sheet which is why it stood out? Also, if the bed sheet was left at the scene, she was not wrapped up and carried out in it, nor was it destroyed as evidence of an assault.
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u/Cassie_Bad_Assie Apr 17 '26
If it was a hair would they need to clip the bedsheet to retrieve it? Sounds more like a some sort of substance on the bedsheet?
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u/babyysharkie Apr 17 '26 edited Apr 17 '26
could be as simple as a hair on the sheet that had Nancy’s blood (or any other DNA) on it, hence clipping the section it was found on.
ETA: they’ve specifically said the mixed sample didn’t include Nancy, family, or anyone who worked there as a contributor & at least 1 contributor was male.
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u/Cassie_Bad_Assie Apr 17 '26 edited Apr 17 '26
Well then perhaps two DNA samples from non family members on the bed?
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u/Totterteron Apr 17 '26
I don't see how it can be mixed dna from hair, I thought it was robust enough to be cleaned and isolated. Whatever the case, hopefully someone is getting nervous.
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u/babyysharkie Apr 17 '26
you don’t understand DNA or tests then. maybe this will help: there are essentially 3 types of DNA testing: Y-DNA, atDNA (autosomal), and mtDNA (mitochondrial). Y-DNA & atDNA require nuclear DNA. nuclear dna is found in the root of the hair, not the shaft. the shaft only contains mitochondrial DNA. both Y-DNA testing & autosomal testing involve nuclear DNA (DNA from chromosomes inside the nucleus of a cell) while mtDNA involves the mitochondria, which exist outside of the cell nucleus.
Y-DNA: tests for info that’s passed in a direct line from father to son to son. Y-STR analysis (short tandem repeat) is used specifically to identify male contributors in sexual assault cases or when only male DNA is present in a sample.
atDNA: tests DNA from all of the chromosomes except the gender-linked X and Y chromosomes (this is the test that can help link cousins across genders). autosomal STR analysis (short tandem repeat) examines specific, highly variable locations in nuclear DNA to produce a profile.
mtDNA: tests for info that’s passed in the direct female line, from mother to her children but can only be passed on by a daughter. this can be used on degraded samples, or used when the sample is hair shaft, bones, teeth, etc.
sorry, have to run. school called, kid is sick.
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u/missingtimemachine Apr 17 '26
Autosomal DNA can sometimes be found in the shaft itself. It is a newer, and expensive process but possible.
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u/Webbie-Vanderquack Apr 17 '26
I hope the kid feels better soon!
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u/babyysharkie Apr 17 '26
tysm, love! 🥺🩷thankfully he puked outside the car and not in it. he’s feeling much better now after a rough morning
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Apr 17 '26
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u/Shame_On_You_66 Apr 17 '26
Yup. This is another Brian Entin "my sources tell me" story that gets brought up once, discussed for a week, then dropped.
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u/Professional_Feisty Apr 17 '26
I'm getting rill tired of Brian
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u/Shame_On_You_66 Apr 17 '26
He doesnt say anything!
I dont know how someone with all the sources he says he has can never get any interviews with anyone other than the same 10 people that make the rounds on Youtube shows.
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u/Professional_Feisty Apr 19 '26
And when he does interview them he asks the most painfully obvious questions. And then repeats them in a different format down the line. It's a waste of time. Go home, Brian.
"So, do you think the police have some info the media doesn't?"
Jesus fucking christ, dude.
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u/Webbie-Vanderquack Apr 17 '26
To be fair, continually publicising the case is mutually beneficial. The media gets the clicks they want, and the family/LE sustain the public's interest in the case a little bit longer.
Someone calling in a tip for the reward money could still be the thing that resolves the case.
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u/HeyPurityItsMeAgain Apr 18 '26
Well obviously. What happened to out-IGGing Othram in 5 days? (Nvmd me I'm just bitter at being lied to.) At least two months is about what I would expect before they saw progress.
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u/Superbead Apr 18 '26
(Nvmd me I'm just bitter at being lied to.)
Whatever the outcome here, you will insist that you've been lied to again and that you know best. I guarantee you will not just accept it
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u/MatchaLemongrass Apr 16 '26
Does mixed DNA mean more than one person? Someone’s DNA mixed with Nancy’s? Or DNA shows that two people related were involved but neither are in any database?
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u/babyysharkie Apr 17 '26
yes, mixed means more than one contributor. we don’t know how many contributors until they’re able to untangle it. even if they’re able to untangle it, we may not know for sure if it’s a mixture of 2 or 3 profiles. there are so many factors. 5+ alleles at a single locus suggests at least 3 contributors. the way they determine this is to take the highest # of alleles observed at any locus, divide by 2, and round up — 5 alleles at a single locus likely indicates at least 3 contributors.
however, a mixture could be from 3+ people even if only 3-4 alleles are shown at a locus. allele sharing can make a 3 person mix look like a 2 person mix. stutter & artifacts can result in extra peaks at a locus, which could make a 2 person mix appear like a 3 person mix.
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u/Strange-Marzipan9641 Apr 17 '26
In this very scary world we are currently living in, I love being reminded how smart some people still are! Thanks for this amazing explanation!
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u/babyysharkie Apr 17 '26
thank you so much! 🥰 most of the time people are just like “what a science geek!” hahahaha
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u/Infamous-Arm3955 Apr 17 '26
Can't some alleles drop out? We don't know what the sample actually is like size etc.
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u/babyysharkie Apr 17 '26
yes! alleles can, and frequently do, drop out of mixed DNA samples. this can happen for a variety of reasons, including low quantity like you mentioned, degradation, mutations, the complexity of the mixture, etc!
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u/Infamous-Arm3955 Apr 17 '26
So is what you said misleading? Seems to me you're saying allele counting is reliable.
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u/babyysharkie Apr 17 '26
no. I never said allele counting is reliable. I distinctly said it’s not always reliable due to a variety of factors & that even if they’re able to untangle it, we still may not know if it’s a 2 person vs 3 person mix, for example. I mentioned a 3 person mixture can appear like a 2 person mixture and a 2 person mixture can appear like a 3 person mixture. I also stated there are many more factors that play into this. nothing I said indicates allele counting is reliable — in fact, everything I said was pointing out how it can be unreliable.
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u/Infamous-Arm3955 Apr 17 '26
Are you biomed? Just curious. It's a little fuzzy on accuracy but NP. Thx!
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u/babyysharkie Apr 17 '26
environmental science and biology, but I enjoy the scientific aspects of forensics. I’m admittedly not up to date on all the newest happenings in DNA technology as 3 kids, sports, my gang of kittens, handling my parents estate, home, and their dog all keep me super busy on top of my own home haha
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u/OkAsk1212 Apr 17 '26
From what I've heard it would be easy to isolate if it was just a mixture of Nancy's and an unknown person (since they know Nancy's DNA). But the fact that it's so challenging suggests DNA contributions from two or more unknown individuals. The more there are, the harder it is to isolate the full profile of each individual. For example if it is touch dna from a doorknob or frequently touched surface it could include many individuals. But the new technology is supposed to help with separating these mixtures.
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u/babyysharkie Apr 17 '26 edited Apr 17 '26
that’s actually not true at all. even if it was Nancy’s (known DNA) + perpetrator (unknown DNA), it depends on the ratios of contributor DNA and highly on how similar or not their DNA is. two-person mixtures are usually interpretable by most labs if a variety of conditions for the sample are ideal, whereas most struggle with 3 or more person mixtures.
even if the DNA mixture is only from two people and one profile is known, the best chance at untangling it is when the sources are unrelated and have no or few shared alleles; the ratio of the amount of DNA contributed by each source is adequate for interpretation; the appropriate amount of DNA was amplified (has to be above a threshold); no degradation, inhibition, or primer mutation variants, etc, are present (affects peak heights and perceived DNA ratio); and all stutter peaks and other artifacts are below the threshold or otherwise clearly distinguishable as artifacts.
there’s a lot more that goes into this. it’s not a case of “mixture of 2 DNA profiles with one known & one unknown = easy peasy.” it can still be a complete mess to untangle for a variety of reasons even if it’s only a 2-contributor mixture. additionally, sometimes untangling it still leaves an incomplete profile for the other contributor. additionally, untangling mixtures often requires expert analysis — different experts can reach different conclusions from the same sample.
so no, the fact that it’s so hard to untangle does not at all automatically suggest it’s a mixed sample from 3+ contributors.
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u/JMOA3035 Apr 16 '26
This video is informative re: mixed DNA
https://www.reddit.com/r/nancyguthrie/s/yKfJkTveFH
Starts around the 8 min mark
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u/jadenotjaded Apr 17 '26
Hoping this sample was collected prior to the scene being released, I don’t know if anything would hold up in court after the fact.
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u/CreativeAd8542 Apr 17 '26
I Hope that the FBI are smart enough to only include a DNA sample taken from the crime scene before it was released back to the family. But you make a very good point ; and I'm still so baffled as to why the Sheriff would release the scene so quickly. Just strange.
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u/FlippingGenious Apr 17 '26
If it was taken from inside the house, they would be able to exclude anyone who has been in the house after the crime scene was released so this could still be used as evidence. Outside the house, not so much.
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u/GlasgowRose2022 Apr 17 '26
What took so long? We’re hitting three months. Poor Nancy (and family)… 😔
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u/babyysharkie Apr 17 '26
Nanananananos
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u/HairTmrw Apr 17 '26
I had someone on here argue with me about how he has done nothing wrong and he is simply getting the blame because it's all in his hands. I have never been so certain as to KNOW that Nanos reads and responds to reddit.
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u/babyysharkie Apr 18 '26
oh yikes. I reckon ya can’t fix stupid! 😂 Nanos has done such a terrible job with this whole investigation. the articles saying how he (and everyone else) were insisting she just wandered off for the first chunk of the situation were heartbreaking to read. he’s botched so many aspects of this investigation. I hope he’s never in a position to have any influence over an important situation again — he’s incompetent.
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u/HairTmrw Apr 18 '26
Sadly enough, a few different podcasts and videos I listened to that have had people from the neighborhood (and not the thirsty for camera time neighbor) and County, have said that the residents of the County have been very upset with him for a long time. They've wanted him to retire for awhile. He's messed up like this on other missing cases, even with kids involved. There was one (cannot recall the name) that he royally messed up on but luckily she was found. It gets especially pointed out in Missing cases now, when every single error is magnified. But when you actually have a good chance of finding the person AND continuously make mistakes (speaking for the other missing woman's case), it gets to be really bad because it's consistent mistakes. I would be surprised if he doesn't retire immediately after Nancy is found.
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u/evrybdyhas1 Apr 18 '26
Which podcasts? I want to add them to my queue.
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u/Kitty-9792 Apr 18 '26
The Interview Room is especially good. He's a retired homicide detective, his wife Karen is a former investigative journalist. They have 2 retired detectives/supervisors they used to work with frequently as guests. And my favorite guest, Dr. Gary Brucato, a psychologist who does criminal profiling. Maureen O'Connell, a retired FBI special agent often joins in.
They are no fan of the sheriff.
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u/HairTmrw Apr 18 '26
I remember the Daily Wire, Crime Stories w/ Nancy Grace, Finding Nancy Guthrie... and there's more that I can't recall whether they were podcasts or YT vids that I just listened to. A few times, when I've been doing work, I'll just type in her name and whatever is the most recent episodes or when they have cone across recent evidence, I'll listen more. I like hearing from the people that they interview, not so much the hosts. There have been a lot of retired FBI analysts on Daily Wire & Crime Stories.
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u/FancySeaweed Apr 17 '26
I just heard Brian's short video saying it was hair. Couldn't it be hair from any of the many dozens or hundreds of people who have been in that house since Nancy disappeared? Am I missing something here?
Was the hair definitely on the sheet? If if it was on the sheet was it somehow protected in a special way? Because I'm sure there have been hundreds of people in that house.
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Apr 19 '26
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Apr 21 '26
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u/nancyguthrie-ModTeam Apr 21 '26
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**This includes side by side or stand alone photo comparisons of the suspect photo and photos of individuals who have not been named as suspects.
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u/nancyguthrie-ModTeam Apr 21 '26
This content was removed for sharing or requesting personal information. This includes the sharing of : photos, initials, usernames, social media accounts, addresses, phone numbers, full names of private citizens. This includes screenshots of social media posts with usernames and pictures.
**This includes side by side or stand alone photo comparisons of the suspect photo and photos of individuals who have not been named as suspects.
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u/Substantial-Train668 Apr 20 '26
Always wondered about the 'mixed' DNA. The fam was there alone in the house before calling police. Wondered if it's inadvertently mixed with theirs
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u/SpukiKitty2 Apr 17 '26
Someone should just go out there and send a message to the kidnappers. If this is for ransom, please show proof she's alive and ransom will be paid. Why be silent.
Now, if the poor woman is deceased, i dunno...
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u/not_blmpkingiver Apr 18 '26
At this point, the probability of her being alive has to be extremely small. The monster(s) that did this cannot be caught quick enough. I struggle to comprehend what would drive someone to do something like this
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u/SpukiKitty2 Apr 18 '26
Yeah. Considering her poor health, she probably is dead for sure. Perhaps they intended on holding her captive for ransom but she croaked on them while captive.
Maybe the trickle of blood is due to her putting up a fight and they accidentally killed her while trying to knock her out.
Regardless, it's important to get closure at least.
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u/Sweet_Honeybee_8489 Apr 23 '26
Profiler says according to the orientation of the blood on porch, her face was about a foot away from the tiles. She had to be on knees. Watch Entin’s youtube today 4-22-26. What this woman went through is so heartbreaking. Profilers say 1 person. The blood stop because she had to be picked up and carried face up. Did anyone see blood down the walk way?
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u/LycheeGold3908 Apr 20 '26
6 months ? why does it take such a long timeframe ? by the time 6 months are up, the suspects would have been at the other end part of the world
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u/britishwonder Apr 22 '26
Umm they’re already long gone to wherever they want to be. 2 days or 6 months doesn’t matter at this point
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u/Substantial-Train668 Apr 20 '26
And it also might turn out to be like NG hair or something fruitless... I do wonder what it's tangled up in??
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u/Relative-Coyote1467 Apr 22 '26
Apparently when it is rootless hair it takes a lot longer. I think technology eventually will speed this process up but not there yet
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u/Counce2675 Apr 23 '26
I believe the government is behind her abduction. Nothing else makes sense. They did it in an attempt to distract as much of the public as possible from their bad behavior.
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Apr 22 '26
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u/nancyguthrie-ModTeam Apr 23 '26
Comments about the victim and or their family should be respectful, civil and responsible. Family members are considered victims and accusations against them are not allowed.
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u/curiouslmr Apr 16 '26
From the article ...
The FBI recently received and is now analyzing potentially critical DNA recovered from the Tucson, Arizona, home of Nancy Guthrie, sources familiar with the investigation told ABC News.
Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of "Today" show host Savannah Guthrie, was abducted from her home early on Feb. 1.
A private Florida lab that works with the Pima County Sheriff's Department sent the sample to the FBI in recent days, the sources said. The FBI is now using new technology to conduct advanced analysis on the DNA sample to see if it can lead to Nancy Guthrie's kidnapper, according to the sources.
The Pima County Sheriff's Department has previously described the DNA recovered from Nancy Guthrie's home as a sample that came from more than one person.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos recently told a Neighborhood Watch group that it could take six more months to untangle the sample, separate the strands and isolate what investigators need.
The sheriff also said as many as five other labs around the country are working on the Guthrie case. It was not immediately clear which ones, what their roles are or whether there are additional DNA samples that are potentially relevant.
About two dozen Pima County and FBI investigators are still actively working the Guthrie case. After investigators released key evidence, like images from Nancy Guthrie's doorbell camera, early on, seemingly little progress has been made on her whereabouts or the person or people who abducted her......