TUCSON, Ariz. — A criminal investigation expert has emphasized that while the inquiry into Nancy Guthrie’s case is still active, it is crucial that top forensic experts thoroughly examine her home.
During a discussion on Fox News’ “Crime and Justice” podcast, forensic scientist Peter Valentin shared his insights with host Donna Rotunno on the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie. It has been over three weeks since Guthrie went missing after being forcibly taken from her Tucson, Arizona residence on the morning of February 1, as previously reported by Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos.
According to Fox News Digital, DNA evidence collected from Nancy Guthrie’s home was linked to individuals who had legitimate reasons to be there, as confirmed by two federal law enforcement sources. Additionally, DNA from a suspicious glove found two miles away did not match any samples from the home or any profiles in the FBI’s CODIS database.
Valentin, who leads the Forensic Science Department at the University of New Haven’s Henry C. Lee College of Criminal Justice and Forensic Sciences, suggested on the podcast that new investigators might bring a fresh perspective to the case.
In a photograph dated June 15, 2023, Savannah Guthrie is seen with her mother, Nancy Guthrie. (Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty Images)
“My recommendation would be to assemble the best experts from each forensic discipline to meticulously inspect the house,” Valentin advised. “The goal is to find trace evidence that should be present, or hopefully still remains.”
The forensic expert is very confident that there is some type of evidence left behind by whatever individual is suspected to have taken Nancy Guthrie from her home.
“Because if people went into that home, and we believe they did, right? To take her from that house, there must be evidence of their presence in that home. Where is it? What is that evidence? We need to find it,” he said.
FBI agents canvass homes near Nancy Guthrie’s home in Tucson, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. Guthrie was last seen on Saturday night as an investigation into her disappearance continues. (L) A portrait of Nancy Guthrie and Savannah Guthrie shown in a photo provided by NBC. (Kat Ramirez for Fox News Digital; Courtesy of NBC)
He also cautioned that the key piece of evidence that breaks the case might not be “obvious.”
“It’s not going be the obvious DNA profile somewhere, it is not going to be the obvious latent fingerprint. It’s probably some of the things that we’ve probably not used as much, right? The hair, the fibers, the other kinds of trace evidence. But we’ve got to start cobbling together all the forensic evidence we have at our disposal to move this case forward, because otherwise it might not move forward,” Valentin said.
Homeowners on Camino Real, a backroad out of the Catalina Foothills, say they have a camera facing the street that was not previously checked by authorities. (Courtesy of Elias and Danielle Stratigouleas)
Investigators got a fresh lead on Thursday when Fox News Digital exclusively reported that a resident in the Catalina Foothills neighborhood, about 2.5 miles from where Nancy Guthrie lives, has a Ring camera that captured 12 cars passing by on the morning of her suspected abduction. Some of the activity took place around 2:30 a.m., when authorities say the 84-year-old Guthrie’s pacemaker device last synced with her iPhone.
In a new Instagram story posted on Friday, Savannah Guthrie pleaded with people to send in tips, and to “be the one who brings her home,” referring to her mother, Nancy Guthrie.
A law enforcement agent checks vegetation areas around Nancy Guthrie’s home in Tucson, Ariz., Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (Ty ONeil/AP Photo)
Guthrie posted a segment from the “Today” show where viewers were shown how to submit tips anonymously. She said that tips can be anonymous “and likely paid in cash.”
People with information about Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance are asked to contact 1-800-CALL-FBI.
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